The focus at BETA is technology for the underserved in emerging markets. The need is massive and we only accept technologies that can scale to meet a significant portion. Qualified applications will illustrate the following:
- Plausibility - The science is real, the claims are realistic, and the materials are readily available.
- Defensibility - The idea, research, and general claims are your own. Any rights you do not have to the technology can be easily licensed.
- Manufacturability - The technology is scalable and can be mass manufactured and disbursed once fully developed.
- Affordability - The technology is void of any extreme complexity or esoteric materials that will prevent affordable manufacturing and disbursement.
Focus Areas
BETA follows the same focus as Invested Development’s investment criteria.
Alternative Energy
There are roughly 1.6 billion people without access to grid energy. The vast majority live in emerging markets where extreme poverty, corruption, and politics will likely prevent a centralized solution in our lifetime. BETA seeks technologies that will provide the benefits of electrification but can be deployed by individuals and small groups.
Mobile Technology
Mobile technology has experienced the fasted adoption of technology in human history. Despite the relatively short history, today there are over 5 billion mobile phones in use around the globe. BETA is looking for innovations that piggyback on the success of mobile phones to bring other critical products and services to those who need them most.
For more on why we invest in mobile technology and alternative energy, visit our main site.