// startup autopsy

Solpad

The solar gadget that promised the sun and delivered nothing.

productSilent Shutdown

Quiet closure with no public announcement

Founded	2015
Closed	2020
Country	USA
Sector	Cleantech
Founder	Eamonn Carey

Key Events Timeline

2015

FOUNDING

Solpad founded in San Diego to build integrated portable solar-plus-storage consumer units for off-grid and backup power.

2016

FUNDING

Raised $3M seed round and launched crowdfunding campaign raising hundreds of thousands with pledges for $3,500 SolPad units.

2018

PRODUCT LAUNCH

Multiple missed shipping deadlines disclosed to backers as Asian manufacturing partners reported quality yield failures in bifacial panel integration.

2020

SHUTDOWN

Solpad dissolved quietly in 2020 having never shipped production units to crowdfunding backers or retail customers.

Full Analysis

Analyst plan

Documented cause

Solpad, a San Diego-based solar-plus-storage portable unit company that raised $3M in 2016 and generated significant Indiegogo campaign buzz, failed to ship its consumer product after years of delays. CEO Eamon...

n Carey and team were unable to achieve the complex integration of bifacial solar panels, integrated battery, and smart inverter at a consumer price point of $3,500. Manufacturing partners in Asia cit

Verified lesson

“Consumer hardware cleantech must achieve manufacturing readiness before crowdfunding campaigns; complex integration alwa...”

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HypeCycle · MoatType · ResearchTags

Solpad raised €3M and still failed. See the documented cause, verified lesson and all metrics.

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