Independent energy producer and developer Akuo has completed a series of crowdfunding rounds totalling €5.156mn ($5.57mn) to finance three agrivoltaic projects in the Côte-d’Or department. These campaigns, carried out between early and late 2025, were open exclusively to local residents and businesses.
Sombernon sets a record for a CRE-awarded project
The largest round, amounting to €3.356mn ($3.63mn), was dedicated to the agrivoltaic plant in Sombernon. It marks the highest amount ever raised via crowdfunding for a project awarded under the Commission de régulation de l’énergie (CRE) tenders. Two additional projects, located in Saint-Martin-de-la-Mer and Saulieu, secured €994,000 ($1.07mn) and €806,000 ($872,000) respectively.
Together, the installations represent a combined capacity of 54 megawatts (MW) of solar power. According to Akuo, the projects will also help sustain six farming operations, with infrastructure designed to coexist with agricultural activities.
Local platforms drive regional energy investment
The operations were conducted via crowdfunding platform Lendosphere and its subsidiary Lendopolis, using the dedicated portal AkuoCoop by Lendosphere. This system centralises fundraising for Akuo’s own projects, with the company being among the first to adopt crowdfunding in the energy sector since 2017.
Akuo joined Lendosphere in 2024 to strengthen its European positioning and facilitate access to local savings for its international developments. The company states that this type of funding not only provides additional capital but also fosters stronger local ties to its infrastructure.
Retail investors turn to alternative financial products
The three campaigns were reserved exclusively for residents of Côte-d’Or and neighbouring departments, reinforcing the short financial circuit model. This localised framework enables nearby investors to benefit economically from energy projects located in their own region.
Lendosphere is an authorised crowdfunding service provider regulated by the Autorité des marchés financiers (AMF) under number FP-2023-22, in compliance with European Regulation No. 2020/1503 governing crowdfunding services.
