Started: 2012
Based: London
Website: www.gravitylight.org
Twitter: @GravityLight
Categories: Science and Technology, Environment, Community Action

GravityLight is a non-profit product development organisation that designs and creates clean, off-grid energy.

The project was successfully crowdfunded in 2012 to develop clean and reliable alternatives to kerosene-based products. The flagship product is a lamp powered by gravity. It’s already caught the eye of billionaire philanthropist Bill Gates who promoted the company via Twitter.

Jim Reeve and Martin Raddiford came up with the idea to provide homes in the developing world with affordable light in areas where there is no access to electricity on the grid.

GravityLight works by using gravity to generate light. There are no batteries to run out, replace or dispose of and no need for reliance on external environment, time of day, season or weather.

There are an estimated two billion people living 'off grid', and many use kerosene powered lamps which are expensive to run, inefficient and dangerous.

Jim and Martin are currently working with several international relief agencies, researching and developing the second version of the product for a 2015 launch. The aim is to eliminate the use of kerosene lamps within five years.

GravityLight: lighting for the developing countries from Therefore on Vimeo.