Access to Energy for the Base of the - Ashoka

COSMOS IGNITE INNOVATIONS
Solar LED lanterns
India, Asia, Africa and South-America
Executive Summary:
In 2004, Amit Chugh returned to India to found Cosmos Ignite along with Matt Scott who had just graduated from
Stanford. Cosmos is a pioneering global company that introduced solar LED lanterns to the BOP market with a fully forprofit
approach. Since then, their venture sold several tens of thousands of 5-in-1 Mightylights and developed a full range
of innovative solar devices. Thanks to Cosmos' low-cost design and microfinance partners, down to BOP500 benefit
from bright modern light to fulfill daily lighting and communication needs. With its upcoming scale-up, including series
A financing, the development of a micro-franchised "energy kiosk" network and governmental partnerships, Cosmos
expects to reach cumulative sales of 2m devices by 2011 while maintaining its 10% net margin.
� Market launch: 2006 (first for-profit solar LED lantern
project initiated in 2004)
� Mightylight LED lantern (main product):
� Up to 2.5Wc solar PV + AC/DC charging
� 5-in-1 multipurpose use
� Multiple bright settings
� Optional mobile / radio charging
� Complementary range of solar devices:
� Mightytorch (low-cost flash light)
� Mightycharge (mobile charger)
� Tens of thousands lamps sold in multiple countries
(targets 2m by 2011)
� Leadership: Matt Scott & Amit Chungh (Stanford
MBA)
� HR: 32 full-time employees
� Multinational infrastructure:
� R&D in India, USA and Europe
� In-house local manufacturing and assembly at
Gurgaon plant in India
� International sales through partners
� Indian multi-channel selling through:
� NGOs (also involved in initial pilots)
� Micro-franchised village entrepreneurs network of
"energy kiosks"
� Microfinance institutions and retailers
Project basic information
Mightylight set including the solar PV, AC and DC chargers
Mightycharge, low-costmulti-mobile charger
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