The maker of smart feature phone operating system KaIOS Technologies has corroborated Orange’s involvement in a fresh series B funding round.
The company stated that Orange’s involvement in the Series B Investment will boost its presence and status especially in Africa where 827 million people have no access to the internet.
Sebastien Codeville, chief executive officer of KaiOS Technologies said, “It’s partnerships such as this one with Orange that has made KaiOS the third leading mobile operating system with devices in more than 100 countries; further propelling us towards our goal of connecting the next billion users.
“In 2019 and beyond, we look forward to developing even more innovative, localized solutions that bridge the digital divide in Africa and more.”
Commenting on this partnership, Alioune Ndiaye, CEO Orange of the Middle East & Africa, said, “Today the two main barriers to internet access are the lack of infrastructure, for which Orange is investing one billion euros per year, and the cost of the device. As part of our effort to overcome this second barrier, I am very pleased to have this opportunity to develop our partnership with Kai through direct investment. Providing our customers with access to affordable devices is a crucial step in our ambition to democratize access to the Internet in Africa.”
Both Orange and Kai had announced a smart feature phone Sanza with a long-lasting battery life earlier this year. Sanza has a battery life of up to 5 days, 3G+, Torch, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, combined with advanced smartphone-like functionalities.
The company said, “KaiOS brings smartphone-like functionalities to affordable phones.”
The phone goes for USD 20 and for now, is available in West African countries: Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Burkina Faso, and Mali, and will be made available in other countries across Orange’s footprint in the coming months.
