Fairphone builds modular, repairable smartphones and has expanded into related hardware like earbuds that use recycled plastics and Fairtrade gold. The company emphasizes circular-economy principles and aims to lengthen device longevity through repairable-by-design hardware and extended software support. Fairphone plans to accelerate integration of fair and recycled materials across its product portfolio and expand mining value-chain programs in Africa and South America, alongside fair wage programs in Asia. It is investing in product development, improved customer service and brand positioning to raise awareness around fairness and sustainability in electronics. The company has shown unit growth, selling around 120,000 devices last year, up from about 88,000 in 2021 and 23,000 in 2018. Fairphone presents itself as a mission-driven business positioned to benefit from EU pushes for circular models and right-to-repair policies. Fairphone, founded in 2013 in Amsterdam, is a social enterprise building "ethical electronics" and manufactures the repairable Fairphone 2. The Fairphone 2 runs Android, retails for €399, and is notable for high repairability; the company sells modules (battery, camera, display, speakers) on its website. Fairphone prioritizes ethics across the supply chain, from mining to manufacturing to the device's lifecycle. In recent months it raised €20 million across equity crowdfunding, a social-impact funding round, and debt financing. The company said it will use the funding to sustainably scale operations, research new products and business models, and expand sales efforts in untapped European markets. Fairphone also appointed Eva Gouwens as CEO; founder Bas van Abel will remain involved as a member of the supervisory board. Fairphone is a Dutch startup founded in 2010 that builds smartphones designed for ethical sourcing, repairability, durability, and transparency. The company sources minerals—mostly from Congo—from mines outside conflict zones and assembles phones in China while aiming to ensure fair wages for workers. Its products emphasize long shelf life to reduce e-waste, and for each phone sold Fairphone directs €3 to a service organization involved in recycling electronic waste in developing countries. The company produces relatively small volumes rather than mass-market device quantities. Financially, Fairphone recently raised about €2.5M via a crowdfunding convertible loan and previously attracted €6.5M from impact investors in 2017. The company plans to use the crowdfunding proceeds to launch a new phone and expand its presence in Southern Europe and the Scandinavian countries. Fairphone designs modular, repairable smartphones with the stated aim of supporting longevity and sustainability across the electronics value chain. Its core product emphasizes repair-by-design, though the company recently ended support for its first handset after suppliers retired spare parts and chipset makers stopped issuing updates. Fairphone used crowdfunding to build that first device and says it has sold more than 135,000 smartphones over four years. The company plans to scale its approach to create a circular economy for consumer electronics, targeting material sourcing, production, distribution and recycling. It intends to bring suppliers and consumers along to build a viable market for fairer electronics and to negotiate longer component availability, Fairtrade gold sourcing and better working conditions. Fairphone has also appointed Eva Gouwens as managing director to grow the organization and its value-chain impact. Fairphone is an Amsterdam-based social enterprise aiming to produce the most ethical smartphone, with a focus on longevity and repairability. Its flagship device in this campaign was the Fairphone 2, offered via pre-order at an average price of €525 (VAT included). In two months close to 17,500 pre-orders generated roughly €9 million. Those funds will kick-start production and allow the organisation to continue investing in social impact projects. Fairphone published a cost breakdown to show buyers what their payments support. Founder and CEO Bas van Abel has discussed the company’s model and ambitions in interviews.

Total raised

$97M

Funding rounds

7

Latest round

Equity

Latest activity

Jan 2023