Little Sun
Little Sun is a Berlin-based social enterprise that operates solar-powered Community Energy Hubs in Zambia, providing smallholder dairy farmers with milk cooling, testing, and access to formal markets. It pivoted from portable solar lamp distribution to agritech services in 2025.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2012
- HeadquartersBerlin, Germany
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Little Sun does
Little Sun is a private social enterprise founded in 2012 by artist Olafur Eliasson and engineer Frederik Ottesen, headquartered in Berlin with operating entities in Zambia and the United States. Through 2024, the company's core product was a line of portable solar lamps (Original, Charge, Diamond) using solar photovoltaic cells paired with LiFePO4 rechargeable batteries designed for a five-year service life; these were sold globally through e-commerce, museum and art-store retail partners, and humanitarian channels, with the original "buy-one-give-one" model cross-subsidizing distribution to off-grid African communities.
In December 2024, Little Sun discontinued lamp production and pivoted exclusively to operating Community Energy Hubs in Zambia. The hub is a solar-powered agricultural productivity site that combines specialized solar milk chillers with quality testing and digital monitoring, enabling smallholder dairy farmers in Chibombo and Mumbwa to aggregate and sell raw milk to formal dairy buyers that previously could not be served due to spoilage. The model targets 200 hubs serving 7,600 farmers by 2035, up from a single hub launched in April 2024.
Little Sun operates a hybrid revenue model spanning hardware sales (now ending), charitable donations to Little Sun Foundation e.V. (Germany) and Little Sun Inc. (US 501(c)(3)), and service revenue from hub operations (milk testing, cooling, market linkage). It maintains deep institutional partnerships with UNHCR, IOM, Oxfam, Save the Children, IKEA Foundation, Bloomberg Philanthropies, USAID Power Africa, UNDP, GOGLA, and SEforALL. The company employs 102 people and reports cumulative impact of 1.65 million products distributed, 4.88 million people reached, 1.27 million tonnes of CO2eq avoided, and $203 million in household energy savings.
Little Sun firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Little Sun
- Legal name
- LittleSun GmbH
- Website
- https://littlesun.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2012
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Little Sun is a Berlin-based social enterprise that operates solar-powered Community Energy Hubs in Zambia, providing smallholder dairy farmers with milk cooling, testing, and access to formal markets. It pivoted from portable solar lamp distribution to agritech services in 2025.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Little Sun industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Solar Agricultural Services
- NAICS
- Solar Electric Power Generation (221114), Support Activities for Crop Production (11511), Farm Management Services (115116)
- SIC
- Agricultural Services (700), Refrigeration & Service Industry Machinery (3580)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Solar Distribution & Wholesale Supply (Channel, Procurement, Logistics) (EUAMABAK)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Solar EPC & Construction (Utility-Scale, Rooftop, Balance of System) (EUAMABAB), Solar Mounting, Racking & Trackers (Fixed-Tilt, Single/Dual-Axis, Rooftop Mounts) (EUAMABAF), Solar Design, Engineering & Performance Software (PV Modeling, Digital Twins, Monitoring) (EUAMABAH)
Keywords
Where Little Sun is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Berlin
- HQ country
- Germany
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices3 records
Markets served
Little Sun business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Solar Product Sales: Sale of Little Sun branded solar lamps (Original, Charge, Diamond), solar home systems, and related solar products to consumers and distributors worldwide. A dual-model where products sold in developed markets help subsidize affordable pricing for off-grid communities.
- Donations and Grants: Little Sun Foundation e.V. (Germany) and Little Sun Inc. (US 501(c)3) receive charitable donations to fund impact programs, with donations at €5,000+ enabling membership in The Current donor network.
- Agritech Services (Community Energy Hubs): Community Energy Hubs provide solar-powered milk cooling and testing services to farmers, generating income through market linkage fees and operational sustainability.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Consumer solar lamps sold globally |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels6 records
Marketing channels7 records
Little Sun product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Little Sun operates solar-powered Community Energy Hubs in Zambia that provide smallholder dairy farmers with milk cooling, milk-quality testing, and bulk market access to formal buyers. Historically, the company designed, manufactured, and distributed portable solar lamps and phone chargers (Little Sun Original, Charge, and Diamond) globally to off-grid households and humanitarian partners, but it ended production and sales of the lamp line by the end of 2024 to focus exclusively on the hub-based service model.
Product overview
Little Sun is a solar energy social business offering a portfolio of physical solar-powered products and services. The core offering historically included portable solar lamps (Original, Charge, Diamond) designed for off-grid communities. Since 2024, the company has pivoted exclusively to operating Community Energy Hubs in Zambia—solar-powered agricultural productivity centers that combine solar-powered milk chillers and quality testing to connect smallholder farmers with formal dairy markets. The company also provides free solar education materials for schools.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Little Sun Original: Solar lamp product; weather-resistant portable solar light
- Little Sun Charge
- Little Sun Diamond
Products and services
- Community Energy Hub Solar-powered Community Energy Hubs in Zambia that provide smallholder dairy farmers with milk cooling, milk-quality testing, and bulk collective market access to formal dairy buyers. Hubs serve approximately 500 farmers each and integrate photovoltaic generation with milk-chilling cold storage, quality testing equipment, and digital monitoring. Targeted at smallholder farmer cooperatives and individual farmers lacking grid electricity, refrigeration, and direct buyer access.
- Solar-Powered Milk Chillers Vacuum-insulated, solar-driven milk chillers deployed within Community Energy Hubs to rapidly cool freshly expressed milk, preserve quality, and meet temperature standards required by formal dairy buyers. Designed for off-grid use by smallholder dairy farming operations without reliable electricity access.
Quantifiable outcome
- 4.8 million people empowered with improved energy access
- +6 more outcomes
Companies that use Little Sun
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Little Sun technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Little Sun partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
13 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.
- UNHCR (UN Refugee Agency)corePartnership to distribute solar lamps to refugees and displaced persons in camps across multiple countries.
- IOM (International Organization for Migration)coreHumanitarian aid partnership distributing solar devices to internally displaced people and migrants.
- OxfammajorPartnership for solar lamp distribution in humanitarian response contexts.
- Save the ChildrenmajorHumanitarian distribution partnership reaching children and families in crisis situations.
- GOGLA (Global Off-Grid Lighting Association)majorIndustry association partnership providing impact measurement standards and market development.
- USAID Power AfricamajorUS government initiative supporting energy access programs in Africa.
- UNDPmajorUN development agency partnership for sustainable energy access.
- Solar Development PLC (Ethiopia)coreIn-country partner managing Little Sun distribution and sales operations in Ethiopia.
- JLF Enterprise (Senegal)coreLocal partner managing solar projects and distribution in Senegal.
- One Acre Fund (Burundi)majorAgricultural nonprofit partnership delivering solar-powered milling services to smallholder farmers.
- Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL)majorGlobal initiative working to accelerate SDG7 (clean energy access) partnerships.
- Octopus Energy GroupminorGreen energy technology partner enabling the Grace of the Sun art installation at COP26.
- MTArt AgencyminorSustainable art production agency supporting Little Sun's cultural campaigns.
Scale indicators10 records
Recent moves9 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Little Sun competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- M-KOPA: M-KOPA provides PAYG solar home systems and connected productive-use appliances (TVs, fridges, e-mobility) to off-grid customers in East Africa. Comparable as a high-scale off-grid solar financing and distribution platform serving similar smallholder and low-income customers.
- BBOXX: BBOXX provides PAYG solar home systems and clean energy solutions to off-grid customers across Africa and Asia using data-driven remote monitoring. Comparable for its off-grid solar product distribution model and emerging-markets customer focus.
- Sun King (Greenlight Planet): Greenlight Planet (Sun King) sells PAYG solar lanterns, home systems, and clean cookstoves across Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia through a large agent network. Directly comparable as a global off-grid solar distribution company with similar product portfolio and customer base.
- Sistema.bio: Sistema.bio provides biodigesters and biogas-powered appliances to smallholder farmers in Latin America, Africa, and Asia. Comparable for its productive-use clean energy model targeting smallholder farmers and creating agricultural value-chain benefits.
- Fenix International (ENGIE): Fenix International, now part of ENGIE, pioneered PAYG solar home systems in Uganda and East Africa. Comparable for its PAYG solar model serving off-grid households and its scale pathway through acquisition by a major energy player.
- d.light: d.light designs, manufactures, and distributes affordable solar lanterns, phone chargers, and solar home systems for off-grid households across Africa and Asia. Directly comparable as a pay-as-you-go and distribution-led solar energy access company targeting similar smallholder customers.
- BioLite: BioLite manufactures clean energy products (solar lanterns, home systems, biomass cookstoves) for off-grid households in emerging markets, with parallel outdoor-recreation distribution in developed markets. Comparable for its dual developed-market / off-grid distribution model and durable solar lantern product line.
- Zola Electric: Zola Electric offers off-grid and hybrid solar-plus-storage solutions across Sub-Saharan Africa. Comparable as an Africa-focused off-grid solar distribution and energy services provider targeting similar rural customer segments.
Emerging players
- ColdHubs: ColdHubs operates solar-powered walk-in cold rooms for smallholder farmers in Nigeria to reduce postharvest losses. Comparable for its solar-powered productive-use infrastructure serving smallholder farmers, though focused on cold storage rather than dairy aggregation.
- SolarAid: SolarAid is a nonprofit distributing small solar lights across Sub-Saharan Africa via the Sunny Money social enterprise. Comparable as a mission-driven solar distribution organization with overlapping donor networks and target customers, but operates as a charity rather than a commercial social business.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Little Sun social profiles
Digital presenceLittle Sun compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance4 records
Little Sun financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Little Sun leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
Little Sun subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries3 records
Little Sun funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Little Sun M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Little Sun
What does Little Sun do?
Little Sun operates solar-powered Community Energy Hubs in Zambia that provide smallholder dairy farmers with milk cooling, milk-quality testing, and bulk market access to formal buyers. Historically, the company designed, manufactured, and distributed portable solar lamps and phone chargers (Little Sun Original, Charge, and Diamond) globally to off-grid households and humanitarian partners, but it ended production and sales of the lamp line by the end of 2024 to focus exclusively on the hub-based service model.
Is Little Sun a public or private company?
Little Sun is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Little Sun founded?
Little Sun was founded in 2012. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Little Sun based?
Little Sun is headquartered in Berlin, Germany, in the Europe region.
How does Little Sun make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Solar Product Sales are the primary driver. The others are donations and Grants and agritech Services (Community Energy Hubs).
Who are Little Sun's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are M-KOPA, BBOXX, Sun King (Greenlight Planet), Sistema.bio, Fenix International (ENGIE), d.light, BioLite and Zola Electric. Emerging players are ColdHubs and SolarAid.
Does Little Sun have an API?
No public API is recorded for Little Sun.
What industry is Little Sun in?
Little Sun's product category is Solar Agricultural Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EUAMABAK, Solar Distribution & Wholesale Supply (Channel, Procurement, Logistics), with a secondary code of EUAMABAB, Solar EPC & Construction (Utility-Scale, Rooftop, Balance of System). Its NAICS code is 221114 and its SIC code is 700.