Avantus, a U.S. developer of utility-scale solar and solar-plus-storage projects, and KKR, a leading global investment firm, announced in March the acquisition of a majority equity interest by investment funds and accounts managed by KKR.
In the closing Avantus secured a $522 million development facility arranged by KKR Capital Markets and Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation (SMBC). The facility provides Avantus the financial backing to continue to grow its project pipeline, which currently stands at 30 GW of solar and 94 GWh of battery storage, enough to provide 20 million people with clean energy. The company has also developed and sold 7.3 GW of solar and 17 GWh of storage.
“There is enormous opportunity ahead for Avantus, and we look forward to supporting the company in this next phase of growth. The need for clean energy in the United States is increasing substantially, driven by many factors including data center demand, the rise of artificial intelligence, and growth in electrification. Avantus is well positioned to capitalize on these tailwinds,” said Cecilio Velasco, managing director in KKR’s Infrastructure team.
Avantus was founded in 2009 as 8Minute Solar Energy by Tom Buttgenbach with the intention of fighting climate change by developing renewable energy at scale. The company expanded that vision in 2022 to include what it calls an “advanced ecosystem” of clean energy products and services. With the expanded vision came the new name, Avantus, and the plan to build a substantial clean energy development pipeline.
“This announcement is a ringing endorsement of our proven team at Avantus, providing us the capital to advance our portfolio and develop high-performing, high-value clean energy projects,” said Stephanie Perry, chief operating officer at Avantus. “We are excited to work with KKR and our existing investor EIG to achieve our growth plans and build on our track record of delivering record-breaking clean energy solutions that will decarbonize our planet at scale.”
With the close of the transaction, KKR and EIG, a leading institutional investor in the global energy and infrastructure sectors, will be the sole equity investors in Avantus. Both equity sponsors secured commitments for a development financing facility alongside their equity commitments to the company, totaling upwards of $1 billion in the aggregate.
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