HoloSolis, a French startup focused on building a 5-GW photovoltaic (PV) cell and panel manufacturing facility, has raised EUR 1 million (USD 1.1 million) in initial funding through convertible bonds.
The investment comes from a consortium of domestic project developers and power producers, including Technique Solaire, Photosol, CVE, and Tenergie. This marks the beginning of the company's EUR 20 million fundraising campaign, announced on Tuesday by EIT InnoEnergy, one of HoloSolis' backers.
The planned factory, to be located in Hambach, Moselle, will produce 10 million solar panels annually. The company plans to invest EUR 700 million in the project and has already submitted an environmental permit application. Initial production is scheduled to begin in late 2026, with ramp-up to full capacity expected by 2028.
HoloSolis has also secured EUR 3 million in grant funding from France's Grand Est region and additional support from Armor Group and Germany's Heraeus Holding GmbH. The company anticipates further participation from other players in the French PV industry as the project progresses.
Jan Jacob Boom-Wichers, chairman of HoloSolis, stated, “Soon, other players in the French photovoltaic industry will be joining this movement.”