Monitor Power.
Protect Patients.

Supporting reliable electricity access for health facilities in Sub-Saharan Africa with offline-first monitoring and verification systems.

1B+ Patients affected by unreliable electricity
3 in 4 Health facilities with unreliable power
~9 Outages per month (~5.7 hrs each)
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BioKite Labs
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The Challenge

Why This Matters

Close to one billion people globally are served by health facilities with no electricity access or unreliable supply.

Unreliable Electricity

About 25,000 health facilities in Sub-Saharan Africa have no electricity, and 70,000+ suffer frequent outages. This leads to equipment failures, spoiled vaccines, and failed diagnostic tests.

Equipment Damage

~1 in 3 facilities report equipment damage from voltage fluctuations. An estimated 30% of diagnostic test failures are linked to power problems including voltage spikes and outages.

Cold Chain Breaks

Without reliable power, vaccines spoil, reagents degrade, and critical equipment like oxygen concentrators and PCR machines operate inconsistently, compromising patient care.

No Documentation

Missing logs, no review cadence, unclear response steps, and stockouts of basic parts drive preventable breakdowns. Failures often go unnoticed until it's too late.

Our Approach

BioKite Health Infrastructure

A vendor-neutral uptime and verification system for clinics operating with unreliable electricity and constrained maintenance capacity.

The Smallest Fundable "Reliability Package"

BioKite answers the policy question: what is the smallest fundable and enforceable reliability package that ministries, NGOs, and donors can require so critical clinic equipment stays operational and infection prevention routines are provably followed?

  • ✓ Offline-first monitoring that works without continuous internet
  • ✓ Simple response steps and clear logs for incident documentation
  • ✓ Training refresh and verification routines
  • ✓ Spares planning to prevent stockouts
BioKite Health Infrastructure Infographic
The Process

How BioKite Works

A five-step system that transforms power monitoring into actionable insights.

1

Sense

SensorClip monitors temperature, current draw, and equipment status in real-time using non-invasive attachment.

2

Detect

Automatically identifies power outages, undervoltage conditions, and temperature excursions that could harm equipment or samples.

3

Log

Creates timestamped proof of all incidents with photo evidence capability using ODK/KoBoCollect for offline data capture.

4

Guide

Provides simple, actionable workflows that staff can follow to respond to incidents and reduce downtime.

5

Report

Generates weekly clinic scorecards and monthly funder reports with KPI dashboards for action and accountability.

The Kit

BioKite Labs Components

An integrated, modular kit designed for affordability, local maintainability, and simplicity.

PowerGuard

Power Backup

A compact power management unit that keeps lab equipment running through short outages and voltage fluctuations.

  • Wide input voltage tolerance and surge protection
  • Automatic switch-over to battery backup
  • User-serviceable with off-the-shelf parts
  • Locally assembleable components

SensorClip

Monitoring

A lightweight sensor module that clips onto lab equipment to monitor conditions and send alerts via Bluetooth.

  • Temperature and current monitoring
  • Non-invasive, easy installation
  • Works entirely offline via Android app
  • Timestamped CSV logs and alerts

SteriBox

Waste Sterilization

A portable steam sterilization unit designed to safely neutralize infectious waste in small batches.

  • Steam sterilization at 121°C
  • Chemical indicator strips included
  • Safety locks prevent mid-cycle opening
  • Low-cost alternative to large autoclaves
Our Goals

Measurable Impact

BioKite targets operational failure modes that routinely drive preventable breakdowns.

25%

Reduce Downtime

Reduce downtime for critical devices through better monitoring and faster response.

20%

Temperature Control

Reduce time out of temperature range for cold chain equipment.

80%

Verified Compliance

Raise verified compliance for infection prevention workflows.

60%+

Fewer Failures

Reduce test kit spoilage and machine downtime through stable power.

Evidence-Based Approach

Evidence from a public-sector cold-chain program in Kenya supports BioKite's core mechanism: monitoring paired with structured review teams can improve cold-chain temperature performance (Lutukai et al., 2019). Audit-and-feedback interventions also typically produce measurable improvements in professional practice (Ivers et al., 2012).

Who We Are

About BioKite Labs

Our Mission

To empower diagnostic laboratories in low-resource settings with simple, locally-maintainable tools to keep critical equipment running and to safely manage infectious waste. We focus on ensuring reliable power, early fault detection, and safe waste sterilization at small labs and clinics that lack stable infrastructure.

Our Vision

We envision a future where every community clinic and lab can operate reliably and safely, regardless of location or resource constraints. By 2030, BioKite Labs aspires to facilitate a network of modular "micro-labs" across Africa, Asia, and other regions, enabling local health providers to deliver timely diagnostics without interruptions.

Local Maintainability

Solutions designed to be repaired and maintained by local technicians with off-the-shelf parts.

Open Innovation

Open-source designs and documentation enable adaptation and contribution by the global community.

Cost Effectiveness

Using proven open tools and off-the-shelf components to maximize impact per dollar invested.

Offline-First

Designed to work without continuous internet, perfect for resource-limited environments.

Collaboration

We Seek Partners

BioKite Labs is actively seeking collaborations with organizations that share our commitment to health equity.

Implementation Partners

NGOs, health clinics, and diagnostic networks operating in low-resource settings who can pilot and scale BioKite solutions.

Funding Partners

Foundations, bilateral donors, and impact investors supporting global health innovation and infrastructure strengthening.

Government Partners

Ministries of Health and national laboratory networks for program integration and sustainable scale-up.

Technical Partners

Universities, engineering firms, and manufacturers who can contribute expertise and production capacity.

Join Us

Get Involved

We welcome collaborators across multiple categories.

For Technical Talent

Engineers from the effective altruism and high-impact careers communities who want to apply technical skills to global health challenges. We have opportunities in hardware engineering, embedded systems, and software development.

For Organizations

NGOs, governments, and health systems that face power reliability or waste management challenges. Partner with us to pilot solutions in your facilities.

For Funders

Foundations and donors focused on global health, appropriate technology, and health systems strengthening. Financial support is crucial to move from prototypes to scale.

Interested in learning more or partnering with us?

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