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KawiSafi Ventures has invested $2 million in Orb Energy, a solar company that supplies commercial and industrial (C&I) customers. The money will help Orb grow its C&I solar business across East Africa.
The funds are set aside for Orb’s Africa business, whose operations are headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya. They will back its growing project pipeline in Kenya and the wider region. The investment was announced on 1 October 2026.
“We at Orb Energy are extremely proud that KawiSafi has decided to invest in our Kenya business for further expansion in East Africa. We have so far installed close to 15MW of rooftop solar in East Africa, across more than 60 C&I customers. But the potential in East Africa, and Africa as a whole, is enormous. We are just scratching the surface. With this new equity from KawiSafi we intend to grow our regional footprint, build our local team, and strengthen our partnerships with financiers to solarise more of the up and coming commercial and industrial establishments in Africa,” said Damian Miller, Co-founder and CEO of Orb Energy.
Orb Energy was founded in 2006 and has its own solar panel factory in Bengaluru, India. It provides rooftop and ground-mounted solar systems, solar plus battery storage and financing for C&I customers. It has installed more than 400MW of solar capacity and aims to reach 1GW before 2030.
In Africa, Orb serves customers in manufacturing, agro-processing, healthcare and hospitality. Businesses can buy a system outright or use financing that lowers the upfront cost.
“Orb has built a strong C&I solar business in Kenya at a time when businesses across the region are looking for more reliable and affordable power. We see an opportunity to support the company as it expands its project pipeline and mobilises additional capital for deployment. The model connects a clear commercial need with the transition to cleaner energy,” said Amar Inamdar, Managing Director of KawiSafi Ventures.
KawiSafi Ventures was created by Acumen and manages its for-profit climate investment strategy in Africa. The money came from its second fund, which announced $90 million in approved capital in late 2025.
The fund builds on a $67 million clean energy fund launched in 2016. It invests in energy transition, clean transport and green productivity. Anchor investors include the Green Climate Fund and the Schmidt Family Foundation, with funding from the Quadrature Climate Foundation.
The $2 million will give Orb extra capital as its projects move from development and contracting into construction. This adds to the money Orb needs to deliver projects as it expands in Africa.
Last month, Acumen’s Hardest-to-Reach (“H2R”) Catalyze initiative closed a $5 million equity investment in Sun King‘s Zambia subsidiary.
In July, Acumen Resilient Agriculture Fund (ARAF) secured an additional $90 million in committed capital to expand its work backing climate-resilient agribusinesses across Africa. In April this year, Acumen announced an investment in Nigerian agribusiness Pullus Africa Solutions Limited.
