Introducing Connect One Billion

Nearly 2.6 billion people worldwide remain disconnected from the internet—93% of people in wealthy nations access the internet, while only 35% in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) have access. This digital divide isn't just a technological gap; it's a barrier to education, healthcare, economic opportunity, and full participation in the modern world.

Today, we're proud to announce Connect One Billion: a blended finance initiative designed to facilitate secure, affordable high-speed internet to one billion people over the next decade.

The Challenge We're Addressing

Last-mile internet service providers (ISPs) in LMICs are the unsung heroes working to connect underserved communities. These locally owned and operated companies understand their markets intimately, providing affordable connectivity options tailored to local needs. Yet they face significant barriers: limited access to capital, high equipment costs, lack of vendor financing, and insufficient technical support. Traditional investors view them as too risky and require minimum investments well beyond what early-stage ISPs can deploy.

The result? Slow growth, compromised network security, and millions of people left waiting for connectivity that could transform their lives.

Our Solution

Connect One Billion takes an integrated approach to solving this challenge. We've designed three complementary components that work together to support ISPs throughout their lifecycle:

• Technical Assistance – Providing grants, expert consulting, and capacity building to help ISPs become investment-ready and excel operationally.

• Concessional Capital – Offering flexible, patient capital through financing solutions such as SAFE notes, revenue-based financing, and convertible notes.

• Growth Equity – Deploying equity investments to scale proven ISP business models across LMICs.

By addressing the full spectrum of ISP needs—from early-stage capacity building to growth capital—we're building an ecosystem that enables sustainable expansion of secure, affordable connectivity.

Why This Matters

Studies show that a 10% increase in connectivity leads to a 2.4% increase in GDP per capita in the most vulnerable countries. But the impact goes far beyond economics. Connectivity enables students to access education, patients to reach healthcare, entrepreneurs to build businesses, and communities to stay connected.

Connect One Billion represents a shift in how we approach digital infrastructure development in emerging markets. By combining targeted financial support with hands-on technical assistance, we're creating pathways for ISPs to succeed and for communities to thrive.

Partner With Us

The digital divide is one of the defining challenges of our time and solving it requires collaboration across sectors and geographies. We're actively seeking strategic partners and funders who share our vision of universal connectivity and understand the transformative power of infrastructure investment in emerging markets.

If you're interested in exploring partnership opportunities, whether as a donor, investor, technology provider, or strategic advisor, we'd welcome a conversation. Connect One Billion offers a unique opportunity to deploy capital with both financial sustainability and measurable social impact at scale.

Let's build a more connected world together.

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