Yeloha

Yeloha emerged in 2015 as a peer-to-peer solar energy marketplace, conceptualized and brought to life by founders Amit Rosner, Idan Ofrat, and Paolo Tedone. The venture was born from the founders' collective experience in the solar industry and a desire to democratize access to clean energy, inspired by the growth of the sharing economy. CEO Amit Rosner, an Israeli entrepreneur with a background in software analytics at firms like Verint Systems and a formative period at solar startup SolarEdge, envisioned a model to utilize sun-baked rooftops he saw as wasted potential. This vision was shared by his co-founders, leading to the creation of their parent company, Generaytor, a solar social network, which then launched Yeloha.

The company operated a novel two-sided marketplace. On one side were "Sun Hosts," property owners with roofs suitable for solar panels but who might lack the capital for an installation. Yeloha would install panels on these roofs at no cost, and in return, the hosts received a portion of the electricity generated, directly reducing their utility bills. On the other side were "Sun Partners," individuals or renters who couldn't install their own panels due to unsuitable roofing, renting situations, or other constraints. These partners could subscribe online to purchase solar energy credits from the network at a discount compared to standard utility rates, effectively allowing them to go solar without a roof. Yeloha acted as the orchestrator, managing the installations, brokering the energy credits through virtual net metering, and providing a platform for participants to track production and consumption.

Financially, Yeloha was a venture-backed startup. It secured a $1 million seed round and followed up with a significant $3.5 million Series A funding round in April 2015, led by Carmel Ventures. This capital infusion was intended to fuel its launch and expansion, which began in Massachusetts, a state chosen for its favorable solar policies. The company gained recognition for its approach, winning a Webby Award for the Best Green Website in 2016. Despite its promising model and initial traction, public records indicate that the company ceased operations around May 2016.

Keywords: solar sharing, peer-to-peer energy, community solar, virtual net metering, renewable energy marketplace, residential solar, clean energy access, solar subscription, sharing economy, cleantech, Generaytor, Amit Rosner, solar finance, distributed generation, energy credits, solar-as-a-service, Boston startup, asset sharing, sustainable energy, energy technology