About us
OffGridBox is a mission-driven project design and engineering company tackling a leading cause of unequal health outcomes by enabling health centres to access reliable energy, biomedical equipment and clean water for effective healthcare delivery.
Our mission.
Our mission is to stop lives being lost and infections spreading each time a hospital or health facility’s grid power-supply drops. We work with hospitals and health centres to install, maintain and use solar technology so services run without interruption or damage from grid surges to ensure frontline health workers have the power they need to carry out their life-saving work.
Partners in renewable power no matter the terrain.
We are experts in operating in remote and fragile contexts and situations of high humanitarian need. We have a track record in building long-term partnerships with clinics in some of the most challenging settings to ensure hospitals have uninterrupted power as quickly as possible, no matter the circumstances.
Our rugged, affordable products and extensive local networks in Sub-Saharan Africa mean that we can deploy at speed, so that even when conflict or disease outbreaks make it difficult to reach communities, we can guarantee our products and services will arrive and be installed on time and on budget.
Our goals.
10,000
facilities electrified
100m
100 million patient beneficiaries by 2030
Our history.
Since our incubation in 2016 as part of the renowned global TechStars start-up accelerator programme, OffGridBox has worked within the fields of engineering and product design, social enterprise, and social change. Our first deployments were bringing clean water and power to remote off-grid communities in Rwanda.
We have since grown to deliver more than 50 projects with 175 installations in over 20 countries. Since 2024 we have focussed on solar-for-health and clean water in some of the most remote and resource constrained settings.
News.
Our team.
We bring different perspectives to the table, but we’re united by a love for purposeful work, thoughtful design, and real connection.
Bas Berends
Bas was a diplomat for 20 years, working in Europe, Asia and Africa, with a focus on sustainable development. He joined OffGridBox in 2017 to work on partnerships, fundraising and business development. These are still very much his tasks since he took over as CEO in 2025, determined to grow the company and its impact on vulnerable communities.
Chief Executive Officer | Co-Founder
Jodie wu
After finishing her degree at MIT in 2009, Jodie immediately set off for East Africa where she ran her own company working on last mile distribution of energy solutions, before joining OffGridBox. Having fulfilled several roles in the company - including that or CEO - she is now Chair of the Board, while still being very much involved in operations.
Board director | Co-Founder
Engineering Operations Advisor
Honoré Basazababo
With over 10 years of experience in deploying solar energy systems, Honoré is the perfect technical partner for OffGridBox, to design new projects and implement them successfully. He has been involved in expanding our portfolio in East Africa, and taking care of remote monitoring and assistance.
Adeline Icyimpaye
Adeline has a background in water management and sanitation, and more than 15 years of (international) professional experience. She has been managing OffGridBox projects from our office in Kigali since 2024, especially the EU funded Swarm-E project to bring solar power and clean water to rural communities in Rwanda. Adeline makes sure our partnerships with Rwandan counterparts run smoothly.
Project manager
Sonia Melissa Isimbi
Finance and Administration manager
Sonia Melissa is the backbone of our Kigali office, where she has been taking care of financial management and administration since 2023. Her responsibilities are ever increasing, an she now also contributes to our social media presence.
Our Partners.
Our multi-level approach brings together partners across; Funding, senior government, philanthropy, health facilities, and private health organizations.
Case Studies.
