A Human Right

What A Human Right does

A Human Right was a San Francisco-based nonprofit advocacy organization founded by Kosta Grammatis with the mission of establishing Internet access as a universal human right. The organization operated a portfolio of interconnected initiatives spanning submarine cable advocacy, satellite procurement campaigns, telecommunications venture creation, and documentary filmmaking aimed at populations in developing countries, isolated island territories, and disaster-affected regions lacking connectivity. Core technological engagement was centered on satellite-based Internet access, terrestrial fiber networks, submarine cable infrastructure, and telemedicine technologies rather than proprietary software development.

The organization's revenue model relied primarily on donations and charitable contributions, supplemented by public speaking engagements, with no commercial pricing structure in place. Distribution of connectivity outcomes was achieved through partnerships rather than direct service provision: the Move This Cable campaign influenced Google's Equiano cable routing to St Helena (securing €21.5 million from the European Development Fund in 2018, with the cable operational mid-2021), while Oluvus/Unifi was launched in 2017 as a successor telecommunications venture targeting the five billion unconnected globally. A Human Right discontinued its direct operations in 2016, with project work continuing through successor partnerships and entities.

Name

A Human Right

Legal name

A Human Right

Website

https://ahumanright.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Closed

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

A Human Right was a San Francisco-based nonprofit advocacy organization that campaigned for universal Internet access as a human right, operating satellite, submarine cable, and documentary projects targeting unconnected populations in developing countries before discontinuing operations in 2016.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Internet Access Advocacy

NAICS

Human Rights Organizations (813311), Other Social Advocacy Organizations (813319), Civic and Social Organizations (81341)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Digital Rights, Privacy & Free Expression Advocacy (BPAGAFAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Media Freedom, Access to Information & Digital Rights (BPADAGAE), Digital Inclusion & Civic Tech (Connectivity, GovTech for Social Good) (BPAGALAK)

Keywords

• Internet access advocacy
• Digital divide initiatives
• Submarine cable infrastructure
• Telecommunications advocacy
• Nonprofit connectivity projects

Headquarters

HQ city

San Francisco

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Oluvus/Unifi Telecommunications Services: Telecommunications company launched in 2017 focused on wiring the entire planet and bringing free Internet to the five billion people without access. Revenue model not specified in available sources.
2. Donations and Charitable Contributions: Nonprofit organization relying on donations to fund advocacy and connectivity projects. Donate button prominently featured on website.
3. Public Speaking Engagements: Founder Kosta Grammatis speaks at conferences including TEDx, United Nations, International Space Development Conference, and Satellite 2011 Conference

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

A Human Right was a nonprofit advocacy organization that campaigned for universal Internet access as a human right and ran a portfolio of connectivity projects including the Oluvus/Unifi telecommunications initiative, the Move This Cable submarine cable campaign for St. Helena, the Buy This Satellite crowdfunding initiative, and the Web The Film documentary. The organization combined grassroots advocacy, policy influence, and technology deployment partnerships to address the digital divide affecting 4.6 billion people globally.

Product overview

A Human Right is an advocacy organization focused on achieving universal Internet access as a human right. The organization operates through a portfolio of interconnected projects: Oluvus/Unifi serves as the core telecommunications venture working to wire the planet and bring free Internet to five billion unconnected people; Move This Cable addresses specific infrastructure gaps by petitioning for and supporting submarine cable projects like St Helena; Web The Film serves as an awareness and advocacy documentary; Buy This Satellite was an early crowdfunding initiative; and Public Speaking & Advocacy amplifies the mission through educational engagements. Note: A Human Right discontinued its work in 2016, though several projects live on through partnerships.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Oluvus/Unifi: Telecommunications company launched in 2017 with a mission to wire the entire planet and bring free Internet to the five billion people without access.
• Move This Cable
• Buy This Satellite
• Web The Film

Products and services

• Oluvus / Unifi Telecommunications company with a mission to wire the entire planet and bring free Internet access to the five billion people who do not have access.
• Move This Cable Advocacy and infrastructure project to bring fiber optic cable connectivity to St Helena, one of the world's most isolated islands, enabling 4,500 islanders to join the digital civilization with improved education, healthcare, and economic prospects.
• Web The Film Documentary film exploring what happens when children isolated in the Peruvian Amazon experience the Internet for the first time, featuring interviews with Vint Cerf, Jimmy Wales, Nicholas Negroponte, and Clay Shirky.
• Buy This Satellite Crowdfunded advocacy initiative launched during the Arab Spring to purchase a bankrupt satellite and position it over developing countries to provide ultra low cost Internet access.

Quantifiable outcome

• 4.6 billion people targeted without Internet access
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• United Nations (UNOCHA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerA Human Right is a member of the United Nations Working Group for Emergency Telecommunications (WGET), participating in international policy discussions and coordination for disaster response communications. Chérif Ghaly serves as Chief of Technical Coordination and Partnerships at UNOCHA and Chair of WGET.
• Deutsche TelekomcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThomas Curran, CTO of Deutsche Telekom, serves as advisor to A Human Right. Strategic partnership for telecommunications expertise and network infrastructure guidance.
• AT&TcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic partner listed on organization website, providing telecommunications industry expertise and support for connectivity initiatives.
• BertelsmannminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as partner organization, providing media and communications industry expertise for awareness campaigns.
• Oluvus/UnificoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTelecommunications company launched in 2017 continuing A Human Right's mission of wiring the entire planet and bringing free Internet to five billion people without access. Represents the organization's primary vehicle for ongoing connectivity efforts.
• Google (Equiano Cable)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGoogle's planned Equiano submarine cable will extend to St. Helena, the first cable landing point selected solely for social reasons. A Human Right advocated for and helped build the business case for this connection.
• Palomar5minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization in the Sandbox network focused on entrepreneurship and innovation.
• Sandbox NetworkminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGlobal network of entrepreneurs and innovators supporting A Human Right's mission.
• Submarine Networks WorldminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerConference and media partner covering submarine cable industry, providing platform for advocacy and awareness about cable connectivity for underserved regions.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Web Foundation: Tim Berners-Lee's foundation advancing an open Web and universal Web access — directly comparable mission of Internet access as a development and rights priority.
• ARTICLE 19: International freedom-of-expression organization working on digital rights and access to information — directly comparable human rights and access-to-information advocacy.
• Internet Society (ISOC): Global nonprofit advocating for an open, globally-connected Internet — directly comparable mission, advocacy-led model, and policy-influence approach to A Human Right's 'Internet as a human right' framing.
• Access Now: International digital rights NGO defending users' rights to access and expression online — directly comparable advocacy mission, UN engagement, and policy-influence model.
• Mozilla Foundation: Nonprofit championing a healthy Internet through advocacy, grants, and public-interest technology — directly comparable digital rights mission and awareness-campaign-based GTM motion.
• Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF): Leading digital civil liberties nonprofit advocating for privacy, free expression, and access — directly comparable advocacy-driven digital rights mission.

Broad incumbents

• OneWeb: LEO satellite broadband constellation targeting unconnected and underserved populations — comparable connectivity-for-development mission executed at far greater scale.
• SpaceX (Starlink): Satellite broadband provider executing the connectivity mission at massive scale — comparable end-user outcome (Internet for the unconnected) but with vastly greater capital and commercial mandate.

Others

• Wikimedia Foundation: Nonprofit supporting Wikipedia and free knowledge access globally — thematically aligned with the 'sum of human knowledge' framing and free-access advocacy used by A Human Right.

Emerging players

• Alliance for Affordable Internet (A4AI): Coalition focused on affordable broadband in developing countries — overlapping mission of closing the digital divide through policy advocacy and partnerships.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ahumanright
• Facebookfacebook.com/ahumanright
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/a-human-right

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about A Human Right