Since airing on the TV show Shark Tank, local company Power Practical, a startup founded by recent graduates of the University of Utah and participants in the Lassonde Institute, has a gained traction in meeting the power needs of those in emerging markets.
When presenting to the sharks on the April 11 episode of Shark Tank the demand for Power Practical’s products in emerging markets was what seemed to make the difference for Mark Cuban – who decided to invest in the company. The Shark Tank episode will air again this Friday (July 25) on ABC 8-9 p.m. MST.
To promote their appearance on the show Power Practical has created a “Buy One Give One” promotion – where every time a PowerPot, Lithum 4400, or Practical Meter is purchased Power Practical will match the products purchased to be given to people in Africa, India and Southeast Asia for product testing.
Chris Manning, director of New Markets for Power Practical, said, “We are excited about the success of our new friend in Madagascar and are happy to see our products making an impact in people’s lives. We’re looking forward to sharing more stories as we do more work in emerging markets.”
Since April, Power Practical has set up tests in India, Madagascar, the Philippines, Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, Sierra Leone and The Navajo Nation in Southern Utah. They hope their promotion will help them fund more testing and allow them to bring power to the most under-electrified corners of the globe.
Earlier this month, Power Practical sent five PowerPot V’s to Madagascar and one of the recipients set up a microbusiness using the PowerPot to charge people’s cell phones in his village. In rural Madagascar many families live on about $1 per day, and pay about $.25 every time they need to charge the cell phone. In rural Africa and Asia cell phones are used not just for making calls – but also for banking and making money transfers to family members.
By charging phones with the PowerPot, the man who received the PowerPot has been able to nearly double the income as well as eliminate the cost required to charge his own phone. He also uses a Lithium 4400 Battery to light his home at night, which extends his day by about 3 hours and eliminates the need to use a kerosene lamp – which is known to be dangerous and harmful.
Power Practical is a Salt Lake City based group of engineers, entrepreneurs and outdoor enthusiasts who emphasize diversity in energy resources by developing innovative, effective and affordable energy products to keep you connected anywhere, anytime.
Learn more at www.powerpractical.com.
