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Fairphone's mission is to build a fairer electronics industry.
There are over 4 billion smartphones in active use, generating around 146 million tons of CO2-equivalent emissions per year. Add to that the use of conflict minerals like tungsten and gold in these devices, as well as murky supply chains, and the smartphone industry has some cleaning up to do. This is precisely what the social enterprise and greentech company Fairphone is looking to enact, with its sustainable smartphones using ethically-sourced minerals, recycled plastics, and vetted supply chains.
With over 80% of the dizzying smartphone emissions coming from the manufacturing process, Fairphone's holistic - and apparently effective - approach to ethical tech could prove a real game-changer, especially in an industry under increasing scrutiny for its environmental impact. The company's electronic-waste neutral model allows modular phones to be upgraded with hardware swap-outs, or recycled sustainably, showing the care that has been taken to ensure minimal impact across the entire product life cycle.
With the EU pushing for a green transition in business models - ultimate hopes are to be carbon neutral by 2050 - Fairphone is positioned well to capitalise on government-encouraged opportunities. Recent and substantial funding will allow the company to settle existing loans, strengthen and increase brand awareness, and accelerate integration of fair and recycled materials in its full product portfolio.
Kirsty
Company Specialist at Welcome to the Jungle
Jan 2023
$51.7m
LATE VC
Aug 2018
$2.7m
CONVERTIBLE
Bas van Abel
(Board Member)Also Co-Founder of De Clique, a Guest Lecturer at the Nyenrode Business University, and an Ashoka fellow.
Miquel Ballester Salvà
(Head of Product Management)Previously worked in responsible production and purchases at Meer Kerst.