Sun King
Bringing affordable solar power to off grid and weak grid communities through pay as you go financing and a deep last mile network.
For millions of African families, darkness is not a metaphor. It is the daily reality of living far from the grid or on a grid that fails often.
Kerosene lamps and diesel generators filled the gap for decades, but they are expensive, unhealthy, and unreliable.
Sun King stepped into this space with a clear promise: clean electricity should be reachable without a heavy upfront bill. Its solar kits power lights, phone charging, and home appliances. Customers pay in small instalments, like a utility, until they own the unit.
It is a business built on the simple idea that energy access is a pathway to income, health, and dignity.
Key Numbers
Note: Public figures reported through Sun King impact reporting, 2024 and 2025 updates.
Company Information
Sun King, formerly Greenlight Planet, is a leading off grid solar company serving Africa and Asia. It designs solar lanterns, solar home systems, and energy efficient appliances, and finances them through a pay as you go platform. The company combines product design, credit underwriting, and a large field agent network to reach customers the grid does not.
Leadership
| Role | Name | Background |
|---|---|---|
| Co founders | Patrick Walsh, Anish Thakkar | Founded Greenlight Planet in 2007, rebranded as Sun King |
| Country leadership | Regional teams | Local execution across Africa and South Asia |
| Field network | Energy officers | Sales, installation, and service in rural and peri urban areas |
How the Model Works
Sun King sells solar systems and appliances on credit using its EasyBuy pay as you go platform. Customers make a small initial payment, then repay in daily, weekly, or monthly instalments via mobile money or cash. When repayment ends, the system is permanently unlocked.
What Sun King Controls
Growth and Results
Sun King has become one of the largest off grid solar businesses globally. By 2024 it had sold over 27 million solar products, extended $1.2 billion in loans, and served close to 10 million PAYGo customers. In 2025 the company reported powering about 25 million homes and businesses and installing more than 300,000 new systems each month.
Operational Highlights
- Depth of reach: direct operations in 14 countries, plus distributors across 40+ markets
- Large field footprint: 440+ shops and service points across core African markets
- Credit inclusion: about two thirds of PAYGo borrowers get formal credit for the first time
Where They Work
Sun King focuses on high need markets where the grid is absent or unreliable. Africa is the core growth engine, with strong scale in East and West Africa.
| Region | Key Countries | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| East Africa | Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Malawi, Zambia | Largest PAYGo footprint and service network |
| West Africa | Nigeria, Benin, Togo, Cameroon | Fastest recent growth, expanding retail and credit |
| Southern Africa | South Africa, Mozambique | Growing appliance and inverter demand |
| Asia | India and selected South Asian markets | Legacy base, product and supply chain depth |
The company also distributes through partners in more than 40 additional countries.
Funding History
Sun King uses large equity rounds to scale product and market reach, and debt facilities to fund PAYGo loan portfolios. Recent financings show how solar access is becoming bankable infrastructure.
Main Supporters
Competitive Landscape
Off grid solar is now a crowded space, but few players match Sun King’s mix of scale, credit, and service depth.
| Company | Model | Where they lead | Sun King edge |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sun King | PAYGo solar plus appliances | Pan African scale | Very large agent and credit platform |
| M KOPA | PAYGo solar and devices | East Africa | Sun King wider product volume and reach |
| Bboxx | Solar home systems | Francophone and East Africa | Sun King larger retail footprint |
| d.light | Solar and PAYGo | Multiple African markets | Sun King higher cumulative sales |
Key Lessons for Founders
What can builders learn from Sun King?
- Finance unlocks adoption. PAYGo turns a hardware product into a monthly utility.
- Last mile wins. Trust and service in villages matter as much as technology.
- Design for real use. Durable batteries and simple maintenance drive retention.
- Portfolio breadth helps. Adding TVs, fans, and phones raises customer value.
- Debt can scale impact. Structured local currency facilities fund millions of new systems.
• Impact scale, sales, loans, customer base, and countries from Sun King Sustainable Financing Allocation and Impact Report 2023 to 2024, published May 2025.
• 25 million homes powered and monthly installs from Sun King public update, November 2025.
• Funding from General Atlantic Series D announcement April 2022, IFC Nigeria facility May 2025, and Citi Kenya securitization July 2025.
Data checked November 2025. sunking.com