Ared - MyAfricanStartUp 100

ARED – African Renewable ENergy Distributor – has developed and runs a network of franchised mobile kiosks where electrical appliances can be charged thanks to an electricity generator working on solar energy.

My African Startup

Maturity Level / Status Progress : Growth Year of creation : 2012 / Turnover (USD) : / Turnover (USD) in 3 years : Desired capital (USD) in 2017 : Founder : Henry Nyakarundi / / www.a-r-e-d.com

Principle and genesis of the offer Henry Nyakarundi was born in Rwanda but emigrated to the USA during the civil war and studied at Georgia State University. He comes back to Rwanda in 2012 with the idea of creating a start-up to tackle a major issue in his country: access to electricity. In Rwanda, only 18%of the population has access to electricity while 70% owns a phone. The issue of charging all these mobile phones is then central. Nyakarundi creates a system of phone charging stations powered with solar energy or by pedalling in case of bad weather. He develops a prototype for such a station, which actually looks like a caddy to be moved easily between places where it is needed during the day, depending on people’s activity. He also equips these SKK (Smart Solar Kiosk) stations with other services such as digital information access and internet access. These stations are also equipped with a software – Shiriki – which collects and analyses data: localisation, kiosk tracking, affluence, etc. to control and improve the service.

Customer Care Kiosks are run as a micro-franchise. Franchisees initially invest $100 and then $200 as a leasing they reimburse with the money earned from operating the kiosk. Other services are also available: internet access, phone card sales, information point, etc. What is an innovation SSK are a new solution to limited electricity access. They propose electrical powering points, easily accessible as they are movable to places with a strong need in electricity. Running with photovoltaic energy or by pedalling, they offer a cheap energy and do not need any wiring to other bigger infrastructures. The kiosk and its extra services are a new commerce type using modern technologies: mobile phone, internet. It easily and efficiently promotes the spreading of these new technologies in Rwanda.