Lifebox

We are solving the problem of lack of accessibility to clean electricity and safe water necessary for farming and domestic activities in off-grid and remote areas of Egypt first, but scaling it in Africa and MENA regions. Smallholder farmers in Egypt have been negatively affected by climate change impacts, especially decreasing the share of fresh water for irrigation from canals as well as domestic usage and livestock. Egypt today has 560 cubic meters of water available per person each year, less than a third of the amount available 50 years ago, according to government data. That puts the country well below the 1,000 cubic meters per person the United Nations uses to define a country as water-scarce. Climate change reduced the availability of fresh water in Egypt for farming & domestic uses and it could run out of water by 2025.

Globally, 2.8 billion people worldwide are lacking access to energy and water. 

Additionally, based on our own research, among a sample of farms in Egypt with an average of 50 acres per farm, they spent $18,000 on average on fuel to pump underground water using diesel based generators.

LifeBox (patent-pending) is a solar-powered, all-in-one unit that provides both clean electricity & safe water for farming businesses and rural communities such as water pumping for irrigation, desalinating water for domestic & livestock consumption and 24/7 electricity for households. 

Power capacity from 5 to 130 kW, and water capacity up to 600 m3/d.

The solution also contains an IoT remote monitor & control device to keep track of performance, preventive maintenance, 

Here you can find a video of our solution  (in Arabic with English subtitles)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tFzRf1mCDgI

NoorNation's target customer segment encompasses small to medium-sized businesses and rural communities in Egypt and Sub-Saharan Africa who lack reliable and affordable access to electricity and safe water. This includes farm owners, agriculture development companies, tourism facilities, construction companies, and rural municipalities. The addressable market is substantial, with a Total Available Market (TAM) estimated at 10.68 billion USD, a Serviceable Available Market (SAM) estimated at 1.07 billion USD, and an Obtainable Market (OM) expected to generate around 3.2 million USD in revenue by the third year of operation.

NoorNation and its team are uniquely positioned to deliver our solution because of our deep-rooted connection to the communities we serve. Our journey began years ago when our founder, Ragy, and co-founder Mohamed Khaled, immersed themselves in the renewable energy sector in Egypt. They witnessed firsthand the challenges faced by communities with limited access to reliable energy sources. What sets us apart is not just our professional credentials, but our proximity to the communities we aim to empower. Ragy and Mohamed have spent years working directly with local communities, understanding their needs, challenges, and aspirations. This intimate connection has shaped our approach, ensuring that our solutions are not only technically sound but also culturally relevant and community-driven. Our team is a reflection of the communities we serve, with diverse backgrounds and experiences that enrich our perspective. From Eman Wahby, our advisor with extensive experience in public policy and international development, to Mohamed Barakat, our Irrigation Consultant deeply rooted in agricultural practices, each member brings a unique lens to the table. We understand the complexities and nuances of the communities we serve because we are part of them. Importantly, the design and implementation of our solution are guided by the voices of the community. We actively engage with local stakeholders, including farmers, entrepreneurs, and community leaders, to co-create solutions that address their specific needs and challenges. Through workshops, focus groups, and community forums, we listen attentively to their input, ideas, and agendas, ensuring that our solution is not imposed from the top-down but emerges organically from the grassroots. This community-centric approach is evident in every aspect of our solution, from the design of our products to the implementation strategy. For example, our LifeBox solution for off-grid energy access was inspired by conversations with rural communities about their energy needs and aspirations. By incorporating features such as pay-as-you-go technology and remote monitoring, we ensure that our solution aligns with the realities of their daily lives

During the last two years, NoorNation has deployed 15 Lifebox solutions across 9 different regions in Egypt and generated $470,000 in revenue. These 15 Lifebozes have a total capacity of 670KWp installed, 2 GWh Energy Produced, $165,000 money saved to Farmers, 3000 m2 land saved, 1,250 Tons CO2 equivalent emissions mitigated, and 4.2 Million Liters of water desalinated.

We are currently scaling operations in other subsidiary countries, particularly within East Africa, and explicitly starting in Rwanda. Currently, we are raising our seed round of $1M with $250k already commited.

We are interested in gaining global mentoring, exposure, and points of view that can help us scale our solution, and grow an international and high-performing team. Also having a network of peers that challenge our assumptions, and share learnings and experiences. 

Last, but not least, we would also like to understand how our solution could impact lower-income communities, and define and implement appropriate impact-driven solutions and frameworks.

Our solution, LifeBox, stands out for several reasons. Firstly, it tackles the intertwined challenges of energy and water access in off-grid areas, which is a novel approach. Obviously, we aren’t the pioneers in the space. However, our innovative twist lies in the incorporation of a Pay-as-you-go model and piloting a Solar Irrigation as a Service (SIaaS) revenue model. This unique financing and sustainability model could catalyze broader positive impacts by making renewable energy and water solutions more financially accessible to underserved communities, potentially inspiring similar initiatives elsewhere.

Additionally, LifeBox has the potential to disrupt the market by offering a comprehensive, decentralized solution that addresses multiple needs (Water & Energy) simultaneously, potentially reshaping the landscape of energy and water provision in off-grid regions. Our approach emphasizes:

• Comprehensive Integration: Unlike traditional solutions that address one issue at a time, LifeBox integrates renewable energy generation and water purification into one system. This holistic approach ensures that communities have access to both essential resources, enhancing their overall resilience and sustainability.

• Scalability and Flexibility: LifeBox's modular design allows for easy adaptation to the specific needs of different communities, whether they're small villages or larger towns. This flexibility ensures that our solution can be tailored to meet the unique requirements of each location, maximizing its impact.

• Affordable Access: Through our Pay-As-You-Go model, we're making clean energy and safe water accessible to everyone, regardless of their financial situation. This innovative financing mechanism ensures that communities only pay for the services they use, making sustainability affordable for all.

• Real-Time Monitoring and Maintenance: LifeBox is equipped with advanced sensors that monitor energy and water usage in real-time. This data allows us to proactively identify and address any issues, ensuring optimal performance and longevity of the system.

• Community Empowerment: We prioritize community engagement and capacity building, empowering local residents to manage and maintain LifeBox. By fostering a sense of ownership and providing training opportunities, we're building long-term sustainability from the ground up.

• Positive Environmental Impact: By reducing reliance on fossil fuels and promoting sustainable water management, LifeBox has a positive impact on the environment. This shift towards cleaner energy and water sources not only benefits individual communities but also contributes to broader environmental conservation efforts.

• Market Potential: Our innovative approach has the potential to transform the market for renewable energy and water solutions. By demonstrating the economic, social, and environmental benefits of integrated systems like LifeBox, we aim to inspire others in the sector to adopt similar approaches, leading to widespread positive change.

Overall, our theory of change demonstrates how our solution's activities lead to immediate outputs, which in turn result in longer-term outcomes such as increased access to clean energy and water, economic empowerment of women, and environmental sustainability

Deploy LifeBox units in off-grid areas:

• Output: Installation of solar-powered units capable of generating electricity and pumping water.

• Outcome: Immediate access to clean electricity and safe water for farming and domestic use in underserved communities.

Incorporate Lease-to-own or Pay-as-you-go revenue models.

• Output: Implementation of flexible payment structures.

• Outcome: Increased affordability and accessibility of LifeBox services for smallholder farmers, leading to higher adoption rates.

Empower women as LifeBox operators

• Output: Training and employment of local women as operators.

• Outcome: Economic empowerment and improved livelihoods for women, as well as increased community acceptance and utilization of LifeBox services.

Scale deployment to new regions.

• Output: Expansion of LifeBox deployment to Sub-Saharan Africa.

• Outcome: Extended reach of clean energy and water solutions to more underserved populations, contributing to broader sustainability goals and reducing reliance on fossil fuels

We currently measure several impact indicators that drive our vision and overall strategy, among these we track:

• Amount of clean energy generated. This is directly measured from each unit and remotely monitored. 1,843.60 MWh as of April 2024

• Amount of water pumped, and amount of water desalinated. This is directly measured from each unit and remotely monitored.   2M m3 as of April 2024

• Tons of C02 avoided by replacing other sources of energy with solar. We estimate this figure based on the amount of energy generated and the previous source of energy. 1,327.59 tons of CO2 as of April 2024

• Land saved compared to regular PV system of the same power. This is estimated based on an internal model. 3164.5 m2 as of April 2024

• Costs saved by using our solutions as compared to previous solutions (fuel, energy, et). This is estimated based on an internal model. $176,412.62 as of April 2024

• Number of individuals impacted by our solutions. These are primarily low-income farm workers and their respective families. We collect this figure directly from our clients. We update it every quarter

• Number of users that are women, and number of users that live in rural areas. We collect this figure directly from our clients. We update it every quarter

Our vision is empowering 1 million people in Africa by providing them with life essentials of clean water & electricity from LifeBox.

Our LifeBox combines multiple technologies in other to provide a holistic solution:

• First, we generate clean energy using PV panels, batteries, and inverters

• We use this energy to pump underground water or for regular lighting 

• The method used to desalinate the water is Reverse Osmosis (RO) and high-ultra filtration for water purification

• In order to monitor and control each of our solutions, we have developed an IoT device that sends usage data to our cloud and software platform.

• Farm owners can access our software platform in order to understand their energy and water consumption, and get proactive notifications for maintenance.

15 full-time employees, and 1 part-time member. We also work with other types of contractors for example a design agency to help us rebrand our website and social media presence.

We have been in operation for 3 years. We started in Q2 2021 after being the ClimateLaunchPad National Winner. From there, we deployed our first piloted solution in Q4 2021.

NoorNation is committed to fostering a diverse, equitable, and inclusive team environment. Our founder and CEO, Ragy, established the Green Energy Academy to train and provide opportunities for youth interested in renewable energy, with 90% of our current full-time employees coming through this program. We also prioritize gender balance among our team members. To ensure diversity and minimize barriers to opportunity, we implement mentorship programs and offer regular training on diversity and inclusion. These initiatives help create a supportive environment where all team members, regardless of background, can thrive and advance in their careers. Maintaining a gender balance is crucial to us, especially in roles like sales, marketing, and tech. We believe that a diverse team leads to more creativity and innovation, which is essential for tackling complex challenges in our field.

There are two main ways we provide value to our customers. For those who already use diesel-based generators to pump water for irrigation or other purposes, our solution provides immediate cost savings, with an upfront payment that they can pay back in less than two years. For those who are just starting into farming (i.e., buying modern equipment), our solutions provide immediate access to water in desert areas. In addition to water, farm workers and their respective families can also have access to electricity and drinkable water.

Most customers purchase our solution upfront, starting from $5,000. For those who can’t afford upfront payments, we partner with a Buy-now-pay-later provider to finance the solution.

For the initial pilots, we relied on prizes and grants to test our MVP, but currently, our revenue comes from direct sales. Farm owners purchase our solution, pay and down payment prior to installation, and the rest after delivery. Our breakeven number of sales per year is 10. 

We are testing a lease-to-own model, where customers pay based on usage, similar to other utility companies. This will allow us to have a more steady income stream. Additionally, we are exploring the possibility of monetizing carbon credits, so the solutions become cheaper for our clients while increasing our margins. 

In the future, we will test a franchise model in which NoorNation provides the technology and know-how, and anyone can deploy and operate Lifebox and sell either energy or water to neighboring populations.

Today, we have generated about $470,000 in revenue from Lifebox sales.