Mott MacDonald has made a strategic investment in Above, a world-leading solar data and analytics company. Above is revolutionising the solar industry, developing digitalisation technology, digital models and AI to help generate more solar power from data.

The investment has been delivered through Mott MacDonald Ventures, that invests in founders and teams that are building digital solutions to tackle society’s biggest challenges caused by urbanisation, climate change, and environmental degradation.

It completes the second close of the £2.4m investment round led by Clean Growth Fund, the UK venture capital fund which targets the UK’s most promising early stage cleantech companies that are pioneering carbon emission reductions in the areas of power and energy, buildings, industry, transport and waste.

Above’s suite of intelligent software and inspection solutions span the entire solar plant lifecycle enabling precision design, forensic construction oversight, rigorous commissioning and efficient high quality solar plant management.

This aligns with Mott MacDonald’s strategic focus on the adoption of digital twins and leveraging big data within the solar industry, while being complimentary to the digital tools Mott MacDonald offers through Moata smart energy.

Founded in 2016, Above has worked on over 2,500 solar assets and supports customers across six continents. It works with many of the world’s leading solar energy companies to deliver solar plant data and analytics through its interactive web-based platform, SolarGain. The company’s technology digitises solar assets, optimising the operational efficiency and performance of ground-mounted and roof-mounted solar PV assets.

Will Hitchcock, Above CEO, said: “We are delighted in this vote of confidence from the Mott MacDonald Ventures team. Above can benefit greatly from their experience of combining advanced technologies to critical infrastructure projects”. 

Jon Rains, Mott MacDonald Ventures investment director said: “The current challenges and opportunities faced in this sector and its alignment with our growth initiatives of energy transformation, digital twin and net zero, have led us to this investment. Solar companies are getting bigger with construction in multiple, often challenging locations, with quality assurance increasingly important. Assets are getting bigger creating operational challenges, stretching traditional practices. Asset’s life expectancy is increasing, creating the need for condition monitoring. 

“Above provide proven solutions to these multiple challenges, to continue leading on the adoption of digital twins and the leveraging of big data within the solar industry. The opportunity to apply digital solutions to these challenges to enable smart decisions and management is clear.”

Susannah McClintock, investment director at Clean Growth Fund, said: “With an established presence in the global solar industry, Above is in a very strong position to expand and grow its operations and we are very pleased that this investment will help support the company’s excellent growth prospects in the rapidly growing solar sector in UK and international markets.”