Kajou

About Kajou

Kajou is a social enterprise that provides access to digital educational content for populations with limited or no internet connectivity. The company was established in 2019 as an initiative of the French NGO Bibliothèques Sans Frontières (Libraries Without Borders, BSF) and is headquartered in Montreuil, France, with operational bases in Senegal and Côte d'Ivoire. The concept was born out of BSF's 15 years of experience in bringing knowledge to vulnerable populations in over 30 countries. The founding chairman is Jérémy Lachal, who co-founded BSF and has a background in international affairs and a focus on using technology for education.

Kajou's core offering is a microSD card that can be inserted into a smartphone, giving users offline access to a vast library of multimedia content. This content spans education, health, agriculture, employment, and entrepreneurship, and is specifically curated and adapted to local cultural and linguistic contexts. In addition to preloaded content, the company develops customized e-learning modules and AI-powered virtual assistants that function offline in local languages to support learning and professional development. For instance, Kajou has developed solutions to help students in Senegal prepare for exams and provides training for community health workers in West Africa.

The business operates with a strong social impact focus, aiming to bridge the digital divide for the 50% of the world's population without reliable internet. Its clients include NGOs, institutions, development partners, and private companies for whom Kajou develops and distributes training content. Revenue is generated through these partnerships and the sale of its content-loaded microSD cards. The company has secured approximately $1.14 million in a seed funding round in January 2022, with investors including Phitrust, Colam Entreprendre, and HIPPOLYTE Capital.