COMPANIES PRESENTING

ToughStuff International

Name : ToughStuff International
Website: www.toughstuffonline.com/

Business

ToughStuff is a social business founded in 2008 and operational across Africa and Asia providing distributed energy. Its mission is to: reduce global poverty; enhance the environment; improve health and increase micro enterprise employment by providing very affordable solar-powered products, for low income people, replacing expensive and damaging alternatives. ToughStuff has a high quality range of affordable solar products that meet the three main energy needs of off-grid communities – lighting, information, and connectivity – saving them money and enhancing their lives.

ToughStuff has grown from East Africa to West and South Africa in 2010/11. It intends to launch into India in 2012 and Bangladesh and Pakistan in 2012/13

ToughStuff’s product range includes:

Solar Panel – 1 watt, uniquely flexible, lightweight and durable.
Mobile Phone Connectors – charge handsets for free, harnessing the power of the sun.
Radio Connectors – powers radios and other battery operated appliances directly from the sun.
Rechargeable Battery Pack – provides additional power for all ToughStuff products.
Rechargeable LED Lamp – gives up to 40 hours of light on a single charge.

Social and Environmental Impact

ToughStuff’s solar lamps eliminate noxious household fumes and reduce respiratory illness. Our lamps provide extra productive time every evening, allowing businesses to stay open longer. Children can study at night, improving their educational achievement. 74% of ToughStuff recipients in Haiti said that their products made them feel safer at night. We connect people by enabling them to listen to radios and charge their phones for free. This allows people to receive valuable information, connect with others, and benefit from services such as mobile banking.

ToughStuff’s solar products reduce dependence on fossil fuels, enhancing energy security and contributing to climate change mitigation. CO2 emissions are reduced from burning kerosene and candles; each lamp saves 2 litres of kerosene per month. Land and water pollution is reduced – each ToughStuff radio connector replaces 8 D-Cell batteries per month, preventing their improper disposal and contamination of the environment.

Management

Andrew Tanswell, a UK national, is a proven business leader and entrepreneur and is the co-Founder and CEO of ToughStuff. After graduating with honours from Imperial College, London, he worked in the manufacturing industry, becoming a Chartered Mechanical Engineer. Over his 24 year career, he worked as a Management Consultant in two of the large blue chip international firms before going on to set up and grow a niche consultancy firm, with clients in the commercial and public sectors. He subsequently sold this business to focus on the not-for-profit sector bringing expertise in business growth and strategy. While pursuing a professional career in the UK, Andrew has also led multi-disciplinary, multi-national professional teams on large scale emergency aid programmes in Somalia and Iraq. He has been a Director and Trustee of several companies and charities.
Adriaan Mol, a Dutch national, is the co-Founder and Chief Technical Officer for ToughStuff. He was previously the co-founder of BushProof in Madagascar, a business which creates markets and provides affordable clean water to low-income people, which he grew in 3 years to a successful business with over 50 employees
George Gitau, a Kenyan citizen, is ToughStuff's Regional Business Development Manager. He leads all the East African sales, marketing and distribution activity. George graduated from University of Nairobi with a Bachelor of Commerce degree majoring in Marketing
George Okoro, a Nigerian national based in Lagos, joins ToughStuff in 2011 as Regional Business Development Manager in West Africa. He holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Marketing and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Calabar and University of Nigeria.
Roger Hattam joined ToughStuff in 2010 and is Chief Operating Officer, following a successful career in retail banking where he was a director of a FTSE 200 bank. Roger is part of the ToughStuff Executive Team.
Hayden Hamlet is ToughStuff’s Chief Financial Officer, a Chartered Management Accountant based in South Africa. Hayden is part of the ToughStuff Executive Team .

Andrew and Adriaan first worked together in Somalia in ’92 during the time of the War. Andrew has since built businesses while Adriaan has worked in Asia and Africa on emergency and development programmes.

They are skilled in attracting, inspiring and retaining high quality talent to grow businesses and have an outstanding Executive (4 people) and SMT (20 people) with over 100 people in employment since incorporation 3 years ago.

What are you looking for in India

ToughStuff is looking for high quality distribution partners in India with retail reach, strength and depth.

ToughStuff is able to work with multiple distributors to ensure widespread impact and effectiveness.

ToughStuff is closing an investment round but opportunity does still remain for investors

Contact

Andrew Tanswell
CEO, ToughStuff International
Tel: +44 (0) 20 7261 0983
Web: www.toughstuffonline.com
Email: andrew.tanswell@toughstuffonline.com