
dloHaiti
dloHaiti is a private company providing safe, affordable drinking water to consumers in underserved neighborhoods across Haiti..
Date | Investors | Amount | Round |
---|---|---|---|
- | investor investor | €0.0 | round |
$3.4m | Series A | ||
Total Funding | 000k |
dloHaiti operates as a for-profit social enterprise addressing the critical need for clean and affordable drinking water in Haiti. Founded in 2012 by Jim Chu, a Silicon Valley entrepreneur, the company was born from his experiences as a volunteer after the 2010 earthquake. Chu initially led a non-profit, but grew frustrated with the limitations of aid-based models and sought a sustainable, market-driven solution. This led to the creation of dloHaiti, which blends business principles with social impact, aiming to provide returns for investors while serving communities.
The company's business model centers on a decentralized network of water purification kiosks, which locally treat groundwater. This approach bypasses the inefficient and expensive traditional model of trucking water from central facilities, which often results in high prices and unreliable quality. dloHaiti installs solar-powered, energy-efficient purification systems in underserved peri-urban and rural areas where public infrastructure is lacking but population density is sufficient for a viable business. The kiosks produce purified drinking water, branded as Ovive, which is sold in 20-liter jugs.
dloHaiti's distribution strategy relies on a franchise-like system that empowers local entrepreneurs. The company establishes micro-distribution networks by partnering with small, often women-operated, retailers and merchants who sell the water to their communities. This not only extends the company's reach but also creates local employment and provides higher income for the retailers. By delivering inventory on a just-in-time basis, dloHaiti also helps merchants manage their capital more efficiently. Revenue is generated from the sale of this purified water through its network.
The company launched with significant backing from international investors, including the International Finance Corporation (a member of the World Bank Group), the Netherlands Development Finance Company (FMO), and Leopard Capital. A pilot phase in 2013 aimed to establish 40 kiosks to serve over 145,000 people. The long-term vision included a Haiti-wide network of 300 kiosks, with the potential to serve over a million consumers and create thousands of jobs. Chu also founded a sister company, Untapped, to replicate this decentralized water treatment model in other developing countries.
Keywords: clean water Haiti, water purification, social enterprise, decentralized water treatment, micro-distribution network, safe drinking water, bottom of the pyramid market, local entrepreneurship, impact investing, franchise water model, peri-urban services, rural water supply, solar-powered kiosks, Ovive water, Jim Chu, sustainable infrastructure, community water systems, water access, Haitian entrepreneurs, public health