HYLA Mobile: Bridging the Digital Divide

SJF portfolio company HYLA Mobile (formerly eRecyclingCorps) is pioneering a sustainable business model to help global wireless operators to profitably manage e-waste while accelerating access to affordable wireless devices in both the U.S. and emerging markets.

HYLA empowers global operators and retailers to reward consumers with instant, in-store credit for used mobile devices, which are then repaired to “like new” quality and resold in both the United States and emerging markets. The company has completed 25 million wireless device trade-ins since its 2009 inception.

Today’s advanced cell phones retain much of their value and can therefore provide a potentially life-altering chance for a new user to access the internet and join in the mobile conversation. In fact, 74% of mobile device owners in developing countries said their cell phone was the most important asset they owned.

Through HYLA Mobile’s end-to-end trade-in and reuse solution, the company actively promotes digital inclusion globally to ensure that those who need access to affordable, quality used devices can find them. To someone in a developing or developed country access to an affordable, quality, data-enabled smartphone can mean a successful job search, access to health information in remote locations, or simply a means for a worried mom to check on her teenager at the end of the school day.

Research shows that just a 10% increase in mobile penetration can increase economic productivity by as much as 4.2%, making all the difference to farmers and small business owners in developing countries, as well as individuals around the world.

Even as major investments in wireless infrastructure are making Internet access more widely available, millions of people across the world remain unable to reap the benefits due to lack of access to reliable, affordable hardware. HYLA Mobile is ready to change that fact.

Facts to Reconsider:

• Out of the world’s 7+ billion population, only 2.7 billion people have access to the Internet. About two-thirds of the world’s population (over 4 billion) remains unconnected.
• Deloitte estimates that the resulting economic activity [from increased Internet access] could generate $2.2 trillion in additional GDP, a 72% increase in the GDP growth rate, and more than 140 million new jobs.
• In India, farmers and fishermen tracking weather conditions and comparing wholesale prices through mobile phones increased their profits by 8%.
• In developing countries, small- and mid-sized businesses with Internet access have increased productivity by an average of 11%.
• In developing countries, 50% of youth who had accessed the Internet did so via a mobile device.

Learn more at www.hylamobile.com.