BRCK is a battery-backed modem built in Nairobi so the internet keeps working when the power goes out.
Juliana Rotich co-founded BRCK after a familiar Nairobi problem: blackouts that cut internet access. The device keeps running for about eight hours without mains power.
To solve the lack of internet access during blackouts in Nairobi, Juliana Rotich and colleagues co-founded BRCK Inc., which produces a battery-operated modem that can run for eight hours without electricity.
Built for the real world
The idea is the opposite of the standard home router. Instead of assuming reliable power, the BRCK is designed for places where power cuts are normal, and keeps connections running for people who work online.
Rotich also co-founded iHub, a collective tech space in Nairobi, and helped found Ushahidi. In 2017 she represented BRCK on a panel at the W20 summit in Berlin alongside Chancellor Angela Merkel and IMF director Christine Lagarde.
The wider point
Products designed for hard conditions tend to be sturdier than those built for ideal ones. BRCK is an example of a hardware startup from Nairobi that began with a local frustration and a clear engineering answer.
