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TED just invested in a company that connects rural South Africans to TED talks, movies, and games

A South African company that's committed to bringing new ideas to an underserved population just got the ultimate endorsement.

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TED, whose beloved talks have reached millions, announced Wednesday its investment in Eduze, a company that provides free online content through CLOX, a tiny wifi-equipped box that transmits content to people's devices.

"Eduze captured our imagination with its low-cost wi-fi platform that could make TED Talks, TED-Ed videos and content from other high-quality sources freely available in schools, public spaces, and commuter systems," Deron Triff, TED's head of Media Distribution, tells Tech Insider.

South Africa
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The mission follows from TED's motto of spreading "ideas worth exploring," particularly as certain parts of the world gain first-time access to the internet.

"To find an affordable way to create access to ideas during this important era of bringing the next billion online is exciting for us," Triff says.

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eduze
Eduze

When people take long rides on buses equipped with CLOX, they can quickly download a long talk or movie. When they commute to work, they can download music albums, play games, or read the day's news.

"By simply giving access we can have impact across so many areas," Charlie Beuthin, co-founder and managing director of Eduze, tells Tech Insider.

Eduze estimates there are at least 5,000 public locations in South Africa where CLOX could find a home, helping people learn about gender inequality, environmentalism, HIV/AIDS, malaria, literacy, and legal rights.

In schools, CLOX will help teachers supplement their lessons with relevant talks and news articles.

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"Our model and technology means we can connect remote and rural areas in a way that truly embeds the experience in the community," Beuthin says. "We're opening the floodgates and giving access to those that need it most."

Clox and Solar battery pack
Eduze

Eduze updates its content library on a daily, weekly, and monthly basis depending on the material. The company's partnership with TED has allowed it to meet with "top execs in education, movie and TV studios in the US and UK," Beuthin says.

The challenge in getting to these people is a technological one.

Beuthin admits not everyone will know how to access the wi-fi-enabled content, let alone have a device that can connect to the internet in the first place. However, early trials — without any marketing or training — have already shown an average of 12 users per station per day, with 11 minutes of engagement.

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"That may not sound considerable but that is more than we need for our model to work at scale," Beuthin says.

Eduze knows it will take time for people to accept the new system, and even longer for ideas to spark action. For Beuthin, those are the obstacles that make such a project rewarding.

"We've had some truly unique challenges, but such is start-up life in Africa," he says. "The challenges are often what make our opportunity."

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