Microsoft announced Affordable Access Initiative grants for 12 entrepreneurial businesses to help scale their solutions and business models to increase affordable Internet access in communities around the world.
Microsoft's Affordable Access Initiative aims to democratize access to the Internet through grants, commercial partnerships, connecting new leaders and community engagement.
The winners are:
Power Solutions
African Renewable Energy Distributor (Rwanda)
New Sun Road (Uganda)
Hardware Solutions
Zaya Learning Labs (India)
Connectivity Solutions
AirJaldi (India)
Axiom Technologies (United States)
C3: Communications Consulting Centre (Malawi)
Ekovolt (Nigeria)
Wi-Fi Interactive Network (Philippines)
Application Solutions
Kelase (Indonesia)
Movivo (United Kingdom)
Tambero.com (Argentina)
VistaBotswana (Botswana)
"With more than half of the world's population lacking access to the Internet, connectivity is a global challenge that demands creative problem solving," said Peggy Johnson, executive vice president of business development at Microsoft. "By using technology that's available now and partnering with local entrepreneurs who understand the needs of their communities, our hope is to create sustainable solutions that will not only have impact today but also in the years to come."
