AWARD YEAR
2017
CATEGORY
Community
GOALS
Reduced Inequality
KEYWORDS
distribution, local entrepreneurs, equal opportunity
COUNTRY
United States of America
DESIGNED BY
Jackie and Diana founded Essmart after 10+ years of being frustrated that villagers in emerging markets lack access to the life-improving products that are supposedly designed for them. Jackie has an SB in Engineering (Harvard) and an MPhil in Sustainable Development (Cambridge). She hitchhiked from Ethiopia to South Africa while designing life-improving technologies. Diana has an SB in Economics, an SB Urban Studies, and an MCP (MIT). She has worked in community development in India and China.
WEBSITE
http://www.essmart-global.com
Essmart
Marketplace for life-improving technologies in rural Indian mom-and-pop shops
Innovative life-improving technologies like solar lanterns and small-plot agricultural tools often lack the distribution channels that they need to reach customers. As a result, few are creating social impact.
Essmart creates a marketplace for innovative technology products in areas that currently lack access to these products. The marketplace is created in mom-and-pop villages stores that rural customers depend on. In India, there are 15 million of these stores that account for over 90% of retail spending or $500 billion annually.
Essmart leverages the existing rural shop network to market, distribute, and service innovative products in rural India, giving end customers access to new technologies while supporting local shop owners. Our custom-built logistics system and mobile app uniquely facilitate the flow of such innovative products through our supply chain, and its offline capabilities ensure that Essmart can operate in the remotest settings.