BioLite

BioLite is a dynamic, rapidly growing, and profitable social enterprise that develops, manufactures and markets consumer energy products for off-grid communities around the world. Over the last three years, our team has tripled, and sales have doubled each year. Their business serves two distinct markets: 1) developing world families living in energy poverty, and 2) outdoor enthusiasts seeking fuel-independent cooking and power. They address these markets simultaneously through parallel innovation: by incubating core technologies that can serve users in both markets, they are able to re-invest near-term revenue to solve long-term, high-impact problems. Developing World: Half the planet still cooks on indoor open wood fires and the toxic smoke they emit kills nearly 4 million people every year, twice as many as malaria. BioLite has developed an advanced, affordable, clean- burning stove that combines unprecedented emissions reductions with economically valuable electricity generation. The HomeStove™ is capable of reducing indoor smoke by more than 90% while cutting fuel use in half. By providing their largely off-grid customers with the ability to charge cell phones and LED lights, our stoves create economic incentive for purchase and continued use, ensuring sustainable delivery of their health and environmental benefits.