Founded in 2016, Solivus is on a mission to expand its network of solar power at the heart of the UK’s energy generation. The London-based startup has just secured a €2.8 million investment. Their expansion plans are led by Founders Factory, G-force, and supported by Crowdcube investors to fuel growth.
The seed investment sees Solivus join the Founders Factory G-Force sustainability seed program where it will spend the next six months scaling its business – using the funding to grow its commercial rooftop business and mass market its recently launched ‘portable’ solar sculpture for homeowners.
Solivus says its flexible, organic thin-film solar panels that can be wrapped around the flat roofs of warehouses, stadiums, and large offices is a more practical alternative to traditional clunky solar panels. The innovative startup has recently appointed Juliet Davenport OBE – the founder and ex-CEO of the UK’s first 100% renewable electricity supplier Good Energy – as a board adviser.
Marian Gazdik, Managing Director at G-Force, said: “We’re excited to invest in Solivus as we can see its immense potential to transform how solar tech is used in the built environment and residential homes. Indeed, fitting their thin-film solar solutions to commercial buildings and accelerating the transition to sustainable energy of the UK’s electricity” .
Louis Warner, Chief Operating Officer at Founders Factory, said: “We face a perfect storm when it comes to energy. Households and businesses are feeling the pinch in their pockets from traditional providers, governments are struggling to fulfill COP26 commitments and our world is heating up. With the green premium so low on solar power, this is the most attractive alternative energy source at our disposal right now. Solivus has an impressive team and their patented technology, the Solivus Arc, coupled with their thin-film approach to commercial buildings, has Founders Factory and G-Force very excited to invest and help scale the company.”
Solivus is already trialing this technology on several projects including Cotswold airport. The airport is set to become the first airport in the world to use organic solar technology (Solivus solar panels fitted to the hangar) to not only power the site but also a new generation of hydrogen aircraft.
Meanwhile, for homeowners looking to embrace solar amid soaring energy prices, Solivus is launching its plug-and-play ‘portable’ Solivus Arcs, using organic solar film in a recyclable structure to provide energy for homes or cars for up to 20 years.
Jo Parker-Swift, CEO of Solivus, said: “Amid the escalating climate and energy crisis, powering our homes and businesses with clean energy is no longer a ‘nice to have’ but an absolute necessity. With this new funding, we want to scale our business and maximize the disruptive potential of our ultra-thin and lightweight solar solutions by facilitating a new generation of solar users ready to have a positive impact on the planet.”
