Press Release - 11 January 2022

50% of the world's population does not have access to the internet. Kajou is a social enterprise created in France in 2019 by the NGO Bibliothèques Sans Frontières to address this challenge: it develops innovative solutions to distribute digital training and information content to populations with little or no connection, particularly in West Africa.

After 18 months of activity and already more than 20,000 beneficiaries of its projects, Kajou has just closed a €1 million financing round to accelerate its development in West Africa with impact investment funds Phitrust, Colam Impact and Hippolyte Capital as well as business angels mainly from the Ashoka network.

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Global warming, epidemics, growing inequalities: our world is facing major challenges and everywhere, issues related to education and knowledge sharing are becoming top priorities to build more inclusive and resilient societies. But there is a big problem: today, 50% of the world's population does not have access to an internet connection, does not have the capacity to search or access information, training resources or cultural content online.

Kajou responds to this challenge by combining a simple product with a high-tech solution developed with the support of Capgemini: microSD cards filled with content that can be inserted into the smartphone and, thanks to the Kajou application, turn it into an offline library or a real campus that fits in your pocket!

Once inserted into the smartphone, the user can browse up to 32 GB of finely selected content in local languages. The application allows the user to share content with friends without using data. Through the application, Kajou interacts with users, sending them notifications, messages, polls or even news via the Internet or SMS.

Kajou is a revolution that makes it possible to interact and push awareness, education and health messages, even without the Internet. Kajou works alongside NGOs, institutions and companies to enable them to reach their stakeholders and beneficiaries with high quality content.

Thanks to this fundraising with the main social impact players in France, Kajou aims to give 3 million people with little or no access to the Internet in West Africa the means to inform themselves, educate themselves and develop their professional activity thanks to tailor-made content.

We are knowledge activists. Because where there is knowledge, there is hope.