HoloSolis secures €220m, advances 5-GW French solar gigafactory financing round

• HoloSolis raised €220 million and added two investors to push its planned 5-GW French PV cell-module gigafactory toward realization.

French startup HoloSolis has closed a €220 million financing round and welcomed two new investors to propel its plan for a 5-GW integrated factory for PV cells and modules in France. The raise gives the company more firepower to move from concept to concrete—site prep, long-lead tool orders, and the recruitment needed to stand up a modern, high-throughput line.

Europe’s case for homegrown solar is straightforward: diversify supply chains, cut embedded emissions from long-haul logistics, and secure technology leadership in high-efficiency formats. HoloSolis aims to play in that lane with a plant sized to matter at continental scale. While the company hasn’t publicly pinned down the exact process flow, Europe’s current frontier is TOPCon and heterojunction cells paired with high-density interconnection—bringing step-ups in efficiency and lower levelized cost when scaled.

The €220 million is unlikely to be the last word on funding; gigafactories are multi-stage, multi-year capital projects. But it does unlock near-term milestones: selecting and qualifying tool vendors for diffusion, passivation and metallization; finalizing building design and cleanroom specifications; and lining up utility connections and environmental permits. Supplier agreements for glass, backsheets, frames and EVA/POE encapsulants will follow, with an eye to European sourcing where viable.

Jobs and industrial policy are part of the story. A 5-GW plant supports thousands of direct and indirect positions and aligns with EU programs that reward low-carbon manufacturing and resilience. For developers and installers, a domestic source of high-efficiency modules can reduce currency and shipping risk while supporting “Made in Europe” procurement criteria for public and corporate buyers.

Execution will decide the outcome. Yield ramp, uptime, scrap rates, and throughput are the operational KPIs that separate thriving fabs from struggling ones. A credible customer pipeline—mixing long-term offtake with frame agreements—will be equally important to keep utilization high as the market cycles.

If HoloSolis can thread those needles, Europe will gain not just another module assembler but a true cell-to-module anchor capable of pushing technology and supply security forward.