Participated · Equity · Apr 2022

Zonnepanelendelen (WeShareSolar) operates a crowdfunding platform that lets individuals invest in solar projects from as little as €25, without needing their own roof. The platform sources empty roofs and fields from companies and municipalities and arranges project financing, administration and member insight into generated energy. It grew out of the Rockstart Smart Energy program and has become the largest Dutch crowdfunding platform focused specifically on solar energy. Since launch, a community of more than 1,000 members has crowdfunded €900,000 for projects. Funded projects include 1,100 panels at Euroborg stadium, installations on an agricultural shed and a secondary school, and a nearly 7,000-panel project along the A16 near Breda. The company plans to use new capital to accelerate growth and deploy more local and regional solar projects. ZonnepanelenDelen operates an online platform that organises crowdfunding and project financing for small-scale commercial solar energy systems, offering financial leasing, bank loans and bond issues. The company standardises documentation and digitises the financing process to make smaller projects eligible for attractive financing. It says it has grown to become the biggest independent financing platform for commercial solar projects, with 10,000 ZonneDelers helping make more than 1 million solar panels possible. Founded in 2014 by Matthijs Olieman and Sven Pluut and based in Amsterdam, the company holds a licence under the Dutch Financial Supervision Act and is listed with the Dutch Authority for the Financial Markets. Future product plans include rolling out a financial leasing solution for SMEs, expanding platform functionality to all Dutch solar projects, and launching an online "solar MOT" using production data and alarms to boost returns and reduce risks. The firm highlights its UN nomination in 2016 and intends to use new funds to further digitalise and upscale its platform.