Steve Case has invested in Kenya’s BRCK and he is joined by other investors who participated in a latest round of investments for the startup. A total of $3 million was raised during this round from Jean and Steve Case with participation from Jim Sorenson, TED, MKS Alternative Investments, Synergy Energy and others to bring connectivity to people in marginalised areas.
BRCK was in September under its BRCK Education division named among the 25 companies shortlisted for the Ksh 17 billion laptop and digitial content project after being on the forefront of promoting digital learning in local schools. BRCK had been tested in various schools across the country.
The BRCK is made up of software developers, engineers and technologists who are from Africa and live there. The BRCK was designed and prototyped in Nairobi, Kenya.
“We wanted a connectivity device that fit our needs, where electricity and internet connections are problematic both in urban and rural areas,” the startup said.
“As we laid out what such a device would look like – physically robust, able to connect to multiple networks, a hub for all local devices, enough backup power to survive a blackout – we realized that the way the entire world is connecting to the web is changing. We no longer only get online via desktops in our office with an ethernet connection, we have multiple devices, and mobile connectivity is crucial.”
