Orb Energy, a provider of rooftop and ground-mounted solar systems and financing solutions, has secured a $2 million investment from KawiSafi Ventures to expand its commercial and industrial (C&I) solar business across East Africa.

The capital is earmarked for Orb’s Africa business and will support its project pipeline in Kenya and other markets in the region. Orb’s Africa operations are headquartered in Nairobi.

Founded in 2006, Orb Energy is vertically integrated, with its own solar panel manufacturing facility in Bengaluru, India. Orb Energy provides rooftop and ground-mounted solar systems, solar plus battery storage, and financing solutions for commercial and industrial customers.

The company has developed a pipeline of C&I solar projects across the region. The investment will provide additional capital as projects move from development and contracting into construction.

“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 mobilizes additional capital for deployment. The model connects a clear commercial need with the transition to cleaner energy,” said Amar Inamdar, Managing Director at KawiSafi Ventures.

KawiSafi made the investment through its second fund, which focuses on energy transition, clean transportation, and green productivity across Africa. The second fund builds on KawiSafi’s $67 million clean energy fund launched in 2016. The new fund announced $90 million in approved capital in late 2025. Its anchor investors include the Green Climate Fund and Schmidt Family Foundation, with funding from Quadrature Climate Foundation.

In 1H 2026, VC funding activity in the solar sector decreased 40% YoY to $1.5 billion, down from $2.5 billion in the first half of 2025. Deal activity increased 9% YoY, with 35 deals in the first half of 2026 compared to 32 in 1H 2025, as per Mercom’s 1H and Q2 2026 Solar Funding and M&A Report.

In September 2026, off-grid solar company Sun King’s Zambia subsidiary received a $5 million equity investment from Acumen’s Hardest-to-Reach (H2R) Catalyze initiative to support the company’s expansion in the country and help it access local currency financing.