Shark Tank alum, LuminAID announced on Tuesday the launch of its crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter. Chicago-based startup is seeking $15,000 for its solar inflatable lantern, PackLite Max Phone Charger, which allows users to charge their gear anywhere.
According to LuminAID, the PackLite Max Phone Charger is an ultra-bright lantern that packs down to less than 1″ thick and doubles as a solar phone charger for off-the-grid charging anywhere in the world. Some features of the PackLite Max Phone Charger include:
- Recharges by Micro-USB input in 1-2 hours or built-in solar panel in 12-14 hours.
- Has a built-in 2000 mAh battery with enough capacity to recharge most cell phones 100%.
- Adjustable strap that allows for clipping to packs for charging and hanging on center hanging poles and branches.
- 8x bright LEDs with a total of 150-lumen output.
- Durable TPU that is scratch-proof, puncture-proof, and eco-friendly.
LuminAID co-founder, Anna Stork, stated:
“When we were students first creating our technology in 2010, we designed it with the needs of disaster victims in mind. We wanted to provide comfort and safety after dark to those who had lost everything. It’s 2017 now, and we live in an increasingly connected world — there are actually more more mobile phones than people on the planet! With this campaign, we’re expanding our mission beyond light to connection: making sure that people all around the world have not just light to read by, but a sustainable source of power to charge their devices and stay connected to loved ones and educational opportunities.”
The first PackLite Max Phone Chargers will be available to ship to campaign backers in March 2017, following the closing of the Kickstarter initiative. As part of the campaign, LuminAID’s team is looking to send 500 lights to Syrian refugees through the Give Light, Get Light component, to be distributed by their nonprofit partner SCM Medical Missions. The first shipment of lights will be sent to Jordan, where they will be distributed in the Zaatari Refugee Camp, currently the largest refugee camp in the world.
The campaign is set to close on March 6th.
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