What unconnected.org does

unconnected.org is a UK-registered charity (Charity No. 1198420), founded in 2020, that operates as a non-profit intermediary and aggregator in the digital-inclusion space. The organization purchases connectivity and hardware at bulk/global rates, primarily Starlink LEO satellite capacity supplemented by Eutelsat KONNECT GEO and OneWeb LEO, and resells these through a curated B2B 'Impact Marketplace' to vetted local ISPs, NGOs, school consortiums, entrepreneurs, and government bodies in 21+ countries across Africa, Latin America, Southeast Asia, and other underserved regions. The technical stack lies on third-party satellite backhaul layered with Wi-Fi hotspot management (Powerlynx), ISP billing (Splynx), SD-WAN (Ethica CloudAccess), and education content (NABU), all accessed through a connectHUB partner portal.

The business model is hybrid. Commercial revenue comes from recurring subscriptions on connectivity packages (connect4GOOD and connectIMPACT plans), hardware and accessory sales (Starlink kits, Mesh++ routers, mounts), and software marketplace commissions. Non-commercial revenue comes from corporate CSR donations (Sponsor a School at $5,000, Sponsor a Community at $10,000), foundation grants (GSR Foundation, Microsoft, Internet Society, Equinix Foundation), and a referral programme. Customers include local ISPs and entrepreneurs, schools and refugee education programmes, medical centres, NGOs (Matakana, 48 Percent, Etnollano, Fast Networks/Xulendo), and government institutions. The model is community-led: local entrepreneurs deploy community Wi-Fi, sell affordable vouchers, and provide free connectivity to nearby schools.

Operationally, unconnected.org runs with 11-50 employees and a distributed management team (CEO Andrew Atkinson; CCO Mea Thompson; regional GMs for Philippines, Mexico, Colombia, East Africa; customer success, marketplace, finance, communications, and funding managers). Regional entities have been established in Colombia (UNCONNECTED COLOMBIA S.A.S.), the Philippines (non-stock, non-profit corporation), Kenya, Malawi, and Mexico (LANR PVDS, S.A. DE C.V). The organization states 40 million people are now in reach of internet through its initiatives, with a long-term ambition to connect 1 billion people.

Name

unconnected.org

Legal name

unconnected.org

Website

https://unconnected.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

unconnected.org is a UK-registered non-profit charity that aggregates discounted Starlink, Eutelsat, and OneWeb satellite connectivity, hardware, and software via a B2B Impact Marketplace to enable local ISPs, NGOs, schools, and entrepreneurs in 21+ underserved countries to deploy sustainable community internet.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Non-profit Digital Connectivity Services

NAICS

Satellite Telecommunications (5174), Civic and Social Organizations (813410)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Rural & Universal Service Fixed Broadband Providers (HDAIABAJ)

Keywords

• Digital inclusion
• Satellite internet
• Community connectivity
• Non-profit ISP services
• Connectivity marketplace

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Connectivity Service Subscriptions: unconnected.org purchases Starlink and satellite capacity in bulk at negotiated rates and resells/marks up connectivity packages to local ISPs, entrepreneurs, NGOs, and schools on a prepaid monthly basis. Partners receive discounted rates; unconnected.org generates margin on the difference. No long-term contracts required for most plans.
2. Hardware and Accessory Sales: Sale of Starlink kits, routers, wall mounts, Ethernet adapters, and accessories (e.g., Mesh++ solar-powered mesh routers) through the Impact Marketplace. Products are sourced at volume discounts and sold to partners with margin retained by unconnected.org.
3. Donations and CSR Sponsorship: The organization raises funds from corporations, foundations, and individuals to sponsor connectivity projects. 'Sponsor a School' costs $5,000; 'Sponsor a Community' costs $10,000. Donations fund hardware procurement, deployment, and subsidize free connectivity for schools and vulnerable populations.
4. Referral Programme Commissions: Approved referral partners introduce qualified leads to unconnected.org and receive commissions on successful, revenue-generating opportunities in line with referral terms. This drives new partner acquisition across markets.
5. Software Marketplace: Offers ISP billing software (Splynx), Wi-Fi hotspot management (Powerlynx), SD-WAN (Ethica), and education software (NABU) through the Impact Marketplace, often at preferential pricing for impact partners. Revenue may flow through reseller arrangements or commissions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion4 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

unconnected.org is a UK-registered non-profit charity that operates the Impact Marketplace, a global B2B platform where vetted local ISPs, NGOs, schools, and entrepreneurs can purchase discounted satellite connectivity (primarily Starlink, Eutelsat, OneWeb), supporting hardware (Mesh++ mesh routers, Starlink accessories), and software (Powerlynx hotspot management, Splynx billing, Ethica SD-WAN, NABU education). The organization bulk-procures global CSR deals to lower unit costs and channels the savings to partners deploying connectivity in rural, low-income, and refugee communities across 21+ countries.

Product overview

unconnected.org operates the Impact Marketplace as its core platform, connecting local ISPs, NGOs, schools, and entrepreneurs with affordable connectivity solutions. The portfolio includes Starlink connectivity plans (connect4GOOD and connectIMPACT plans), managed hardware products (Mesh++ S618 routers, Starlink accessories), software platforms (Powerlynx hotspot management, Splynx billing, Ethica SD-WAN, NABU education), and support services (connectFUNDING grants, connectHUB portal, Training & Accelerators, School Sponsorship, Community Sponsorship, Referral Programme). Recently launched connectDEVICES to add affordable laptops and mobile devices to the offering. All solutions are designed to enable sustainable community internet networks in underserved regions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• connect4GOOD: Affordable connectivity packages designed for social impact, offering discounted Starlink plans for schools and underserved communities.
• connectIMPACT
• connectDEVICES
• connectEMERGENCY
• connectED
• Impact Marketplace

Products and services

• Impact Marketplace Global B2B marketplace where vetted local ISPs, NGOs, schools, and entrepreneurs purchase discounted Starlink, Eutelsat, OneWeb connectivity packages, hardware, and software for deploying internet in underserved regions.
• connect4GOOD Connectivity Plans Discounted Starlink connectivity subscriptions offered to schools, medical centres, and social-impact partners across 19+ countries, with country-specific pricing, 5TB monthly fair use, and no long-term contract.
• connectIMPACT Connectivity Plans Enterprise-grade Starlink connectivity subscriptions with no contract commitment, designed for ISPs and partners deploying telecom infrastructure in rural and challenging environments.
• connectHUB Partner Portal Partner portal that enables vetted partners to activate and manage service lines, view usage and impact data, download reports, and track deployment status for connectivity installations.
• connectDEVICES Programme giving eligible organisations access to affordable laptops, Chromebooks, and mobile devices bundled with connectivity solutions to address the device/usage gap.
• connectEMERGENCY Programme that requires Impact Marketplace partners to make their connectivity available to communities for free during disasters, enabling resilient emergency connectivity.
• connectFUNDING Automated funding opportunity discovery and grant management service helping partners identify funding sources covering education, health, and disaster resilience themes to bridge the digital divide.
• Mesh++ S618 Solar Mesh Router Solar-powered, IP67 waterproof modular mesh router for last-mile community Wi-Fi deployments, sold in 3-node bundles at Impact partner pricing to support 25-500 users per node within 350m line-of-sight range.
• Powerlynx Wi-Fi Hotspot Management Cloud-based Wi-Fi hotspot management platform offering captive portal, flexible data plans, voucher distribution, and multi-location management for ISPs deploying community Wi-Fi.
• Splynx ISP Billing and Network Management ISP billing and network management software providing automated billing, network monitoring, CRM, helpdesk ticketing, field service scheduling, and inventory management with REST API support.
• Ethica CloudAccess SD-WAN SD-WAN solution that adds enterprise-grade capabilities including remote dish management, redundancy, intelligent traffic management, and static IP addresses to Starlink deployments for ISP resellers.
• NABU Multilingual Education Platform Educational software platform providing multilingual children's stories and literacy tools for schools, with offline-capable content available in Tagalog, Kiswahili, Yoruba, Hausa, Igbo, and other local languages.
• Starlink Accessories Hardware accessories including Ethernet adapters for V3 dishes, wall mounts for V4 dishes, and routers for V3 or V4 dishes, sold across multiple country markets.
• School Sponsorship (connectED) Corporate sponsorship programme at $5,000 per school, providing a satellite dish, one year of high-speed connectivity, Wi-Fi, computers, cabling, converters, and offline learning content for 80+ students, including CSR reporting and co-branded content.
• Community Sponsorship Community connectivity kickstarter sponsorship at $10,000 enabling local entrepreneurs to establish community Wi-Fi services with free internet for the local school, including an Official Supporter branding kit.
• Training and Accelerators Training programmes and accelerator opportunities for connectivity entrepreneurs, including AI learning hubs, GSMA training, ITU connectivity courses, World Bank Academy, and AWS impact accelerators.
• Referral Programme Commission-based referral programme for approved partners to introduce qualified leads and earn commissions on successful, revenue-generating opportunities.

Quantifiable outcome

• 40 million people are now in reach of internet connectivity through unconnected.org's initiatives
• +8 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Feature5 records

Scale indicators14 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Emerging players

• Caribou Digital: Advisory and research firm focused on digital inclusion, trust, and the social impact of connectivity in emerging markets. Comparable in mission (advancing digital equity), but delivers research/advisory rather than operating connectivity networks itself.

Direct peers

• Project Isizwe: South African nonprofit that deploys free and low-cost public Wi-Fi in underserved communities. Like unconnected.org, it focuses on connecting low-income and rural populations through locally operated Wi-Fi networks, though with a primarily regional (South Africa) footprint.
• NetHope: A consortium of humanitarian and international NGOs that collaborate on technology solutions for underserved communities, including connectivity programs. Shares unconnected.org's nonprofit, partnership-driven approach to digital inclusion for development and humanitarian use cases.
• Microsoft Airband Initiative: Microsoft's Airband Initiative funds and partners with ISPs, nonprofits, and satellite providers to extend internet access to underserved communities globally — a directly comparable rural/underserved connectivity mission. unconnected.org is already an Airband partner in the Philippines, indicating overlapping programs and target beneficiaries.
• Internet Society (ISOC): Global nonprofit promoting open internet development, Internet Exchange Points, and community networks in underserved regions; an active funder/ally of unconnected.org. ISOC pursues the same digital-inclusion goal through funding and policy work, making it a like-for-like peer in mission even if delivery model differs.
• Connect Humanity: A grantmaking fund specifically focused on community-led connectivity projects that bridge the digital divide. Highly comparable to unconnected.org's community-entrepreneur model, with both organizations channeling donor capital into local connectivity networks in underserved regions.

Others

• International Telecommunication Union (ITU): UN specialized agency for ICTs that sets policy, runs connectivity initiatives (e.g., Partner2Connect), and provides training/courses — referenced by unconnected.org as a partner in its Training & Accelerators offering. Adjacent enabler rather than direct competitor.
• USAID Digital Strategy: U.S. government donor running large-scale digital-inclusion and connectivity programs in developing countries. Functions more as a funder/policymaker than an operator, but shapes the same market unconnected.org serves and is a potential counterpart for partnerships.
• World Bank Digital Development: Multilateral institution financing digital infrastructure and inclusion in emerging markets. Functions as a capital source and policy actor in the same problem space, and is cited in unconnected.org's training partnerships, but does not operate connectivity infrastructure directly.

Broad incumbents

• GSMA Mobile for Development: Mobile industry initiative funding digital-inclusion projects across connectivity, fintech, and utility services in emerging markets. Broader scope than unconnected.org's connectivity focus, but operates as a comparable convening/funding body for digital inclusion programs.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/unconnected_org
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/unconnected-org

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Subsidiaries2 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 unconnected.org