OPIC and Microsoft begin financing discussions with Kenya's Mawingu Networks
July 24, 2015
(OPIC)
NAIROBI – The Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC), the U.S.
Government’s Development Finance Institution, today signed a mandate letter to
begin financing discussions with Mawingu Networks, a provider of solar-powered
wireless Internet across rural Kenya.
OPIC’s President and CEO Elizabeth Littlefield is in Nairobi for the 2015 Global
Entrepreneur Summit, and signed the OPIC mandate today alongside Antony Cook,
Microsoft’s Head of Legal and Corporate Affairs for the Middle East and Africa,
who served as a witness to the mandate between OPIC and Mawingu.
Mawingu Networks was able to establish their current operating model using an
initial grant from Microsoft’s 4Afrika initiative, the U.S. Agency for
International Development (USAID), an investment from Angel Investor Jim
Forster, and early funding from Paul G. Allen’s Vulcan Inc.
Using a network of solar-powered “nomadic” wireless internet stations, Mawingu
provides last-mile connectivity access to areas that cannot economically access
the Internet. Spurred on by the promise of Mawingu’s initial pilot operations,
OPIC’s consideration of a potential $4 million loan would allow a commercial
expansion of a proven model to utilize existing technology of TV White Spaces
(TVWS) connectivity for off-grid Internet access.
“The development potential from creative private sector organizations like
Mawingu captures the spirit and promise at the heart of this week’s Global
Entrepreneurship Summit,” said Elizabeth Littlefield, OPIC’s President and CEO.
“Financial support at crucial stages of a company’s business evolution can
transform a great idea into a deeply impactful reality for millions in the
developing world. By leveraging technology and ingenuity, Mawingu’s massive
reach to connect rural African communities to the Internet is just beginning,
and I look forward to the growth and scalability of this model that OPIC
financing can unlock.”
“Mawingu was the first of the 6 TV white space pilots Microsoft has deployed in
Africa in collaboration with partners, making Africa a leader in TV white
spaces. We hope regulators across the continent develop legal frameworks that
support broader commercial deployment of the technology. It is now time to work
with both local and global partners such as OPIC to go commercial and scale to
impact not just thousands, but millions of lives across Africa,” Says Antony
Cook, Microsoft’s Head of Legal and Corporate Affairs for the Middle East and
Africa
“This is an exciting day for the Mawingu team. The support from OPIC will really
help us deliver on the potential of this opportunity to help connect millions of
Kenyans to the Internet for the first time” says Mawingu Director Tim Hobbs.
“Paul G. Allen’s Vulcan Inc. is investing in African entrepreneurs and startups
in order to develop scalable solutions from within Africa,” said Lauren Kickham,
Vulcan Inc.’s head of Africa entrepreneurship program. “We are pleased that our
investment in Mawingu will help drive resiliency in African communities. Through
our pilots and partnerships, we will de-risk and catalyze growth of new
businesses.”
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