SOLshare

SOLshare (ME SOLshare Ltd.) is a Bangladesh-based climate-tech startup founded in 2014 by Dr. Sebastian Groh and Daniel Ciganovic. SOLshare developed the world's first peer-to-peer solar electricity trading platform for off-grid households, enabling neighbors to trade excess solar power through a microgrid network. The company has served 80,000+ beneficiaries across Bangladesh and reduced 2,700+ metric tons of CO2 emissions.

🚀 Founding Story

Dr. Sebastian Groh, a German-born entrepreneur and Ashoka Fellow, founded SOLshare in 2014 after discovering that Bangladesh had close to 5 million solar home systems across the country — the largest off-grid solar network in the world. He realized that many of these solar home systems generated excess electricity that went unused, while neighboring households lacked power. SOLshare's innovation was to create a peer-to-peer microgrid platform that allows these households to trade excess solar electricity with each other, creating a decentralized energy marketplace.

💰 Investment History

SOLshare has raised significant venture capital from climate-focused investors:

• 🌱 Initial funding — Early investment from IIX Growth Fund and other climate investors
• 📈 Series A — $1.66 million initial Series A from IIX Growth Fund (first Bangladesh investment)
• 📊 Series A Extension (April 2024) — Extended to $5.7 million with $1.1 million in fresh capital

Total funding: approximately $5.7 million in Series A funding.

⚡ Technology & Impact

SOLshare's platform enables:

• ☀️ Peer-to-peer solar trading — Households trade excess solar electricity with neighbors
• 🔋 Microgrid networks — Decentralized energy distribution in off-grid areas
• 📱 Mobile money payments — Electricity trading integrated with mobile payment systems
• 📊 Remote monitoring — IoT-based monitoring of solar systems and microgrids
• 🌱 2,700+ tons CO2 reduced — Significant climate impact
• 👥 80,000+ beneficiaries — Across rural Bangladesh