D.light: Bringing light to the developing world
At first glance, the Kiran solar-powered lamp made by D.light is just plain cute — it would look right at home in an Apple store. But the real news is that it could save people in the developing world a substantial amount of money, and spare the atmosphere millions of tons of carbon dioxide by replacing kerosene lamps in countries where they are still the primary source of light.
The Kiran (the Sanskrit word for “ray… Continue Reading
Non-profits test out new analytics software for social investing
The young field of social venture capital is finally getting some detailed metrics.
A style of investing that takes cues from the traditional venture capital industry while aiming to solve global problems like hunger, poverty and health care, social venture capital sits on a delicate line between seeking financial return and having tangible social impact.
Environment Planning Group Limited, a Gujarat, India-based Acumen Fund investment, aims to provide safe water
Figuring out what those trade-offs should be and… Continue Reading
D.light Design sets out to replace the kerosene lamp, with eco-friendly lighting for India
A San Francisco-based company with plans to help the developing world snuff out its kerosene-burning lamps and replace them with cheap, solar-powered LEDs and compact fluorescents has finally unveiled its production models and announced the details of its for-profit business plan.
We’ve followed the progress of D.light Design from a Stanford design competition in late 2006 through its launch in the non-academic world, to the present moment. Started by two Stanford MBAs, D.light has been working… Continue Reading