Akshar Wunnava

2013 - 2015

Alumni

Legatum Fellow

From:

United States of America

Sector:

Energy/Utilities

Location:

India

Degree:

MS, School of Engineering

Akshar is designing a renewable energy solution for the more than 1.6 billion people in the world without access to grid electricity. The majority of these people use kerosene lanterns or solar lanterns, which are too expensive. To address the cost and fuel issues, he has founded PedalPower, a venture that aims to develop and distribute bicycle-powered battery chargers for lighting applications in off-grid villages.

The venture employs a very simple technology whereby users can ride bicycles during the day while recharging AA batteries, and use those batteries in lamps at night for light. PedalPower has a unique approach to reaching its customers, which includes advertising at schools and religious gatherings to close the last mile knowledge gap. PedalPower leverages partnerships with lamp companies for product distribution and to subsidize costs in India with revenues from the sales of high-end products in the U.S.

Akshar has research experience in chemical engineering; he also has business experience as an intern at Goldman Sachs’ Natural Resources Investment Banking Division. He is a Co-President of the MIT Energy Club, was Co-President of the Sloan Business Club and has helped organize the MIT Energy Conference for the past four years, including a panel on Energy Innovation for Development. Born in India, he is fluent in both Hindi and Telugu.

Akshar holds a Bachelor’s in Chemical Engineering and Economics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He is an MS in Chemical Engineering Practice candidate at the School of Engineering.