Refuge Network

Harnessing the untapped human and economic potential in refugees using blockchain technology and proven business models.

Even in today's technologically advanced and connected world, there are still over 2 billion people without access to any form of financial services. The majority are refugees, displaced or marginalized. According to Amnesty International, 80% of the world’s population are willing to help refugees and displaced people. Though with over 40% of all aid being lost to corruption and charity costs there is erosion of trust in the space. These displaced populations remain disconnected, living in extreme poverty with no access to job opportunities or capital. Even with physical capital, emerging and existing entreprises wrestle survival because of the unfavourable conditions in the predominantly informal economy. Isolation further makes it difficult to start and operate businesses, and they are condemned to rely on inefficient public policies and aid.  Not having any official ID limits their access to financial or government services.

The existing business and political models have consistently failed to develop efficient approaches while continuously pursuing age-old handouts strategy, perceiving refugees as a drain on local economies rather than an opportunity. Refugees present a warehouse of untapped skills, talents, energy and yearn to change their own lives. This opportunity can be harnessed to help them help themselves, while giving a financial benefit to the people that help them. This is why we have created Refuge Network.

Refuge Network is a global financial ecosystem utilizing blockchain technology and proven business models in e-commerce and investments to connect displaced and marginalized communities to the global economy. Our platform consists of an online marketplace where displaced populations can list and sell their products to the outside world. The online marketplace is integrated with an investment functionality that allows people, organizations or companies to invest in sellers and their products and get financial returns on every sale, instead of traditional donations. We also involve micro-franchise models welcoming already existing businesses and brands to work with the refugees while accepting investments to not only do social good but also increase their production and amplify their market.

Our ecosystem is backed by digital cards that allow the displaced populations to accept payments without necessarily having internet or a bank accounts. The biometrically protected cards will store user information and give them a universal identity secured on the blockchain where their transactions and credit history will be stored.

Our solution harnesses a huge untapped economic and human potential by exploring blockchain technology´s promise to unlock billions of dollars of real capital among the lower socio-economic classes. We want to create a functional economy that focuses on financial inclusion for the people at the bottom of the pyramid, and connect them to the global economy through a functional and sustainable business models. Our multi-faceted approach is built to provide not only a service but also the resources to make the service work and promote the redistribution of wealth. Our mission is to foster financial inclusion for the populations left out of the current economic systems by creating an inclusive global economy where every participant gains.

Technology. We leverage the power of blockchain technology to build a more inclusive economic system and eliminate intermediaries, promoting peer-to-peer interactions between users regardless of their economic standards or locations.

Multidimensionality. Refuge Network is multi-ledger, single network for financial transactions, digital identity and trading solutions that combines proven business models with social good.

Profitable Charity.  Individuals and organizations make investments instead of donations and get financial returns creating an economic gain. Every user in the ecosystem benefits while helping the focus population help themselves.

Unlike many existing solutions, we provide a service and the resources to make it work.

Our ecosystem is built on blockchain to promote efficiency, trust and security. It’s used for peer-to-peer transactions, identity, digital cards, token rewards, user credit history, among others.

Smart Contracts eliminate the need of intermediaries like banks or governments to enable interactions between the users. They are used to regulate how sales proceeds are distributed between sellers and investors in real time, when sales are made.

Token rewards on our platform among users is meant to redistribute wealth along the economic lines.

Our biometrically protected digital cards will operate without the need of internet, and securely store user information including health and education records.

Start a pilot program, launching by the end of the year in Zaatari Refugee Camp and Turkey, after developing the MVP within the coming four months.

Create strong global strategic partnerships, focused on NGOs, fintech companies, other related blockchain or AI solutions and retail companies already making products.

Within 12 months, integrate at least 10000 refugees as sellers, 1000 investors and buyers across Europe and North America.

In parallel of the launch we are also planning an ICO for the end of the year with our private sale set to begin in two months. Subscribe to stay updated.

Our team is a combination of people with experience in fundraising for nonprofits, years of corporate experience, VR and blockchain startups experiences, equity investments and marketing. We are a diverse team that is guided by a common goal and a relentless passion to alleviate the mass human suffering. Beyond the experience, we believe our accessibility, persistence, understanding of our vision and flexibility will make us attractive to outside resources and market.

Although we are working on tough humanitarian challenges, we are applying a pure and proven business model that focuses on providing uniqueness to the market to satisfy the customer demands. To ensure we stand out in this competitive space, we are implementing mechanisms that our competitors have not implemented before. We will therefore charge for every service while rewarding all our sellers, customers and investors, and doing good to the world.

Among many other possible projected revenue streams, our model relies on three major sources.

• Referral fees plus marketplace listing fees on every product sold from the marketplace.

• Commission on return on investments plus monthly fees for investors.

• Charges on digital cards and subscription.

Our revenue will be able to support our development and we hope the ICO we plan to do at the beginning of next year will provide us with enough funds for the operations as we develop a better revenue base. The sustainability and expansion will depend on the marketing which will focus on the mission rather than the product and the huge addressable market we have with both the displaced/marginalized population and the online ecommerce buyers or donors to charities.

We apply to Solve to build the right partnerships to scale our solution and accelerate development and impact. With focus on potential partnerships from nonprofits, corporations and governments, it is the perfect place to start.

We would want to benefit from financing and other follow up support structures including the personalized mentorship that Solve offers. Through these spaces we are able to connect with investors and multi-sectoral executives. We also want to gain exposure and media coverage as we prepare to start our fundraising and later ICO. We need guidance and advisory most at this stage, and Solve promises it.

We believe our success relies largely on the quality of partnerships we make with fintech companies, non-profits, blockchain communities, and the retail industry. I believe creating this network is the biggest barrier for the success of our solution now. Solve would be a crucial stepping stone towards not just the networks but also the resources. The applicability of our technology will largely rely on quality of the pilot programs done across different focus populations and users and we hope the financial support and technical expertise from Solve would help.