What Grameen Shakti does

Grameen Shakti is a not-for-profit social enterprise headquartered in Dhaka, Bangladesh, founded in 1996 by Nobel Laureate Professor Muhammad Yunus. The company delivers decentralized renewable energy solutions to off-grid and underserved rural communities, with a primary product portfolio comprising Solar Home Systems (SHS), Improved Cook Stoves (ICS), biogas plants, solar roof-top systems, solar water pumps, solar street lights, and PV modules. Cumulative reach includes approximately 1.8 million SHS installations (~33% of global SHS deployment and ~73 MWp of installed capacity), more than 50,000 biogas plants, over 1 million cookstoves, 850+ rooftop systems, ~100 peer-to-peer micro-grids, and 3,800+ street lights, collectively serving over 15 million people and displacing an estimated 1.5 million tons of CO2 annually. National market share positions are dominant: ~40% of Bangladesh's SHS, ~42% of biogas, and ~25% of ICS installations.

The company operates through a distributed delivery network of 4 regional offices, 20 branch offices, and women-led Grameen Technology Centers that function as last-mile technician hubs. Hardware is largely distributed via micro-credit underwritten by Infrastructure Development Company Limited (IDCOL) since 2003 and channeled through Grameen Bank's rural branch network. Beyond household sales, Grameen Shakti has built a Renewable Energy Service Company (RESCO) capability for institutional rooftop solar under Power Purchase Agreements (first RESCO PPA in 2022), a peer-to-peer solar energy trading line with ME SOLshare (UN DESA grant-supported, 2017), a Consultancy & Knowledge Practice cell (2016), and multi-country Eco Village Development programs.

The business model combines thin-margin direct hardware sales for SHS/ICS/biogas with a growing RESCO/PPA recurring-revenue line for commercial and institutional rooftops, plus project-development and advisory fees. Smart meters with bi-directional energy, Wi-Fi tower monitoring, and mobile-wallet integration provide the digital backbone. End customers are primarily rural Bangladeshi households, with a secondary institutional segment spanning manufacturing, education, and government off-takers.

Name

Grameen Shakti

Legal name

Grameen Shakti

Website

https://gshakti.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Grameen Shakti is a Bangladesh-based not-for-profit social enterprise founded in 1996 by Nobel Laureate Muhammad Yunus that delivers decentralized renewable energy — Solar Home Systems, biogas, improved cookstoves, and rooftop solar — to rural off-grid households and institutions, serving over 15 million people.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Renewable Energy Solutions

NAICS

Solar Electric Power Generation (221114), Biomass Electric Power Generation (221117)

SIC

Cogeneration Services & Small Power Producers (4991)

akta.pro primary industry

Distributed Generation (DG) Solar & Small Wind (EUAMAJAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Renewable Energy & Clean Tech Access (Off-grid, Energy Poverty Solutions) (BPAGALAE), Solar Project Development & IPP (Utility-Scale & Rooftop) (EUAMABAA)

Keywords

• Solar home systems
• Improved cook stoves
• Biogas plants
• Solar rooftop systems
• Rural electrification

Headquarters

HQ city

Mirpur

HQ country

Bangladesh

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Solar Home System Sales and Installation: Grameen Shakti installs and services Solar Home Systems for rural households, operating as a not-for-profit company established to provide access to energy. Revenue generated through equipment sales, installation services, and ongoing maintenance.
2. Solar Rooftop Systems (RESCO Model): First Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) signed in 2022 as a Renewable Energy Service Company (RESCO) to sell electricity from Solar Roof-top systems under OpEx Model.
3. Solar Rooftop Project Development: Grameen Shakti undertakes rooftop solar projects ranging from initial assessment, engineering, execution and commissioning, with operations and maintenance services for completed solar array systems.
4. Consultancy & Knowledge Practice: Consultancy services for project design and implementation, data analysis, business model development, knowledge sharing, and field trial facilitation for renewable energy and environmental projects.
5. PV Module and Accessories Sales: Trade and marketing of clean energy products including PV modules and solar accessories.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Grameen Shakti is a not-for-profit social enterprise that designs, installs, and distributes renewable energy solutions for rural Bangladesh. Its core offerings include Solar Home Systems (SHS), Improved Cook Stoves (ICS), Biogas Plants, Solar Roof-Top Systems, Solar Water Pumps, Solar Street Lights, and PV Modules, supported by design/installation/commissioning services and a Consultancy & Knowledge Practice.

Product overview

Grameen Shakti operates as a social enterprise offering a comprehensive portfolio of renewable energy products and services focused on rural Bangladesh. The core product lineup includes Solar Home Systems (SHS) for off-grid electricity access, Improved Cook Stoves (ICS) for clean cooking, Biogas Plants for renewable fuel production, and solar applications including roof-top systems, water pumps, and street lights—all underpinned by PV Modules as a product offering. Services encompass end-to-end solution delivery (design, installation, commissioning), trade and marketing of solar products, and a dedicated Consultancy & Knowledge Practice cell for project development and data analysis. The portfolio collectively targets energy access, indoor air pollution reduction, and climate mitigation across rural communities, with particular emphasis on women's empowerment through green job creation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Solar Home System (SHS)
• Improved Cook Stove (ICS)
• Biogas Plant
• Solar Roof-Top System
• Solar Water Pump
• Solar Street Light
• PV Module
• Design, Installation, Commissioning & Turnkey Solution
• Consultancy & Knowledge Practice Services

Quantifiable outcome

• 1.8 million Solar Home Systems installed benefiting 15+ million people
• +9 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

17 partnerships are on record, tiered core and key.

• ME SOLsharecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGrameen Shakti partnered with ME SOLshare to implement the Smart Peer-to-Peer Solar Grids for Rural Electrification & Empowerment project. They won the UN DESA 'Powering The Future We Want' initiative in 2017, awarded with $1 million grant to develop peer-to-peer energy trading through 100 SMART grids benefiting 15,000 people.
• World Bank WePOWERcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGrameen Shakti is an institutional partner of World Bank's WePOWER (Women in Power Sector Network in South Asia), a forum to promote female practitioners in the energy sector. The initiative supports workforce participation of women in energy projects and promotes STEM education.
• Shanghai Jiao Tong UniversitykeyStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with Center for Entrepreneurship at University of Michigan-Shanghai Jiao Tong University Joint Institute (JI-CFE) for Bangladesh Challenge - an interdisciplinary action research project for sustainable development of underprivileged communities.
• CRT-NkeyStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Eco Village Development project - a multi-country Danish funded initiative covering Bangladesh, India, Nepal and Sri Lanka, implementing low-carbon community solutions.
• INSEDAkeyStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Eco Village Development project from India - implementing inexpensive renewable energy solutions, food security interventions, and livelihood enhancing solutions.
• IDEA (Sri Lanka)keyStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Eco Village Development project from Sri Lanka - part of the multi-country initiative for sustainable village development.
• CANSAkeyStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoordinator for the Eco Village Development multi-country project covering Bangladesh, India, Nepal and Sri Lanka.
• INFORSEkeyStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational Network for Sustainable Energy - partner in Eco Village Development project for sustainable energy solutions.
• DIBkeyStrategic or Co-development PartnerDanish funded organization supporting the Eco Village Development project for low-carbon community development.
• ATEC BiodigesterskeyTechnology or IntegrationPartnership for portable biogas plants - ATEC biodigesters made of plastic suitable for rainy seasons and flood-prone coastal regions in Bangladesh, significantly reducing construction lead time.
• Clean Cooking AlliancekeyStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for clean cooking initiatives and Improved Cook Stove dissemination programs.
• MarubenikeyStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic partnership for renewable energy project development and implementation.
• Micro EnergykeyStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for micro-scale energy solutions and project development.
• Sol SharecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborating on peer-to-peer solar trading platform development and smart micro-grid implementation.
• Infrastructure Development Company Limited (IDCOL)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEnlisted as Partner Organization (PO) of IDCOL, a non-bank financial institution that plays a major role in bridging the financing gap for developing renewable energy projects in Bangladesh since 2003.
• Rockefeller Brothers FundkeyStrategic or Co-development PartnerEarly partnership in 1990 for initial project to install and field test 20 units of Solar Home Systems in Bangladesh.
• Energy Transition PlatformkeyStrategic or Co-development PartnerGrameen Shakti participates in Energy Transition Platform - a forum of South Asian countries (Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Nepal, Bhutan, India), China and Myanmar working together to phase out fossil fuel and increase Renewable Energy share.

Scale indicators19 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• Zola Electric: Off-grid solar provider with hybrid solar-plus-storage solutions across Africa; comparable product line in SHS and pay-as-you-go financing, though geographically focused on Africa rather than South Asia.
• Pollinate Energy: Social enterprise distributing solar lights and clean cookstoves across India and Nepal; comparable mission of energy access for underserved communities and distribution through community-based agents.

Direct peers

• d.light: Global pay-as-you-go solar home system provider serving off-grid households in emerging markets; directly comparable product (SHS), customer (rural low-income), and distribution model to Grameen Shakti's core franchise.
• ME SOLshare: Bangladesh-based peer-to-peer solar trading platform that partnered with Grameen Shakti on the UN DESA-winning Smart Peer-to-Peer Solar Grids project; directly comparable for the P2P solar trading and smart microgrid activities.
• SELCO India: Social enterprise providing decentralized solar energy solutions to underserved households and small businesses in India; highly comparable mission, product line (SHS, rooftop, biogas-adjacent), and last-mile rural distribution.
• BBOXX: UK-headquartered solar home system provider with pay-as-you-go financing and remote monitoring across Africa and Asia; comparable in SHS product, IoT-enabled monitoring, and emerging-market distribution.
• Husk Power Systems: South Asia-focused operator of mini-grids combining biomass and solar for rural electrification in India, Bangladesh, Tanzania and other markets; comparable in distributed renewable microgrids and rural off-grid business model.
• M-KOPA: Leading pay-as-you-go solar home system provider in East Africa with millions of SHS deployed and integrated financing; comparable business model combining hardware sales, mobile money, and rural agent distribution.
• Sun King (Greenlight Planet): One of the largest off-grid solar companies globally, distributing pay-as-you-go SHS across Africa and South Asia; directly comparable product/customer/business model to Grameen Shakti.

Others

• Infrastructure Development Company Limited (IDCOL): Bangladesh's main non-bank financier of renewable energy projects and Grameen Shakti's Partner Organization since 2003; comparable as a key financing/infrastructure enabler of the same SHS ecosystem in Bangladesh.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Grameen Shakti