Sun King, a leading provider of off-grid solar energy solutions, has raised $40 million in equity financing from Lightrock. This strategic investment will fuel Sun King’s mission to expand decentralized solar energy systems across Africa and Asia, while driving the development of innovative products tailored to the needs of underserved households and businesses in these regions.
Over the past 18 years, Sun King has built a scaled distributed energy utility model that integrates energy generation, energy-efficient appliances, installation, and consumer financing into a single offering. Today, the company serves over 50 million people with reliable power and lighting. Its product portfolio ranges from affordable solar kits for basic home lighting and phone charging to multi-kilowatt inverter systems capable of powering large homes, schools, health clinics, farms, and commercial facilities—particularly in areas with no or unreliable grid access.
Sun King’s pay-as-you-go financing model enables customers to purchase solar systems over 12–24 months, making clean energy accessible for as little as $0.15–$0.20 per day. This approach removes the upfront cost barrier that often prevents low-income households and businesses from accessing reliable electricity.
Building on its success with solar kits, Sun King is now expanding into energy-efficient appliances, including fans, smartphones, and refrigerators. These products are made affordable through the same pay-as-you-go financing model and supported by a robust service network of 470 retail shops and 35,000 field agents.
T. Patrick Walsh, CEO and Co-Founder of Sun King, commented:
Lightrock brings a deep understanding of our customers’ needs and a clear commitment to expanding access to energy. Sun King has grown from delivering 10,000 solar kits a month in 2017 to more than 330,000 each month today. Our goal is to scale to one million solar kits per month by 2030, reaching at least 200 million people. This investment is a critical step toward achieving that operational scale.
Arul Thomas, Partner at Lightrock, added:
Sun King exemplifies the type of proven, scalable solution we seek to support at Lightrock. The team’s ability to grow and serve 50 million people is remarkable, and we are excited to partner with them as they expand their product offering, operations, and international presence to tackle the global challenge of energy access.
