ARED GROUP INC

ARED mission is to connect the unconnected in developing countries using a distributed edge technology solution that we have developed. 
1. The funding will be used to expand into more countries and also contribute to the digital literacy issue that exists in Africa. With a win, will be able to add two more countries and facilitate access to more than 500000 people mostly in rural areas and semi-urban areas. 
2. We are looking for more connection and introduction among the NGO world such as the UN, UNHCR, UNICEF... that I believe could use our technology to bridge the digital gap that exists in refugee camps and low-income areas. 
3. We are hoping to tap into MIT technology resources to further our solution and make it even more impactful and resilient. MIT is considered one of the top technology schools in the world, we would love to work with tech students to help us solve some of the tough challenges we are currently facing. 

Born in Kenya, I grew up as a Rwandan refugee in Burundi. In 1996, after I graduated from high school, my parents decided to send my sister and I to Atlanta, GA to pursue our education. I got accepted at Georgia State University in Atlanta and graduated with a Computer Science degree in 2003. But, I started my entrepreneurial journey in 1999 and built my first successful business in 2006. But after the financial crash of 2008, I came to a crossroad, so I decided, in 2013, it was time to move back to East Africa and bring my expertise to the continent. I was amazed by the growth of cell phones on the African continent, but also saw the digital divide that existed on the ground and decided that was a problem I would tackle. I truly believe that to experience a fulfilled life, you need to bring a positive impact to those with fewer opportunities. 

In Africa, around 60% of the population is still unconnected to the digital world.
1. Energy: We cannot talk about connectivity without talking about energy access, if you look at the connectivity gap around the world and especially in Africa, it is also related to the energy gap. Most areas with poor access to connectivity also have poor or no access to energy.
2. Digital literacy: We need to understand that in Africa, 30 to 40% of the population not only never experience digital applications but also cannot read or write. Yet, most digital applications included apps do not address that problem. There is a need to develop products to address those challenges
3. Low-end Smartphone: The reality is 80% of smartphone users on the continent use low-end smartphones with low internal memory and low processing power, therefore, they can not engage in a lot of different digital applications or store a lot of personal media content.
4. Low purchasing power: The average income of a person who is not connected is between 5-10$ per day in Africa. Connectivity is not their priority and since they do not use it, they do not know the value. 

At ARED, we looked at the last mile digital access problem and we realize there is a need for a new network infrastructure that is low-cost, can be solar-powered, and closer to the user to minimize the digital access cost which is one of the biggest barriers for most people. 

So we developed a distributed digital network infrastructure that will allow us to run digital applications such as storage, media content distribution, android app download, and much more on the edge and we use WIFI spectrum to distribute the digital applications or collect data. We build this edge network on top of a solar kiosk platform and we developed the embedded software solution to make it a reality. 
We also went a step further, we developed a WIFI mobile app to allow the users to access this digital edge network but also to address the digital literacy challenge that exists by incorporating a voice prompt solution for those who cannot read or write. 

This distributed network can be independently run or operate with the internet network solution. By implementing a localize network, we can now solve the digital gap on the continent. 

I truly believe there three key strategies to solve a big problem on the continent of Africa. 

1. sustainability: A lot of time you see solutions that are raising a lot of money, depending on large grants and donors, they are not focusing on a sustainable model, and when a crisis happens, the business crumbles. 

2. Adapting technology: Plug and play technology does not work in Africa. You need to develop technology that addresses the problems on the ground such as energy problems, connectivity issues, etc..., that is affordable which is extremely important. And to achieve those goals, you need a very good understanding of the African ecosystem. ARED technology was developed from the ground up to address those issues, and we had 4 different versions before we launch our expansion plan. 

3. The most important part is the business model. Africa is a very fragmented market, with low purchasing power. If you targeting people at the base of the pyramid, you need a very innovative business model. At ARED, we developed a modular business model that allows us to be agile, expand quickly and adapt to any changes with a minimum pain point.