Aiming to enhance the solar procurement landscape, Warsaw-based online marketplace sun.store has successfully raised €6M in seed funding. This significant capital injection underscores the growing emphasis on streamlining the solar supply process in Europe. The investment, co-led by prominent venture capital firms Contrarian Ventures, Market One Capital, and Movens Capital, is designed to bolster sun.store’s product development and strategic expansion efforts.
Green energy procurement has long been marred by inefficiency. Traditionally reliant on convoluted systems of emails and spreadsheets, the solar procurement sector in Europe has struggled to keep pace with demands. sun.store, since its inception in October 2023, has aimed to simplify this complex supply chain. The founders, Bartosz Majewski and Agata Krawiec-Rokita, focus on providing a seamless and structured platform for solar professionals. The funding, coupled with sun.store’s existing progressive approach, intends to bring much-needed modernization to this arena.
What Led to sun.store’s Rapid Growth?
In less than two years, sun.store rapidly emerged as the largest B2B marketplace for solar components in Europe. Having amassed over 35,000 registered users across more than 25 countries, it has arguably become an indispensable tool for various stakeholders, including installers and distributors. Facilitating over 1.4 gigawatts of photovoltaic components, the platform manages transactions that frequently exceed €8,000 per order value. Such figures highlight the scale at which sun.store operates.
How Does sun.store’s Model Benefit the Solar Market?
Enhancing transparency and efficiency, sun.store connects sellers and buyers across 90% of its transactions involving cross-border EU trade. Supported by 500 active sellers and a varied range of 200 brands, the platform covers over 1,000 warehouses across Europe. This broad network not only fosters a more cohesive market but also addresses common procurement frustrations faced by solar professionals. The platform’s capacity to digitize procurement end-to-end is making strides toward overcoming historical inefficiencies.
Reflecting on the platform’s goals, the company stated,
“We launched sun.store with a clear mission: to bring order, speed, and transparency to this process.”
Co-founder Bartosz Majewski adds perspective,
“We’ve been in the solar trenches long enough to know how fragmented and frustrating procurement can be.”
Such clarity in mission and vision is pivotal in driving their market success.
Recent funding expands the company’s ability to upscale and diversify its operations, addressing the region’s complex solar requirements. However, previously published reports suggested skepticism about rapid scaling in fragmented markets. These doubts contrast sharply with sun.store’s progress, articulated through their significant user base and transaction volume.
It’s clear that sun.store is effectively leveraging its funding to enhance operations, aiming to address the solar sector’s myriad challenges. As it further develops its platform, it remains evident that such digital solutions could be driving significant advancements in global solar procurement.
