Access to Energy for the Base of the - Ashoka
Access to Energy for the Base of the - Ashoka
Access to Energy for the Base of the - Ashoka
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D.LIGHT DESIGN<br />
LED-solar devices<br />
India & East Africa<br />
Executive Summary:<br />
D.light Design is a multinational start-up initiated in 2006 by Sam Goldman and Ned Tozun while finishing <strong>the</strong>ir Stan<strong>for</strong>d MBA.<br />
D.light Design is funded by private inves<strong>to</strong>rs, with no subsidies at all, on <strong>the</strong> belief that a purely market and <strong>for</strong>-pr<strong>of</strong>it based<br />
approach is <strong>the</strong> best way <strong>to</strong> provide bright, clean and safe light <strong>to</strong> billions <strong>of</strong> BOP cus<strong>to</strong>mers. Less than a year after market<br />
launch in India and East Africa, tens <strong>of</strong> thousands <strong>of</strong> lamps have already been sold through a retail distribution network,<br />
enhancing lighting <strong>of</strong> >150k lives. Their range <strong>of</strong> products can provide lighting <strong>for</strong> education, household activities and<br />
working at night, as well as mobile charging.<br />
� Market launch: June 2008 (project initiated in 2006)<br />
� Range <strong>of</strong> products:<br />
� Nova Series: portable LED lamp<br />
� The Solata: lower-cost portable LED lamp<br />
� Features: attractive design, fast charge batteries<br />
with several hours <strong>of</strong> light and multiple brightness<br />
levels<br />
� Options: external solar PV or AC charger, mobile<br />
charging, battery load indica<strong>to</strong>r<br />
� Tens <strong>of</strong> thousands <strong>of</strong> lamps sold (targets 2m by end<br />
2010)<br />
� Leadership: Sam Goldman (<strong>for</strong>mer Peace Corps<br />
Volunteer, Stan<strong>for</strong>d MBA) & Ned Tozun (Stan<strong>for</strong>d<br />
MBA)<br />
� HR: 25 in India, 15 in China, 11 in Tanzania, 2 parttime<br />
staff in US<br />
+ 8 summer fellows<br />
� Operational infrastructure and mechanisms:<br />
� HQ, sales/marketing and R&D in India<br />
� Manufacturing, R&D, International Sales and<br />
Logistics in China<br />
� Sales/marketing in Tanzania (<strong>for</strong> East-Africa, since<br />
Oc<strong>to</strong>ber 2008)<br />
� Selling through distribu<strong>to</strong>rs, piloting with NGOs and<br />
micr<strong>of</strong>inance institutions<br />
Project basic in<strong>for</strong>mation<br />
Ned Tozun (left) / Sam Goldman (right) Co-founders<br />
"We could have done it as a nonpr<strong>of</strong>it over a<br />
hundred years, but if we wanted <strong>to</strong> do it in five<br />
or 10 years, <strong>the</strong>n we believed it needed <strong>to</strong> be<br />
fueled by pr<strong>of</strong>it."<br />
"Most products in <strong>the</strong> world - 90% <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>m -<br />
are designed <strong>for</strong> 10% <strong>of</strong> people. We are doing<br />
<strong>the</strong> opposite: designing <strong>for</strong> <strong>the</strong> 90%"<br />
Sam Goldman, CEO<br />
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