BioLite x MPOWERD
Things just got a lot brighter around here.
Updated: October 22nd, 2024
To our newest members from the MPOWERD community, welcome to the BioLite family - we’re so glad you are here.
Soon to be under the single banner of BioLite, MPOWERD and BioLite are joining forces to deliver amazing products across off-grid cooking, charging, and lighting and also amplify our impact work around the world.
What Does This Mean?
MPOWERD isn’t going away, we’re just changing names! Through 2024 you can still shop MPOWERD-branded products, now at the BioLite Shop. All products will continue to receive a 1-year limited warranty that covers any electrical or technical defects. We now share a wonderful customer service team so any inquiries or warranty claims will come from a BioLite email address.
This holiday season you’ll find great deals for both MPOWERD and BioLite gear at the BioLite Shop. Our emails will start coming from the BioLite name, so keep an eye out for special offers and we encourage you to stay subscribed – lots of exciting product announcements around the corner and early sale access this holiday season.
Starting January 2025 you’ll see the MPOWERD name transition over to all things BioLite – our beloved Luci lanterns and string lights will still be available, just under the BioLite name.
What Happens to MPOWERD's Impact work?
One of the many reasons we're excited to join the BioLite family is to expand our vast network of humanitarian and nonprofit partners. Just this month alone we were able to react quickly to allocate our Give Fund to hurricane relief efforts across Milton and Helene.
Together, MPOWERD and BioLite have collectively reached over 14 million people with safe energy - and it's just the beginning.
Thank you for your continued support and helping us bring in this new chapter. We can't wait to share what comes next.
Thank you for your support and for helping us make this new chapter an exciting one – we can’t wait to share what comes next.
- The BioLite Team
PS - like details? Check out our full press release below
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BioLite Acquires MPOWERD
Acquisition turbocharges solar lighting portfolio and social impact initiatives
Brooklyn, NY (June 20 2024) – BioLite, an innovator in off-grid energy products, is proud to announce the acquisition of MPOWERD, a solar lighting and charging company most well known for its beloved LUCI line of inflatable solar lanterns.
“We are thrilled to join forces with MPOWERD and create the most impactful energy brand in the outdoor industry,” says BioLite CEO Jonathan Cedar, “from a passionate community of outdoor enthusiasts to a global network of nonprofit and humanitarian partners, MPOWERD brings both world-class lighting products and a deep sense of mission, making it the perfect addition to the BioLite family as we embark on our next chapter of growth.”
For the past decade, BioLite has expanded from a flagship thermoelectric camping stove to a full suite of off-grid energy solutions for cooking, charging, and lighting. BioLite’s omnichannel strategy enables retail partners and end customers alike to have a direct impact on the mission side of the business, with a portion of every purchase reinvested into BioLite’s energy access work across sub-Saharan Africa.
To date, BioLite has reached over 8.1 million people living off-grid in Africa with affordable home energy. MPOWERD employs a similar model, having reached over 5 million individuals, mostly in humanitarian settings, with its durable, easy-to-use lanterns. Now under one roof, BioLite will be able to maximize impact by leveraging the collective expertise of both market and humanitarian-driven partnerships.
Co-Founded in 2012 as a B Corp and Benefit Corporation by John Salzinger, MPOWERD enables consumers to act as a vehicle for positive social and environmental change, simply by purchasing the same products MPOWERD provides to those in underserved communities and emergency response situations. MPOWERD CEO Seungah Jeong, along with members of the sales and marketing departments, will join the BioLite team. Jeong will be appointed the role of General Manager for all outdoor markets, bringing her expertise to the entire BioLite portfolio. In 2025 the MPOWERD name will phase out with the future-facing product line appearing under a single BioLite brand, including LUCI inflatable solar lanterns.
“We couldn’t be more excited to join BioLite in our shared mission to deliver Energy for All,” says Jeong. “Energy sits at the center of our lives, from lighting up a campsite to running a local business. With our combined strengths, we will become the most scaled social enterprise in the outdoor industry, supercharging our ability to reach millions more families living beyond the grid with essential energy access.”
About BioLite
BioLite is a social enterprise that develops, manufacturers, and markets advanced energy products for off-grid communities around the world. The company creates breakthrough cooking, charging, and lighting solutions for both outdoor enthusiasts as well as rural families living in energy poverty. It has been the recipient of numerous recognitions including the Smithsonian National Design Award, BusinessWeek's Most Promising Social Enterprise, Fast Company's Innovation By Design Awards. Headquartered in New York and Nairobi, the company was founded in 2009 by Jonathan Cedar and Alec Drummond. BioLite is proudly a Climate Neutral Certified, as well as members of the Global Off Grid Lighting Association and the Outdoor Industry Association. Discover more about BioLite at BioLiteGlobal.com
