Orb Energy’s commercial and industrial solar business in East Africa has received a $2 million investment from KawiSafi Ventures to expand its project pipeline in Kenya and the wider region, with the capital intended to move projects into construction and commissioning.
The investment was made through KawiSafi Ventures’ second fund and has been ring-fenced for Orb Energy’s Africa business, according to a report by The Hindu BusinessLine. The funding will support projects that are currently at the development and contracting stages as they progress towards physical construction and commissioning.
Bengaluru-headquartered Orb Energy operates in India and Kenya and has built a vertically integrated solar business. The company manufactures solar panels at its Bengaluru facility and runs its Africa headquarters from Nairobi. Its business in the region focuses on commercial and industrial customers, including companies in manufacturing, agro-processing, healthcare and hospitality.
Orb Energy provides both solar systems and financing solutions. Customers can purchase systems outright or use financing structures designed to reduce the upfront capital required for installation. This model allows the company to combine equipment supply with project financing for businesses seeking to install rooftop solar systems.
The company has installed close to 15 MW of rooftop solar for more than 60 commercial and industrial customers in East Africa. The new capital is aimed at supporting the next stage of its project pipeline rather than being described as funding for a new manufacturing facility or a separate consumer business.
The investment highlights the importance of project finance in expanding distributed solar infrastructure for businesses. For commercial and industrial customers, rooftop solar projects typically require capital not only for panels but also for development, contracting, construction and commissioning. Orb Energy’s stated financing structures are intended to address the upfront cost involved in that process.
KawiSafi Ventures’ second fund builds on the experience of its predecessor, a $67-million clean-energy fund launched in 2016. Its current investment strategy spans Africa’s climate economy, including the energy transition, clean transportation and green productivity.
Orb Energy’s operations connect Indian manufacturing capacity with solar deployment in East African markets. The company’s Bengaluru facility supplies its panel manufacturing base, while its Nairobi headquarters supports its African operations. The investment therefore links equipment production, project development and financing across two regions.
The announcement does not specify the number, location or capacity of the projects that will receive funding, nor does it provide a construction or commissioning schedule. The immediate next step identified in the investment announcement is to move projects in Orb Energy’s East Africa pipeline from development and contracting into construction and commissioning.
