CONNECTING THE UNCONNECTED.
Brastorne Enterprises has been selected as a winning solver team for the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Solve 2021 Initiative.
Solve is an initiative of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in the United States of America with a mission to solve world challenges. Through open innovation challenges, Solve finds incredible tech-based entrepreneurs all around the world. Earlier this year, MIT launched the 2021 MIT Solve Global Challenges: Health Security & Pandemics, Digital Inclusion, Equitable Classrooms, Resilient Ecosystems, and Anti-Racist Technology in the U.S. Over 1,800 teams from 128 countries responded with innovative solutions.
Brastorne identified this opportunity and followed a robust application and vetting process for the Digital Inclusion challenge. The company successfully made it through to the semi-finals, which selected 12 teams out of the 1,800 teams that applied, it was later announced as one of the seven (7) winning teams. Brastorne is the first team from Botswana to have ever been selected as a Solver team in the history of Solve.
The challenge resonated so well with the wonderful work that we do at Brastorne in bridging the digital gap in Africa, it only made sense for us to apply” said Naledi Magowe, the Chief Growth Officer of Brastorne.
Brastorne is a youth-driven citizen owned company that is committed to connecting 760 million Africans who lack meaningful access to today’s digital world. “We connect unconnected rural mobile users through our USSD, SMS and IVR solutions in partnership with international organizations such as Draper Richard Kaplan foundation (USA), Mercy Corps (USA), Orange Botswana, Orange DRC, as well as Orange France and others”.
In addition to being selected as an MIT solver, Brastorne was given additional exposure in a plenary discussion about the impact of digital access. Naledi Magowe represented Brastorne speaking alongside the internationally acclaimed Eric Yuan, CEO and founder of ZOOM at the Solve 2021 finals virtual event. Moreover, Brastorne also won an additional prestigious sponsored prize at the event: The HP (Hewlett-Packard) Prize for Advancing Digital Equity.
Although Brastorne supports mobile tech solutions in health, legal services, e-commerce, logistics and financial inclusion, it is best known for its Mpotsa, mAgri and Vuka chat solutions which enable under-served users to build communities, connect, access timely information and participate in a mobile marketplace.
Given Brastorne’s success in Botswana and the scalability of its solutions, the company has since launched its flagship mAgri solution in the DRC in partnership with orange DRC and Mercy Corps. Brastorne has since surpassed its milestone of reaching over 1 million users in Africa. By January 2022 Brastorne will have expanded its footprint to also include Cameroon and Mali. Brastorne is a youth-led organization consisting of a team of 40 passionate and committed young people who want to make a difference not only in Botswana but in Africa.
“We would like to take this opportunity to thank you, our loyal supporters, for your continued support. We’re honored to be a part of the MIT Solve program this year, and we look forward to how we can grow with the support of the MIT community!”
