SUSTAINABILITY
AZURI TECHNOLOGIES Electricity is something most of us take for granted, but a billion people across the globe still live off-grid. Approximately 600m of these people are in sub-Saharan Africa, which is where Azuri Technologies is making waves. The company offers pay-as- you-go solar power technology in 12 different countries, and has already sold more than 150,000 of these systems, impacting 750,000 lives. The systems can power anything from lighting to satellite TV, and the pay-as-you-go model, which utilises mobile payment technology, makes it more affordable than many alternatives.
Founder and CEO Simon Bransfield- Garth, an experienced tech entrepreneur, told Catalyst : “I founded Azuri because I saw an opportunity to solve one of the biggest challenges on the planet with low-carbon and sustainable technology. “Households often rely on technologies such as candles and kerosene lamps that would not have looked out of place centuries ago. Despite this, most have access to a mobile phone. Our innovation was combining mobile and solar technology, allowing individuals to pay for solar power as they use it, at a cost cheaper than kerosene or candles,” he explains. “Just as the mobile phone leapfrogged the landline, so sustainable technologies can find segments where they can replace existing solutions, particularly those relying heavily on fossil fuels,” points out Simon. “In recent years, sub-Saharan Africa has suffered from a widening gap to western nations – the so-called ‘digital divide’. The provision of power is the first step towards widespread access to communications, media and information via devices such as TV, tablets and smartphones. This
allows individuals to join the knowledge economy and to start to level the playing field with more developed nations.” Based in Milton, Azuri recently secured a $26m investment to help it roll out its technology to new markets. “We are a young but stable, well-established company,” Simon says. “We are progressing to the next stage of PayGo solar in Africa with a coherent vision of the future that will transform lives and help develop African economies.” azuri-technologies.com
IMAGES Azuri Technologies is attempting to close the digital divide by providing pay-as-you-go solar power in sub- Saharan Africa
Households often rely on technologies such as candles and kerosene lamps that would not have looked out of place centuries ago"
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