Nextracker Enters Solar Panel Frame Market with $53 Million Origami Solar Buy

Nextracker, a leading solar technology platform provider, has entered the solar panel frame business with the acquisition of U.S.-based Origami Solar, Inc. in an all-cash deal valued at about$53 million, including contingent earnouts. Origami is known for its roll-formed steel frame technology, positioned as a high-performance and lower-carbon alternative to conventional aluminum frames.

Steel frames, which offer greater strength and durability at competitive cost, are expected to help build a more localized supply chain and reduce emissions associated with solar manufacturing. Origami’s frames, tested and qualified by leading module makers, are designed as drop-in replacements for existing aluminum products, allowing quick adoption by panel manufacturers without major changes to production lines.

For Nextracker, the deal strengthens its presence at the panel-tracker interface while bringing in a specialized engineering team. “Solar panel frame technology has been relatively unchanged for over four decades even as panel size and wind loads have increased,” said Dan Shugar, founder and CEO of Nextracker. “The shift from aluminum to steel is compelling from both cost and carbon perspectives, with an estimated U.S. market opportunity of more than $750 million.”

Origami’s chief executive Gregg Patterson said the tie-up with Nextracker would accelerate commercialization of steel frame technology, leveraging Nextracker’s global supply chain and customer relationships.

Since its public listing in February 2023, solar tracker major Nextracker has expanded its scope beyond core tracker technology through a series of strategic acquisitions. In June 2024, it bought U.S.-based Ojjo, Inc. for about $119 million, strengthening its foundation technology portfolio for utility-scale solar projects, especially those on rocky or difficult terrains. Around the same time, it also acquired the foundation business of Solar Pile International (SPI) for nearly $48 million, further broadening its capabilities in diverse soil conditions.

In May 2025, Nextracker acquired Bentek Corporation in an all-cash deal worth approximately $78 million, adding electrical Balance of System (eBOS) products such as combiner boxes and harnesses to its portfolio. The move allows the company to offer a more integrated package of trackers and electrical infrastructure, simplifying procurement and logistics for solar developers.

Alongside hardware, the company has also invested in digital and robotics-driven solutions. Between 2024 and 2025, Nextracker bought OnSight Technology, Amir Robotics, and certain SenseHawk IP assets, all focused on automation, AI, and robotics. These deals, collectively valued at over $40 million, bring in capabilities such as robotic inspection, water-free panel cleaning, fire detection, and AI-driven 3D mapping of solar sites. Together, they highlight Nextracker’s ambition to evolve from a tracker supplier into a full-spectrum solar technology provider, combining mechanical, electrical, and digital solutions. In other words, other than the modules and inverters, the firm seems set on providing everything else, or the BOS of a solar system. Will the name survice all these changes? Keep watching this space to know!