Coldbox
In a world challenged by preventable loss, over 1.5 million lives succumb to vaccine-preventable diseases annually. A quarter of vaccines, vital for global health, arrive compromised due to cold-chain failures. Meanwhile, 600 million individuals battle foodborne illnesses, claiming 420,000 lives yearly, underscoring the critical need for a seamless food cold-chain from farm to plate. Amidst this, daily hunger claims 25,000 lives, exacerbated by the loss of 526 million tons of food annually, a staggering 12% of total production. Effective refrigeration holds the key to a healthier, more sustainable future for us all.*
The challenge : Ensuring food and healthcare security through access to cooling
In regions facing vulnerabilities, the struggle to preserve both food and vaccines is pronounced, accentuating the urgency for robust cold chains. Compounded by a lack of mature mobile solutions, electricity free solutions, the challenges in ensuring effective refrigeration persist
Our adapted solution : Off-grid mobile refrigeration
EssentialTech is developing an efficient, off-grid mobile refrigerator to enable systemic change towards a healthier, economically viable cold chain to support healthcare access needs and small businesses in low resource settings.
- Evaporation-absorption refrigerator with advanced materials
- Well-insulated box and opening protocols to minimize loss of cooling
- Provide refrigeration between 2 and 8°C for several weeks at ambient temperature
- Environmentally-friendly
- Minimal maintenance, cost-effective
- Scalable in production
Credits Main Image: Adobe, EssentialTech, ICRC
Nathalie holds an M.A. in Social Sciences. She has a rich background in humanitarian work and social impact projects, working with NGOs and international organizations. She has led diverse teams across Sub-Saharan Africa, the Balkans, Central America, and Switzerland, fostering cross-disciplinary collaboration and building cross-cultural partnerships to develop impactful solutions that advance societal progress. Her core areas of expertise include post-crisis recovery, gender-based violence, and forced migration.In her previous roles, Nathalie worked with the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in Geneva on anti-human trafficking interventions and served as an independent consultant specialising in strategic planning for humanitarian initiatives. She also contributed to socio-economic integration programs for refugees in Switzerland. Nathalie joined EssentialTech in 2021 as Head of Stakeholder relations and Fundraising before taking the Head of the Sustainable Development Division in 2023, Nathalie leads interdisciplinary innovation projects that strategically leverage technology to develop sustainable solutions for vulnerable communities. Her work focuses notably on improving access to essential health services, including neonatal care, oxygen therapy,and assistive devices, while empowering healthcare professionals and institutions in low-resource settings.
Sashidhar Jonnalagedda is an electrical engineer and Forbes30 Under 30 Europe entrepreneur. He co-founded a MIT/Harvard multimillion medical device company called SurgiBox and brought innovation from the university laboratory to the market. SurgiBox has also received awards and accolades from MIT Museum and Time Magazine. He has also worked with WHO, ICRC,EPFL, and UNHCR across countries like Switzerland, Nigeria, Mozambique, India,and Cameroon. At EssentialTech Sashi has worked multiple subjects such as coldchain technologies, e-waste, micro-grids, and energy audits. Currently he is developing the Development Engineering Course. Sashidhar first joined EssentialTech Centre as Project Manager for the successfully transferred technology Oka Taxi, and collaborated on several other projects of the Centre.
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