LuminAID

The LuminAID solar lights are made of puncture-resistant, durable, and non-toxic TPU material that can withstand extreme temperatures. When deflated, the products can pack and ship flat, shrinking to the size of a small wallet, which significantly reduces transportation costs and facilitates distribution into hard to reach areas. The design also features an inflatable core and outer pocket. The circuit and polycrystalline solar panel are sealed within this outer pocket, making the product waterproof. Due to the smart construction of LuminAID's products, the key advantage of this solar inflatable technology is the ability to store large large numbers of lights cost-effectively and distribute them quickly.

LuminAID has used two programs to market and distribute our products to those in need: Direct large-volume sales to aid organizations and NGOs who are first responders after a crisis, and an our Give Light, Get Light program, in which customers who purchase lights for themselves on our website have the option of donating a light. LuminAID has distributed another 20,000 lights through this partnership with smaller charitable organizations in more than fifty countries. Our lights have given women and children a sense of security when there is no light available, doctors the ability to perform triage at all hours, and a variety of other unique instances where light has often been taken for granted.

Along with our two charitable sales channels, we are present in the growing global adventure/tourism gear market, with a size of $53 billion. Currently, we retail LuminAID through our website and camping retailers. This diversified 3 market strategy provides us with multiple sources of cash flow revenue, keeps product costs low, and gives our company more opportunity to grow. Additionally, for every LuminAID light sold in the retail market, LuminAID Lab will match a LuminAID light to be distributed during a crisis, disaster, or energy-poor community. With the help of our Shark-Tank funder Mark Cuban, we continue to scale our business to reach broader retail markets to sustain our social impact mission.

When our founders were asked to design a product to assist post-earthquake efforts in Haiti, they considered the dangerous conditions at night in tent cities and turned their attention to the need for light. Our products were designed from this direct need for safe and sustainable lighting, a need that was largely unfulfilled at the time. After developing our first product and seeing its success in Haiti, we found this need was universal in areas struck by disaster--such as the 2011 Earthquake-Tsunami in Japan, Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines, and the most recent earthquake in Nepal in 2015. The design and sustainability of our product has made it the most used inflatable solar light in these situations.

Our large NGO customers include Shelterbox, Doctors Without Borders (MSF), and several divisions of the UN including UNAIDS and UNFPA. Shelterbox has worked with us since Fall of 2013 to distribute lights in projects including 1000 units to Syrian refugee camps, 2200 units after Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines, and an 1000 lights after flooding in North Korea. Collectively, our large NGO aid customers have distributed more than 50,000 LuminAID solar lights. Feedback has been positive from all customers, who have typically re-ordered our product to expand their stock of our solar lights. The most rewarding response we receive is from our end-users who often tell us how life-changing the lights have been.