U
D

Conversation

the

12/31/12 | Uncategorized

Angaza Design Named Third Women 2.0 PITCH SF Startup Competition Finalist

Applications for PITCH SF 2013 Startup Competition are still being accepted on a rolling basis until 10 finalists are selected!

By Angie Chang (Co-Founder & Editor-in-Chief, Women 2.0)

The third PITCH SF 2013 Startup Competition finalist has been selected from applications – congrats to Angaza Design and founding CEO Lesley Silverthorn Marincola on being selected to present on February 14 at the Women 2.0 conference!

The female-founded startup created metered solar energy for the off-grid developing world. Angaza Design removes the upfront cost barrier of room-scale solar energy systems sold in under-electrified emerging markets like East Africa. 85% of East Africans live without reliable access to grid electricity, and most consumers cannot afford to purchase a solar home system at its upfront retail price.

Founder and CEO Lesley Silverthorn Marincola’s background blends human-centered design with mechanical engineering skills. She holds a B.S. in Product Design and her M.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Stanford University. Lesley first established herself in the world of engineering while working on the first three generations of the Amazon Kindle. As her interests broadened, she focused on integrating first-hand field experience and research of different cultures into her technical approach. Lesley’s travels and passion for third-world -appropriate design continue to fuel her enthusiasm for Angaza Design.

With Angaza’s Pay-As-You-Go technology, customers pre-pay for clean energy with micropayments tied to their usage. Like airtime minutes on a cell phone, energy use is metered, and an Angaza-compatible solar product deactivates when the pre-paid energy is consumed. By allowing payments to fit customers’ cash flows and tailoring energy prices to local markets, Angaza redirects expenditures on kerosene, candles, and disposable batteries towards the purchase of our solar home systems. Angaza is reshaping the global off-grid market by enabling millions of consumers to purchase modern energy alternatives for the first time.

Congratulations to Angaza Design and the team for making it to the PITCH SF 2013 Startup Competition Final Round! The finalists will pitch live on February 14, 2013 at the Women 2.0 conference to investors and audience for prizes. Early bird tickets available thru December 31 @ MIDNIGHT.

May Angaza Design prove that smart, scalable technology can greatly benefit both people and planet!

PITCH SF 2013 Startup Competition invites women-led startups from around the world to apply for a chance to pitch onstage at the Women 2.0 conference on February 14 in San Francisco.

Angie Chang is Editor-in-Chief and Co-Founder of Women 2.0, a media company offering content, community and conferences for aspiring and current women innovators in technology. Our mission is to increase the number of female founders of technology startups with inspiration, information and education through our platform. Previously, Angie held roles in product management and web UI design. Angie holds a B.A. in English and Social Welfare from UC Berkeley. Follow her on Twitter at @thisgirlangie.

Editor

Editor

The Switch Editorial Team.

Straight to your inbox.

The best content on the future faces of tech and startups.

"*" indicates required fields

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

SHARE THIS STORY

NEW COHORT STARTS JANUARY 2024

Join the Angel Sessions

Develop strategic relationships, build skills, and increase your deal flow through our global angel group and investing course.

RELATED ARTICLES
[yarpp]