KawiSafi Ventures has invested $2 million in Bengaluru-based solar energy company Orb Energy to accelerate the expansion of its commercial and industrial (C&I) solar business across East Africa. The investment has been ring-fenced for Orb Energy’s African operations and will be used to support project execution, strengthen the company’s regional team and build additional financing partnerships.
The investment comes as Orb Energy looks to expand its growing pipeline of solar projects in Kenya and other East African markets, where businesses are increasingly seeking alternatives to expensive and unreliable conventional power sources. The company has already established a C&I solar business in the region and is now looking to increase the pace at which projects move from development and contracting into construction and commissioning.
Capital Focused on Africa Expansion
Founded in Bengaluru in 2006, Orb Energy operates across India and Africa and has developed a vertically integrated solar business that includes its own solar-panel manufacturing facility in Bengaluru.
The company’s African operations are headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya, giving it a local base from which to develop and deliver projects across the region.
The latest investment is specifically directed toward the Africa business rather than the company’s wider operations. This will provide Orb with additional growth capital as it works through its existing project pipeline and develops new opportunities in East African markets.
The funding is expected to help the company manage the capital requirements involved in taking solar projects through development, procurement, construction and commissioning.
Orb Energy Has Installed Nearly 15 MW in East Africa
Orb Energy has already installed close to 15 MW of rooftop solar capacity for more than 60 commercial and industrial customers across East Africa.
Its customer base includes businesses operating in sectors such as manufacturing, agro-processing, healthcare and hospitality, where electricity availability and operating costs can have a significant impact on business operations.
The company provides both solar systems and financing solutions, allowing customers to either purchase installations outright or use financing structures designed to reduce the upfront investment required to adopt solar power.
This approach allows businesses to transition toward renewable electricity while managing the initial capital requirements associated with installing solar systems.
Financing Becomes Key to C&I Solar Expansion
Commercial and industrial solar projects can require substantial capital before they begin generating returns.
Developers have to finance activities ranging from project development and equipment procurement to construction and commissioning. As a result, access to growth capital can determine how quickly a solar company is able to convert its project pipeline into operational installations.
Orb Energy’s business model combines solar deployment with financing solutions for customers, while the KawiSafi investment provides additional capital on the project-development side.
The company intends to use the new funding to expand its regional presence, increase its local workforce and strengthen relationships with financiers that can support further solar deployment.
KawiSafi Sees Opportunity in East African Solar Demand
Amar Inamdar, Managing Director of KawiSafi Ventures, said Orb Energy has established a strong commercial and industrial solar business in Kenya at a time when businesses across the region are looking for more reliable and affordable electricity.
He said the investment would help Orb expand its project pipeline and mobilise additional capital for deployment, connecting the growing commercial requirement for dependable power with the transition toward cleaner energy.
The investment represents KawiSafi’s focus on businesses that can combine commercial growth with solutions to energy and climate-related challenges in African markets.
Orb Energy Plans Wider Regional Expansion
Damian Miller, Co-founder and CEO of Orb Energy, said the company intends to use the new equity investment to increase its footprint across East Africa.
Miller said Orb has so far installed nearly 15 MW of rooftop solar for more than 60 C&I customers in the region but sees significant room for further expansion across East Africa and the wider African market.
The company plans to use the capital to build its local team and strengthen partnerships with financial institutions, with the objective of enabling more commercial and industrial establishments to adopt solar energy.
The strategy will allow Orb to focus on markets where businesses require additional sources of reliable electricity while also seeking to manage energy costs and reduce dependence on more carbon-intensive power sources.
Investment Comes Through KawiSafi’s Second Fund
The $2 million investment was made through KawiSafi Ventures’ second fund, which builds on the investment platform’s earlier experience in Africa’s clean-energy sector.
KawiSafi’s predecessor fund was launched in 2016 with $67 million and focused on businesses working in clean energy and related areas.
Its second fund has expanded the investment strategy to cover broader areas of Africa’s climate economy, including energy transition, clean transportation and green productivity.
KawiSafi Ventures was established by Acumen as its for-profit climate investment platform for Africa. The second fund announced $90 million in approved capital in late 2025, with backing that includes the Green Climate Fund and Schmidt Family Foundation, alongside funding from Quadrature Climate Foundation.
The investment in Orb Energy forms part of this broader strategy of supporting growth-stage companies that can expand access to clean energy while building commercially sustainable businesses.
Orb’s Vertically Integrated Solar Model
Orb Energy’s operations extend across several parts of the solar value chain.
The company manufactures solar panels at its Bengaluru facility and provides rooftop and ground-mounted solar systems, as well as solar-plus-battery-storage solutions and financing options for commercial and industrial customers.
Across its operations, Orb Energy says it has installed more than 400 MW of solar capacity and is targeting 1 GW of installed capacity before 2030.
The company is therefore seeking to use its established manufacturing and deployment capabilities in India and apply its experience to a larger African growth opportunity.
East Africa Emerging as Key Market for Distributed Solar
The investment also highlights the growing role of distributed solar in addressing electricity requirements for businesses across East Africa.
Commercial and industrial establishments often require dependable electricity throughout their operating hours, while interruptions and high power costs can affect productivity and operating margins.
Rooftop solar can provide businesses with an additional source of electricity generated close to the point of consumption. When combined with financing arrangements and, where appropriate, battery storage, such systems can also offer businesses greater flexibility in managing their energy requirements.
For solar developers, however, the ability to finance projects and maintain sufficient working capital remains critical to scaling installations.
Investment Targets Project Delivery and Local Capacity
KawiSafi’s investment is therefore structured around several practical requirements of Orb Energy’s African expansion.
The capital will support:
- Project development and delivery
- Construction and commissioning of solar installations
- Expansion of Orb’s local African team
- Development of financing partnerships
- Growth of the company’s C&I project pipeline
- Expansion into additional East African markets
By strengthening these areas simultaneously, Orb aims to move more projects from its development pipeline into operational solar assets.
A Broader Push for Clean Energy Investment
The investment reflects a broader trend toward directing private capital into renewable-energy businesses operating in emerging markets.
For East African economies, expanding distributed solar can help businesses access additional electricity capacity without relying exclusively on large centralised power infrastructure.
For investors, C&I solar can offer an opportunity to participate in the energy transition while serving customers with an identifiable commercial demand for electricity.
Orb Energy’s existing customer base and project experience in Kenya provide the foundation for its next phase of regional expansion, while KawiSafi’s investment provides additional capital to accelerate that process.
With nearly 15 MW already installed across more than 60 C&I customers in East Africa, the company is now looking to scale its operations, strengthen its financing network and expand the adoption of solar among businesses across the region.
Disclaimer: This report has been editorially prepared using publicly available information and official company disclosures. Readers are advised to refer to official company announcements/disclosures for further details.
Author
About the Author
