Rwandan Henri Nyakarundi founded ARED which is providing a “one-stop shop for mobile users” via a solar-powered charging station. The product offers low-cost mobile phone charging and money transfers helping users quickly purchase a phone, charge the battery, or adding/transferring credit.
Nyakarundi told HumanIPO that the organization was targeting $250,000 in investments to help build 100 renewable energy mobile kiosks to be split between Burundi and Rwanda. The owner is hoping to branch out, creating a franchise, with individuals paying ARED a one-time fee of $350 to $500 for purchasing the product. Nyakarundi hopes to eventually expand his business model from Guinea to Zambia.
The cheaper model would allow an investor a solar-powered kiosk that charges up to 20 phones at one time; the $500 “smarter” kiosks adds the ability to sell mobiles, credit, and power. Consumers can drop off mobiles to charge, usually costing around $0.10, and return after a couple of hours, present their ticket, and be presented with a fully-charged mobile.
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