Inveneo

Our Mission

The Need

Over 2 billion people in the developing world live in rural and remote communities that lack basic access to information and communications technologies -- telephony, computing, Internet Access. Access to these technologies -- directly or via service organizations – can improve their lives in simple yet profound ways. ICTs can:

  • help saves lives (rural healthcare and relief)

  • provide better economic opportunities (agriculture, market access)
  • help enforce human rights (monitoring/reporting)
  • offer a better future for children (education)

Our Mission

Inveneo is a non-profit social enterprise whose mission is to get the tools of ICT into the hands of organizations and people who need them most -- those in remote and rural communities in the developing world. To do this, Inveneo creates and sells highly affordable and sustainable ICTs that are specifically designed for organizations -- governments, NGOs, private enterprises -- that serve these rural communities with vital services that include education, healthcare, economic development, relief and telecenters. Our ICTs are designed to overcome challenges that these organizations face:

  • Lack of dependable, if any, electricity

  • Extremely high cost of power
  • Prevalence of heat, dust, moisture and humidity, often punishing conditions for ICTs
  • Lack of affordable access to Internet and telephony services
  • Novice users and administrators

Inveneo's Solution

Inveneo has created a line of affordable products (hardware and open source software) to serve these organizations that can be combined into turnkey solutions for computing centers, connecting field offices and much more. The hardware products feature ultra-low power draw, few moving parts, operable on 12Volt battery system with alternate energy sources (solar/wind/generator). The software combines high functionality with simplicity for ease of use by novice users and administrators. The products include:

  • Ultra low-power computers and servers

  • Long distance wireless (WiFi) Local Area Networking (LAN) gear
  • VoIP telephony software and integrated hardware
  • Free and Open source operating systems for servers and desktops

But relevant, affordable products are only part of the solution. Inveneo has developed a new, open and highly sustainable approach to installing and support our ICT solutions. In each country where we work, Inveneo recruits, trains and certifies local “Inveneo Certified ICT Partners” (ICIPs). Typically, these ICIPs are ICT professionals and small business entrepreneurs. They provide installation and support for the organizations we serve to improve affordability and increases the level of local support dramatically while providing new revenue opportunities to the entrepreneur, building the local ICT economy.

Inveneo's Social Impact

Inveneo strives to make a positive impact in the world by creating open, relevant, ICTs systems and scalable in-country support networks. For us, it's about results.

Since mid-2006 when Inveneo released it's first product, we've completed 20 projects in Uganda, Rwanda, Ghana, Guinea-Bissau, Burkina Faso and Mali. These projects have reached 66 communities and over 100,000 people directly or indirectly with life-changing ICTs. Our three year goal is to certify over 130 ICIP partners and jointly complete projects that provide a digital lifeline to thousands of communities, reaching directing or indirectly to over 3,000,000 people in poor, rural areas of the developing world.