Interview for Bboxx, data platform connecting consumers, deploying innovative products across Africa

Interview Questions for Bboxx a data-driven platform, that unlocks potential by connecting consumers and deploying innovative products across Africa.

1. Can you describe your company’s core mission and explain how it contributes to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)?

Bboxx exists to tackle energy poverty and the lack of access to essential products and services for communities, especially underserved ones, across Africa.

Over 500 million people in Africa lack access to electricity and many more do not have access to clean water, clean cooking, and financial services, among other essential products.

Through its data-driven software platform, Bboxx Pulse®, Bboxx aims to transform the lives of these communities by connecting them to innovative products and services that would otherwise be difficult for them to access.  

Bboxx’s flexible Pay As You Go (PAYGO) model enables customers, many of whom have limited incomes, to access the products by paying for them in small affordable installments.

To date, we have positively impacted over 3 million lives in Africa and prevented over 1M tonnes of CO2 emissions, contributing to several United Nations SDGs including SDG 7 – access to clean affordable energy. Other ways we are contributing to the SDGs include:

1. Electricity enables local businesses to take off and catalyzes enterprise as the key to unlocking economic growth at scale (SDG 8). To date, we have enabled over 70,000 people to support an enterprise and improve their quality of life. 
2. By combating energy poverty, we are tackling poverty in all its forms and reducing inequalities (SDG 10). We develop products that serve all individuals and households at all economic levels, and we have partnered with Governments to roll out the use of subsidies to broaden energy access.
3. We have worked with Governments and corporations alike to power sustainable communities and cities (SDG 11). This is driven by the firm belief that electricity is the foundation for modern life and the trigger for economic growth.

1. What innovative technologies or solutions has Bboxx implemented to promote sustainable energy in Kenya?
   • Bboxx has developed and implemented various innovative solutions to promote sustainable energy in Kenya. These include: 
     1. A software platform, Bboxx Pulse® that enables us to connect customers to our products and services including solar energy for rural and urban households with no access to reliable electricity. We can manage 100s of thousands of customers by onboarding them, monitoring their product utilization, managing after-sales, and upgrading/upselling them to additional products and services. 
     2. An IoT technology that enables us to remotely connect to and manage the devices, for example by switching them on/off depending on clients’ repayments. We are also able to collect valuable information on the battery system such as battery health and take proactive measures to ensure customers have continuous access to energy. 
     3. A flexible PAYGO model that enables our customers to pay for our products in small affordable installments that align with their income patterns. Many of our customers, most of whom live in rural areas, have low incomes and can only afford our products on credit. Therefore, the PAYGO model provides an opportunity to access these services, that would otherwise be inaccessible without the PAYGO option. 
     4. An extensive distribution and retail network that enables us to bring the services closer to our customers. We have 48 shops across the country that act as points of sales and distribution for our products. Additionally, customers can come to the shops to get help including after-sales services such as faulty equipment and interact with our welcoming staff. We also have retail agents assigned to the shops that can sell and manage last-mile delivery of products to customers, making them easily accessible. 
2. Winning the Zayed Sustainability Prize was a significant milestone. How has this recognition impacted your work? 
   • Winning the Zayed Sustainability Prize under the ‘Energy’ category in 2019 was indeed a significant milestone. Since winning the prize, we have been able to invest further in scaling energy access to underserved communities in Africa through innovations in our product range and scaling up our operations. We have connected millions more people with clean energy and other essential services and empowered them to improve their quality of life. Additionally, the prize was a recognition that we are doing remarkable work tackling a major global problem – energy access. 
3. How does your organization leverage renewable energy sources to provide sustainable solutions for off-grid communities?
   • Most of Sub-Saharan Africa is blessed with plenty of sun all year round. With our solar home systems typically consisting of a solar panel and a battery system, we can tap into this energy to provide clean energy to households in Africa enabling them to have lighting and power various appliances including TVs and charging their phones. We have also developed mini-grid solutions in some of our markets that have enabled us to generate energy at a larger scale to serve our customers.
   • Additionally, through partnerships, we have been able to provide affordable solar energy irrigation solutions enabling farmers to improve their crop yields. 
4. Can you share some success stories or case studies where your organization’s initiatives have significantly impacted local communities?
   • Bboxx has had many success stories. A good example is how energy access as a starting point can open opportunities for households to access other essential services. For most customers, signing up with Bboxx is the first time they enter a formal contract with an institution. Through the relationship we build with these customers, we can provide additional products and services such as financial services levering their repayment histories and other data we can collect in their customer journeys. In 2021, following the COVID-19 pandemic, we partnered with a financial institution to offer cash loans to our customers, whose incomes had been significantly impacted. The cash loan enabled them to support their business, purchase farm inputs, and pay school fees for their children. Subsequently, most of the clients repaid the loans through small installments added to their solar energy repayments. The project was a success and demonstrated that we can empower our customers and improve their quality of life by connecting them to life-changing products and services leveraging the relationship they have established with us. 
5. What challenges have you faced in implementing sustainable solutions, and how have you overcome them?
   • Providing solutions to some of the hardest-to-reach communities in the world, doesn’t come without challenges. The main challenges include (1) High distribution costs as most customers live in rural areas that are costly to access,                (2) Low affordability as some customers have low incomes resulting in defaults,                                 (3) Aggressive competition resulting in price wars that end up hurting growth. We have been able to address most of these challenges by supporting a sales agent network in rural communities, better onboarding of new clients through our credit scoring model and focusing on quality and good customer experience to differentiate ourselves from competitors. 
6. How does your organization ensure the affordability and accessibility of its sustainable energy solutions to underserved populations in Kenya?
   • Through our innovative PAYGO model, our clients can afford our products as they can pay for them in small flexible payments that are aligned with their income patterns. Additionally, through the KOSAP subsidy program with the government, we have been able to expand energy access to areas that are much harder to serve due to poor infrastructure and sparse population. 
7. What advice would you give to other entrepreneurs or innovators looking to address sustainability challenges through similar initiatives?
   • Start small and be intentional about your growth
   • Know your customers’ needs and be passionate about finding the right solutions. 
8. Finally, is there anything that hasn’t been touched upon that you would like to be mentioned in the article?
   • Growing up in a rural village with no access to electricity and other essential products and services, I can relate to the challenges our customers face. Therefore, I’m deeply inspired by the work we are doing to improve the quality of life for our customers through energy access and other essential services.