Sometimes, it means harnessing nature's most abundant resources to spark a different revolution.
One example is WaterLight, a groundbreaking invention from Colombian renewable energy startup EDINA, in collaboration with Wunderman Thompson. WaterLight showcases the power of human-centred design, radical simplicity, and cultural respect — three things every startup founder can learn from.
🔦 What Is WaterLight?
WaterLight is a portable, seawater-powered lantern that converts salt water into energy using an electrochemical reaction. Just 500 millilitres of salt water can generate up to 45 days of light, depending on usage. Designed for off-grid, coastal communities—especially Colombia's Wayúu Indigenous people—it provides illumination and opportunity.
No batteries. No Wi-Fi. No dependency on fragile infrastructure. Just ingenuity and empathy.
🔧 Innovation Beyond the Tech
WaterLight is not just a product. It's a philosophy of true innovation in action:
Human-first innovation: The team didn't begin with technology in mind. They started with the customer. They embedded with the Wayúu community to understand how their culture, rituals, and daily lives could shape the product's design.
Radical simplicity: The technology is not outrageous or as sexy as Artificial intelligence, I guess. It isn't flashy. However, it works. It's reliable, low-cost, and repairable by locals. That's real innovation as it addresses the customer and their environment.
Respect for sustainability: It's a clean-energy solution that reduces reliance on diesel generators and disposable batteries, minimising environmental and health impacts.
🧭 What Founders Can Learn
WaterLight's impact is an excellent example of lean, empathetic innovation focused on customer first, field co-design, and iteration.
Here are five observations I think are worth thinking about:
1. Start with Real-World Problems
The best ideas often don't come from whiteboards—they come from fieldwork. Engage with your users or customers in their world. Put them in the centre of your thinking. Listen and Observe. Don't just validate your idea; co-create it.
"What if your MVP didn't start with wireframes, but with walking a mile in your user's shoes?"
2. Design with Cultural Context in Mind
Your users are not just 'personas'. They're people with traditions, rituals, habits, and histories. WaterLight succeeded not just because it worked but because it fit. It respected cultural identity.
3. Simplicity Scales
You don't need to build the most complex product — just the most usable one. WaterLight's core strength is its durability and reliability in harsh environments. Focus on what's essential, not what's impressive.
4. Embrace Constraints as Catalysts
WaterLight wasn't built in a world of luxury or excess. It was developed in a world of necessity. Constraints breed creativity and an innovative approach in their own right; it is not a disadvantage if you have limited resources, which can also be capital. They might be your startup's unfair advantage.
5. Make Impact Part of Your Growth Engine
This isn't about charity. It's about purpose-driven innovation. When your product changes lives, your brand story becomes your most substantial growth hack. WaterLight earned global media, awards, and user love by solving a meaningful problem.
As you build and scale your startup, ask yourself:
Are we solving the right problem or just a convenient one?
Have we spent enough time with the people we're building for?
How can we remove friction, cost, or complexity from our solution?
What does radical simplicity look like in our product?
Can our growth be a byproduct of impact?
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