Jibu is a service that helps people get clean water so that they can deal with problems like drought.
It is a social enterprise that is leading the way with a revolutionary new model that uses venture financing to give local business owners in developing market areas the power to provide safe drinking water as the company’s main product.
Safe drinking water is possible in developing economies because of the company’s infrastructure, which helps local business owners in emerging market regions get funding and training so they can start and grow businesses that provide access to water and other basic human needs.
To help local business owners get started, Jibu gives anyone who wants to start a water treatment and packaging business using reusable bottles a full, start-up package.
450 million people in East Africa don’t have access to clean water, which is a shame. Jibu is already in business in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda. In the coming years, as this new market grows, the company hopes to expand into neighboring countries.
Jibu gives East African entrepreneurs the money and other tools they need to start franchises that bring clean water to the area.
Jibu gives local business owners a chance to sell drinking water that is 75% cheaper than bottled water at the same price as boiling water, but with the added convenience of door-to-door delivery and the aspirational link with bottled water.
Jibu has grown into a network of locally run franchises that give their communities clean water and jobs without needing money from outside sources.
The ultimate goal of the company is to educate, fund, and grow a group of co-invested business owners who will change how important resources are used to build up economies in developing countries.
How it Works
Distribution Model
In cities and suburbs with a lot of people, water purification franchises serve the people who live close by.
Jibu franchises are making it easier and more accessible for people to get clean drinking water Just as cell phone towers have made it easier and more accessible for people to talk on the phone.
Jibu’s distribution system doesn’t have to pay markups to middlemen, and the durability of their refillable bottles allows them to make a profit while keeping prices low for their customers.
Technology
Each franchise has ultrafiltration technology that is good for the environment and can make water that can be used in businesses. Therefore, Jibu can filter water from almost anywhere, like a polluted municipal supply, a lake, a well, or a spring.
The SolarPure Ultrafiltration system, which was made in partnership with Healing Waters International, filters water at a rate of 30 liters per minute while using less power than a toaster.
Ultrafiltration is used to make sure the water is safe to drink while keeping the unique taste of each community.
Bottles
Customers pay a deposit and get a new, full container in exchange for their empty one.
Jibu’s specially made bottles come in three sizes: a 20-liter dispenser with a tap, a sleek 7-liter bottle, and a small 1.5-liter bag bottle. All three sizes are recyclable and have official government quality certifications.
This makes people more likely to come back and, more importantly, makes sure that people are paying for water and not just plastic bottles.
As part of their plan to reach out to families and children, Jibu has made the price per liter cheaper for larger quantities.
Founders
Galen Welsch
Galen helped start Jibu in 2012. Since then, the company has grown quickly to become one of the largest social franchises in the world.
In addition to his work at Jibu, Galen is a scholar at the Aspen Institute Ideas Festival, a mentor at Shona, and a member of the Board of Directors for several startup companies.
Galen has been a speaker at the Global Development Lab show at the UN General Assembly and the Harvard University Social Enterprise Conference.
Galen has been a field manager for the Public Interest Research Group in Colorado, a health educator for the Peace Corps in Morocco, and a field manager for HEAL Africa in Goma, DR Congo.
Tim Kasperidus
Tim Kasperidus has a lot of hands-on experience with improving company processes and is good at finding solutions to problems.
He worked at Mobisol Tanzania, which came before Jibu, for five years. During that time, the company grew from having 100 users to having 1,300,000 users.
He is an advocate for the supply chain and works hard to promote and implement customer-driven operations excellence.
He knows how to get people to be creative and how to make tools that work well because he studied engineering at RWTH Aachen University. He leads with compassion, energy, and hope.
Investors & Funding Rounds
DOB Equity
DOB Equity hopes that their investment will help Jibu Tanzania speed up the rollout of a repeatable distribution strategy in Tanzania’s biggest cities.
Jibu has also raised a total of $8.1M in funding over 3 rounds.
Jibu is funded by investors like Asia Africa Investment & Consulting and Conrad N. Hilton Foundation.
Main Competitors
Flume: It helps save water and protect buildings by giving people and communities accurate, real-time information about how much water they use.
Hydration Labs: It teaches people how important it is to stay hydrated and encourages them to stay hydrated always.
Tern Water: They offer goods and services for customers for them to find the smart, sustainable water they need to stay healthy.
Related:
Centbee: Story, Founders, Investors & Funding Rounds