Nigeria - Startup under 3 years old

Describe your project or startup in a few words

Pioneer low-cost lanterns made from waste plastic bottles and e-waste lithium-ion batteries for energy-poor communities. Powered at IoT-based solar charging stations managed by rural women.

01.01 Describe your startup in more detail

We designed OnePlastic. The first commercialized low-cost solar lantern made from waste plastic bottles and e-waste lithium-ion batteries sourced from discarded laptop batteries. OnePlastic lantern lights up homes and small businesses leading to high income and productivity. It provides up to 20hours light per charge. Our lantern immediately and positively affect a family’s economic situation. It enables children to read at night without smoke or the risk of fire hazards, improving their health and performance in school. This eliminates pollution, kerosene lanterns, candles, greenhouse gas emissions, and poverty in slum and rural communities. To charge the lanterns, mobile phones and other devices, we install IoT smart-based solar charging stations managed by rural women as a source of job creation and empowerment. This model generates income by charging customers for charging fees. All of these are managed using cloud-based platforms that monitor system performance, payments.

01.02 What is the main problem you are trying to solve?

In 2012, I almost burnt my house completely with candles. While reading, I slept off, and the candle fell on my book. Way back when I was younger, I almost lost my life as a result of plastic waste covering drainage lines. The flood almost washed me away, but I was rescued. For 13minutes my right leg was paralyzed. And sadly, Years later, I learnt that this is everyday life for millions of people out there. Almost 600 million people in sub-Saharan Africa light their homes using poor solutions like non- rechargeable battery powered Lantern, kerosene lamps, and candle. Our discarded bottles, plastic bags, and packaging are choking and entangling animals. Sadly, 1 million sea birds die from plastics every year.

01.03 Tell us the major benefits and/or advantages of using the product/service that your startup provides (at least 3).

We designed OnePlastic. The first commercialized low-cost solar lantern made from waste plastic bottles and e-waste lithium-ion batteries sourced from discarded laptop batteries. OnePlastic lantern lights up homes and small businesses leading to high income and productivity. It provides up to 20hours light per charge. Our lantern immediately and positively affect a family’s economic situation. It enables children to read at night without smoke or the risk of fire hazards, improving their health and performance in school. This eliminates pollution, kerosene lanterns, candles, greenhouse gas emissions, and poverty in slum and rural communities. Our solution serves as a source of job creation and empowerment for rural women, enabling them to use the income generated to provide healthy and sustainable foods for their families. These women love the fact that they are contributing to solving the rising negative impact of plastic waste and energy poverty in their communities.

01.04 Please describe who exactly your startup’s product/service is aimed at serving. Who are the targeted beneficiaries?

We are targeting children and women leaving in rural and slum communities.

01.05 When was your company established?

2022-03-18

01.06 Are you already selling your product/service?

Yes

01.07 How many other owners are there within your startup?

0

01.08 Among the other owners, how many are female?

1

01.09 Please describe the profile of the other owners within your startup (skills, experience, etc.)

We experienced the problem we were trying to solve firsthand while growing up. And have passed through so many challenges in life together. We are a team of changemakers passionate about solving energy poverty and plastic pollution. Our journey toward changing the narrative in Africa started in 2017 as classmates at Christ the King College in Onitsha, Nigeria. Our background in engineering gave us the ability to innovate these solutions. Valentine Nnamani, Co-founder and CEO, has expertise in solar PV technology and business development. Valentine is a Yunus & Youth fellow and an alumnus at Clinton Global Initiative University (CGI U). Emmanuel Ezea, CFO, has expertise in finance, product development, and rural development projects. Having passed through the Corporate Finance Institute (CFI), Emmanuel has positioned OneGrid Energies to a better finance trajectory. Chioma Anunobi, CMO, is a professional content writer, social media manager, and marketer.

01.10 If you have a website, a social media page (Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin…), or app, please provide the link(s) here:

https://instagram.com/onegridenergies https://www.linkedin.com/company/onegridenergies https://www.facebook.com/onegridenergies/

01.11 Which industry best describes your project?

a) Energy (equipment, services, sustainable energy and fuel)

02.01.01 My startup contributes to the No poverty goal

2

02.01.02 No poverty - Justification for my startup

Our solution serves as a source of job creation and empowerment for rural women, enabling them to use the income generated to provide healthy and sustainable foods for their families. These women love the fact that they are contributing to solving the rising negative impact of plastic waste and energy poverty in their communities.

02.02.01 My startup contributes to the Zero hunger goal

4

02.02.02 Zero hunger - Justification for my startup

02.03.01 My startup contributes to the Good health and well-being goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.03.02 Good health and well-being - Justification for my startup

OnePlastic lantern lights up homes and small businesses leading to high income and productivity. It provides up to 20hours light per charge. Our lantern immediately and positively affect a family’s economic situation. It enables children to read at night without smoke or the risk of fire hazards, improving their health and performance in school. This eliminates pollution, kerosene lanterns, candles, greenhouse gas emissions, and poverty in slum and rural communities.

02.04.01 My startup contributes to the Quality education goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.04.02 Quality education - Justification for my startup

It enables children to read at night without smoke or the risk of fire hazards, improving their health and performance in school.

02.05.01 My startup contributes to the Gender equality goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.05.02 Gender equality - Justification for my startup

To strengthen inclusion, we believe that women and girls have a key role to play across the value chain. This is why we have rural women as key players in our various solar charging stations. Locally recruited and trained rural women act as charging station managers, repair technicians, and customer care. In addition to job creation and empowerment, these women love the fact that they are contributing to solving the rising negative impact of plastic waste and energy poverty in their communities.

02.06.01 My startup contributes to the Clean water and sanitation goal

4

02.06.02 Clean water and sanitation - Justification for my startup

02.07.01 My startup contributes to the Affordable and clean energy goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.07.02 Affordable and clean energy - Justification for my startup

We designed OnePlastic. The first commercialized low-cost solar lantern made from waste plastic bottles and e-waste lithium-ion batteries sourced from discarded laptop batteries. OnePlastic lantern lights up homes and small businesses leading to high income and productivity. It provides up to 20hours light per charge. It enables children to read at night without smoke or the risThis eliminates pollution, kerosene lanterns, candles, greenhouse gas emissions, and poverty in slum and rural communities. To charge the lanterns, mobile phones and other devices, we install IoT smart-based solar charging stations managed by rural women as a source of job creation and empowerment.

02.08.01 My startup contributes to the Decent work and economic growth

6

02.08.02 Decent work and economic growth - Justification for my startup

ur lantern immediately and positively affect a family’s economic situation.

02.09.01 My startup contributes to the Industry innovation and infrastructure

4

02.09.02 Industry innovation and infrastructure - Justification for my startup

02.10.01 My startup contributes to the Reduced inequalities goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.10.02 Reduced inequalities - Justification for my startup

To strengthen inclusion, we believe that women and girls have a key role to play across the value chain. This is why we have rural women as key players in our various solar charging stations. Locally recruited and trained rural women act as charging station managers, repair technicians, and customer care. In addition to job creation and empowerment, these women love the fact that they are contributing to solving the rising negative impact of plastic waste and energy poverty in their communities.

02.11.01 My startup contributes to the Sustainable cities and communities goal

4

02.11.02 Sustainable cities and communities - Justification for my startup

02.12.01 My startup contributes to the Responsible consumption and production goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.12.02 Responsible consumption and production - Justification for my startup

OnePlastic is a pioneer low-cost rechargeable lantern made from locally sourced materials such as waste plastic bottles and e-waste lithium-ion batteries sourced from discarded laptop batteries, further reducing electronic waste. To keep production costs low, we opted for a cost-effective circuit design. This approach allows us to maximize efficiency without compromising performance.

02.13.01 My startup contributes to the Climate action goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.13.02 Climate action - Justification for my startup

Our solution eliminates pollution, kerosene lanterns, candles, greenhouse gas emissions, and poverty in slum and rural communities.

02.14.01 My startup contributes to the Life below water goal

4

02.14.02 Life below water - Justification for my startup

02.15.01 My startup contributes to the Life on land goal

4

02.15.02 Life on land - Justification for my startup

02.16.01 My startup contributes to the Peace Justice and Strong Institutions goal

4

02.16.02 Peace Justice and Strong Institutions- Justification for my startup

02.17.01 My startup contributes to the Partnerships for the goal

4

02.17.02 Partnerships for the goal - Justification for my startup

06.01 There are a large number of customers who already use a product/service very similar to the product/service we envision creating.

3

06.02 The product/service represents an entirely new type of product/service.

6

06.03 The product/service could be described as a new technology.

6

06.04 The product/service is an improvement on an existing product or service.

7 - Strongly Agree

06.05 The product/service could be described as an extension of a range of products or services.

4

06.06 The product/service responds to a demand or need that has not been satisfied by other products/services.

7 - Strongly Agree

06.07 The product/service is a new version of an old product/service.

2

06.08 Justification for my startup

We've revolutionized the way rechargeable lanterns are made by utilising waste plastic bottles and simple effective technology. To keep production costs low, we've opted for a cost-effective circuit design. This approach allows us to maximize efficiency without compromising performance. Speaking of batteries, we repurpose lithium-ion batteries sourced from discarded laptop batteries, further reducing electronic waste. To charge the lanterns and mobile phones, we install smart-based solar charging stations managed by rural women as a source of job creation and empowerment. The solar charging stations are comprised of IoT technology, durable batteries, solar panels, inverters, and charger controllers. This model generates income by charging customers for charging fees. All of these are managed using cloud-based platforms that monitor system performance, payments, and use.

06.09 Competitive Analysis

Many distributors of solar lights and systems struggle to make a profit selling to low-income customers with limited finances, living in expensive-to-reach places. Many households can't afford what the market has to offer. Widespread solutions like candles cause health/fire issues. Pay-as-you-go(PAYG) solar system drives families into debt. As a result of this, they decide to go back to their old solutions. OnePlastic initiative is helping to change that. $0.38 OnePlastic lantern is showing that it is possible to transform whole communities within a short time frame. OnePlastic approach differs significantly from how the off-grid solar market has been tackling energy access issues across rural Africa for the past decade, whereby, in order to access basic levels of electricity, customers have had to purchase solar lights and systems. The reason for OnePlastic high adoption rates is that customers are not being asked to make a major investment decision to access basic levels of power.

11.05 Are you initiating actions within your community to promote the role of female entrepreneurs?

We recruit and train local rural women who act as charging station managers, repair technicians, and customer care. After learning how to repair these lanterns, rural women use them as a source of revenue in their communities.