Sustainable Alternative Lighting
LED lamps powered by saltwater for off-grid communities.
| Date | Investors | Amount | Round |
|---|---|---|---|
N/A | Early VC | ||
| Total Funding | 000k | ||
Sustainable Alternative Lighting (SALt) is a social enterprise that developed an LED lamp powered by saline solution, using the science of the Galvanic cell. Co-founded by siblings Aisa and Raphael Mijeno, the company was created to provide a safer, more sustainable light source for remote, off-grid communities in the Philippines that traditionally rely on hazardous kerosene lamps.
Aisa Mijeno, a computer engineering graduate and former instructor at De La Salle Lipa, was inspired to create the lamp after an immersion trip with the Butbut tribe in Kalinga, where she witnessed the difficulties of accessing fuel for lighting. This experience, combined with her work for Greenpeace Philippines, motivated her to develop an environmentally friendly alternative. Her brother, Raphael, brings a background in business management, finance, and sales to the venture. The startup gained significant international attention after Aisa Mijeno was invited to speak on a panel with former U.S. President Barack Obama and Alibaba founder Jack Ma at the 2015 APEC Summit.
The SALt lamp operates for approximately eight hours on a single glass of water mixed with two tablespoons of table salt, or simply by using seawater. The core technology is a metal-air battery system where a saline solution acts as the electrolyte, eliminating the fire risk and toxic emissions associated with kerosene. The consumable anode requires replacement approximately every six months with daily use. The lamp also includes a USB port capable of charging low-power mobile devices, a feature designed for emergencies, particularly relevant in the disaster-prone Philippines.
The business model operates as a social movement, aiming to distribute lamps through partnerships with NGOs and foundations. For every lamp sold on the retail market, the company plans to donate one to a family in need. While initially focused on serving communities in the Philippines, SALt intends to make the product commercially available for broader use, such as in emergency preparedness kits.
Keywords: saltwater lamp, off-grid lighting, sustainable energy, alternative lighting, social enterprise, galvanic cell battery, rural electrification, emergency lighting, Aisa Mijeno, Philippines innovation, clean energy, kerosene replacement, safe lighting, USB charging lamp, portable light, disaster relief technology, environmental technology, social innovation, community lighting, humanitarian tech