SOLAR BROTHER

What SOLAR BROTHER does

Solar Brother SAS is a French designer and retailer of concentrated solar energy products, founded in 2015 and headquartered in Vincennes, Île-de-France, with a production site in Carnoules. The company operates three product franchises under a single brand: solar heating (the Sunaero aerothermal system, modular from 750W to 3000W, providing heating, dehumidification, and cooling for residential habitats), solar cooking (SunChef and SunChef Pro ovens, SunGood and SunGood 360 portable cookers, SunLab educational kits for children, Sunglobe parabolic barbecues, and OMY solar dryers), and outdoor solar equipment (SunCase solar lighters, Adventure Kit survival fire starters, SunMoove chargers, SunWater showers, and SunSun lanterns). The portfolio spans approximately 88 SKUs with unit prices from €4.95 (accessories) to €7,645.75 (SunChef Pro XXL), supported by free open-source plans, DIY kits, and paid professional workshops priced at €99–€190.

The underlying technology is concentrated solar energy — parabolic reflectors, Fresnel-type lenses, and aerothermal panels — rather than photovoltaic electricity generation. The flagship Sunaero system is the most differentiated technical asset, offering modular panel configurations for residential heating applications and winning the 2025 Concours Lépine Gold Medal. The company holds B Corp certification, ESUS social-utility approval (French government), and Solar Keymark certification, alongside multiple EPR registrations (Ecosystem, SCRELEC, ADELPHE) for environmental compliance.

The business model is a hybrid direct-to-consumer and channel-partner operation. Primary revenue comes from one-time unit sales of hardware products through the company's own multilingual e-commerce storefront (FR, EN, DE, ES, IT), supplemented by a reseller network of "hundreds of sales outlets" across France and international markets. Secondary revenue streams include professional training workshops and the sale of books on solar autonomy. Klarna buy-now-pay-later financing is integrated for higher-ticket items. Customer segments include outdoor enthusiasts, residential homeowners, professional chefs and collective caterers, children and educational institutions, and a community of "Ambassadors of the Real" built around the open-source DIY ethos. With approximately 11 employees, SAS capital of €302,493.83, and a 2023 production capacity doubling in Carnoules, Solar Brother operates as a small but capital-disciplined niche hardware brand.

Name

SOLAR BROTHER

Legal name

SAS SOLAR BROTHER

Website

https://solarbrother.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Solar Brother is a French concentrated solar energy hardware company (founded 2015, ~11 employees) designing and selling solar heating (Sunaero), solar cooking (SunChef, SunGood, SunLab), and outdoor solar gear (SunCase lighters, Adventure Kit) via D2C e-commerce and a reseller network across Europe.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Solar Cookware and Heating Equipment

NAICS

Ventilation, Heating, Air-Conditioning, and Commercial Refrigeration Equipment Manufacturing (33341), Major Household Appliance Manufacturing (33522)

SIC

Heating Equip, Except Elec & Warm Air; & Plumbing Fixtures (3430), Household Appliances (3630)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYEUAMABAL

Solar Thermal & CSP Systems (Collectors, Receivers, Thermal Storage, CSP EPC)

Energy, Utilities & Environment/Renewable Energy (Solar, Wind, Hydro & Geothermal)/Solar Energy (PV, CSP, Rooftop & Utility-Scale)

SECONDARYEUAMAOAE

Concentrated Solar & Solar Fuels R&D (CSP Innovations, Thermochemical, Solar-to-Hydrogen)

Energy, Utilities & Environment/Renewable Energy (Solar, Wind, Hydro & Geothermal)/Renewable Energy Technology Innovation (R&D & Emerging Tech)

Keywords

• Solar cooking equipment
• Solar heating systems
• Concentrated solar energy
• Outdoor solar products
• Solar food dehydrators

Headquarters

HQ city

Vincennes Cedex, Val de Marne

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Solar Hardware Products: One-time sale of solar heating, cooking, and outdoor products. Products range from €4.95 accessories to €7,645.75 professional-grade solar ovens. Includes modular systems (Sunaero panels) and portable devices.
2. Professional Services and Workshops: Solar cooking workshops for professionals ('Solar Chef') at €99.00 and training sessions including solar cooking, self-construction, permaculture, and photovoltaic courses ranging from €99 to €190.
3. Books and Educational Content: Sale of books related to solar energy, autonomy, survival, and sustainable living ranging from €9.99 to €35.00.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Solar Brother designs, manufactures, and sells concentrated solar energy products for residential heating, cooking, drying, and outdoor applications. Its range spans the Sunaero 2.0 aerothermal heating system with modular 750W-3000W panels, the SunChef household and SunChef Pro collective solar ovens, SunGood and SunGood 360° foldable cookers, the SunCase solar lighter, the SUNGLOBE parabolic barbecue, and the OMY solar dehydrator family (S, M, XL). Products are sold direct via solarbrother.com with Klarna payment plans and through hundreds of resellers across France and internationally.

Product overview

SOLAR BROTHER is a French company (100% French design) specializing in concentrated solar energy products for heating, cooking, and outdoor applications. The product portfolio centers on three main categories: (1) Solar Heating with the Sunaero aerothermal system for residential heating, dehumidifying, and cooling; (2) Solar Cooking spanning multiple product lines including SunChef/SunChef Pro for household and collective cooking, SunGood/SunGood 360 portable cookers, SunLab for children's education, and SUNGLOBE parabolic barbecue; (3) Outdoor Solar equipment including SunCase solar lighter, Adventure Kit survival fire starter, SunMoove solar chargers, SunWater solar showers, and SunSun lanterns. The company also offers comprehensive accessories including SunTube cooking tubes, COSMO universal pots, Cocoon insulated cooking bags, OMY solar dryers, and S.Reflect mirrors/reflectors. An important differentiator is their open-source approach, providing free DIY plans and low-tech designs for self-construction of solar thermal equipment, complemented by professional training workshops on solar cooking and self-construction techniques.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• SunCase: Solar lighter product line
• SunGood
• SunLab
• SunGood 360
• OMY
• Sunglobe
• SunAero
• SunChef
• SunCase Gear
• Adventure Kit

Products and services

• Sunaero (Sunaero 2.0) Solar aerothermal heating system providing modular solar-powered heating, dehumidification, and cooling for residential habitats, with panel configurations from 750W to 3000W.
• SunChef Household solar oven for baking bread and preparing full meals using solar energy, suitable for individual cooking needs.
• SunChef Pro (SunChef XXL) Professional-grade solar oven for collective-scale cooking by chefs, caterers, and large kitchens.
• SunCase Solar lighter that uses concentrated solar energy to ignite fires instantly for outdoor and survival use, with no matches or fuel required.
• SunGood Foldable, portable solar cooker designed for outdoor adventures and easy transport.
• SunGood 360° Portable multi-cooking solar oven with 360-degree solar capture reaching cooking temperatures up to 360°C.
• SunLab Educational solar cooker designed for children to teach solar cooking concepts in a safe, engaging way.
• SUNGLOBE Parabolic solar barbecue providing high-temperature cooking through concentrated solar reflection.
• OMY (S, M, XL) Solar dryer for food preservation, available in S, M, and XL sizes with multiple trays for drying fruits, vegetables, and other foods.
• Adventure Kit Two-in-one survival bundle combining the flexible S.Reflect mirror with a solar firecard for starting fires, cooking, barbecues, and pyrogravure.
• SunMoove Portable solar charger for electronic devices, available in 6.5W and 16W variants for outdoor power needs.
• SunWater Solar shower heating water naturally through solar energy for outdoor use, available in 7L and 15L capacities.
• SunSun Solar lantern with integrated 10,000mAh battery for solar-powered lighting during outdoor and emergency use.
• SunTube Solar cooking tube enabling sous-vide style temperature-controlled cooking using solar energy.
• COSMO Universal solar-compatible cooking pot designed to work across multiple Solar Brother cooker models.
• Cocoon Insulated Norwegian-style cooking bag (marmite économe) for slow cooking and heat retention to enhance solar cooking efficiency.
• S.Reflect Flexible adhesive mirror and solar reflector (Made in France) for DIY solar cooker construction and solar energy concentration.
• DIY Kits Do-it-yourself construction kits for self-building SunGood solar cookers and OMY solar dryers.
• CookUp (Marmite Cookup) Solar-compatible cooking pot available in standard and XL sizes for use with Solar Brother solar cookers.
• Professional solar cooking and autonomy workshops Paid training sessions including the 'Solar Chef' professional workshop (€99.00), self-construction, permaculture initiation, forest garden creation, and photovoltaic workshops (€99-€190).

Quantifiable outcome

• Cooking temperatures reaching up to 360°C with SunGood 360
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature8 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• KlarnacoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPayment partnership offering buy-now-pay-later facilities including pay later (30 days), interest-free 3 or 4 installments, and financing up to 36 months with interest. Enables customers to invest more easily in solar solutions.
• EcosystemminorOthersEnvironmental compliance partner for Electrical and Electronic Equipment (EEE) sector. Solar Brother registered with unique identifier FR291903_05ZTLQ for EPR compliance.
• SCRELECminorOthersEnvironmental compliance partner for battery and pile sector. Solar Brother registered with unique identifier FR291903_06URTV for EPR compliance.
• ADELPHEminorOthersEnvironmental compliance partner for packaging sector. Solar Brother registered with unique identifier FR291903_01LUMJ for EPR compliance.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Sunflair: Producer of foldable solar cookers and panel cookers, directly competing in the portable solar cooker category with Solar Brother's SunGood and SunGood 360.
• Hotpot: European manufacturer of solar cookers and associated accessories, closely comparable to Solar Brother's SunGood line for outdoor and household solar cooking.
• GoSun: US-based manufacturer of vacuum-tube solar cookers, portable solar ovens, and solar-powered outdoor gear — direct competitor across SunGood/SunChef portable cooker and outdoor categories.

Broad incumbents

• Bosch Thermotechnology: Division of Bosch producing heating and hot-water systems including solar thermal components, the established player against which Solar Brother's aerothermic heating must compete.
• Viessmann: Global incumbent in heating, industrial and refrigeration systems including a substantial solar thermal division, representing the broad-established competitor for Solar Brother's SunAero heating line.
• Daikin: Global HVAC leader with growing heat-pump and solar heating offerings; relevant competitor for residential solar heating as the category's dominant incumbent.

Emerging players

• One Earth Designs: Developer of the SolSource parabolic solar cooker for clean cooking in developing markets — overlapping with Solar Brother's solar cooking portfolio but focused on emerging-market humanitarian use cases.

Others

• Solar Cookers International: Non-profit promoting solar cooking globally, mostly adjacent as an ecosystem promoter rather than direct manufacturer, but influential in shaping the category Solar Brother competes in.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/solar-brother

Compliance7 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 SOLAR BROTHER