In partnership with the Franco-Nigerian startup Koolboks, Orange plans to introduce a line of solar-powered freezers in the 11 African nations where it conducts business.
Koolboks uses equipment with solar panels and batteries that can operate independently for up to three days to install a freezing and refrigeration solution.
The company completed a $2.5 million seed investment round in August of last year, with participation from investors including Acumen, Blue Earth Capital, All On, GSMA, and others. Aruwa Capital Management served as the round’s lead investor.
With its cutting-edge cold storage solutions, Koolboks aims to help countries achieve Sustainable Development Goal 7 and empower enterprises in a variety of industries, including healthcare, food, hospitality, and pharmaceuticals. It will undoubtedly achieve its target with the support of the most recent cooperation.
According to a formal statement, Koolboks’ solar gear also features LED lighting and USB connections, enabling speedy charging of various gadgets including phones and tablets. The partnership between the Orange Group and the Koolbok will be implemented in the Democratic Republic of the Congo before being extended to the other 11 countries where the Orange Group is active.
Ayoola Dominic, Koolboks’ founder and CEO stated that the startup was pleased to partner with Orange to market and sell its solar freezers. The CEO noted that the solution was created to fill a demand, giving off-grid families and small companies access to light and food storage, and the partnership affords them the opportunity to provide this luxury in many nations and areas.
In a statement, the startup said: “No one should be deprived of refrigeration due to its cost. Thanks to Koolboks’ innovative integrated payment technology, distributors can offer Koolhome freezers to their customers with a rent-to-own option. With Koolboks, individuals and businesses can make small monthly or weekly payments to own a solar refrigerator.”
In addition to the Aganza, Paygee, and Solaris platforms, payments can now also be made using Orange Money.
