Innovation

With the help of Tespack's solar backpacks, you can charge and use electronic devices anywhere and anytime without the fear of running out of power. Tespack combines renewable energy, technology and design in their products and helps you take advantage of solar energy in a new way. Tespack's innovative solar energy solution offers customers universal access to energy and the ability to use it efficiently and sustainably, and it gives them the freedom to be energy independent.

The idea with the solar backpacks is to create your own energy from the sun, which is the most renewable energy source. According to the United Nations' seventh sustainable development goal, called affordable and clean energy, approximately less than 1 billion people are living without electricity and half of them are located in Sub-Saharan Africa.

One of Tespack's goals is to give rural people easy access to energy. They have worked with schools and humanitarian workers to give them the opportunity to have electricity in their education systems. With the help of electricity, schools in these areas can have access to projectors and show educational presentations to their pupils. This way Tespack is also contributing to the United Nations' fourth sustainable development goal, called quality education.

Tespack's backpacks are designed to withstand long and durable use, and also, e.g., their shipping options involve less plastic. This is in line with the United Nations' twelfth sustainable development goal, which ensures sustainable consumption and production patterns.

Inspiration

Tespack got its inspiration from one of its founders, who worked for the special forces. During missions, one of their main problems was that they were running out of battery. His experiences led him to the vision that there should be a better way to have energy with you, and that’s how Tespack got started.

“We live mobile lives, so the logic dictates that energy should also be mobile, and energy-independent. For us, the future of energy is not about power banks - but about every individual creating their own energy,” says Tespack COO Caritta Seppä. The company now works with solar energy, as that is the most viable renewable energy source today, but says it’s also looking into other renewable energy sources such as kinetics, heat or wind in the future.

Overall impact

This innovation has been the base of the business of Tespack. As mentioned earlier, the CEO's previous experience and problems with energy access inspired them to develop this kind of backpack, and they are still continuing to develop products using renewable energy. A short-term effect could be the backpack with a solar energy panel, the unique type of product where the business has started. In the long term, this first product is inspiring Tespack to develop new types of products and look for new ways to use even more renewable energy sources, such as kinetics, heat or wind, in order to continue solving the mobile energy challenge with renewable energy. One could also argue that the cooperation with NGOs and participating in different projects, for example in supporting education in rural areas, as Nepal and Sudan, can be seen as a long-term effect of the innovation. Without the first innovation they wouldn’t be offering the mobile energy solutions and better access to energy all over the world.

Business benefit

Tespack is a Finnish start-up company with their headquarters in Helsinki Vallila. They have an international business model that expands across Europe and Asia. In addition, they also sell products in the United States. Tespack's brand was originally intended for end-consumers, but the brand has lately expanded towards non-governmental organizations and humanitarian work in rural areas where energy is needed the most.

In order for Tespack to stay competitive, they value diversity among their employees. Tespack wants its products to be innovative and distinct across the globe, so they have to hire talented and versatile people in order to have these aspects also in their products.

Tespack also values their customer feedback and listens closely to their consumers' needs in order to stay innovative and produce high-quality products.

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Social and environmental benefit

As mentioned earlier, Tespack is contributing to the fourth, seventh and twelfth SDGs, which include both social and environmental sustainable goals. Tespack's products themselves are benefiting the environment because they provide a sustainable solar energy system as an alternative energy source for coal. In the future, Tespack aims to incorporate other renewable energy sources, like kinetics, heat and wind. Their products are recyclable and if some parts of the backpack would break, it's possible to change a single part instead of buying a whole new backpack. Additionally, the products are of high quality and made of environmentally friendly materials. They also offer a plastic-free packaging option when buying their products. Tespack is encouraging more sustainable ways of consumption among their customers.

The social aspect of their business is also linked to energy. Tespack is cooperating with several NGOs, one example being the project Mobile school. Tespack is offering their solar energy system for the schools, teachers and students in rural areas, which enables a better education in those areas. Energy access is needed, for example, for lightning in the classrooms and even in some of the schools, for the smart screens in the classrooms in order to visualize part of the learning. Also, their products are used by rescue workers and Finnish military forces, that are part of the United Nations´ peacekeepers, in the conflict areas where it's often hard to get access to energy.

Interview

Caritta Seppä, COO

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