Fusion Foundation, the non-profit organization building the next generation infrastructure for global finance, today announced that it is partnering with i4SD, a global social enterprise working at the cutting-edge of smart and connected infrastructure and its applications for sustainable development.

i4SD was founded in 2016 to connect infrastructure developers in emerging countries with financial markets and technology providers to help ensure that allocations of capital and social impact activities are maximized and scaled. The i4SD team has extensive experience, having managed hundreds of infrastructure projects with partners such as the Earth Institute at Columbia University, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the World Bank and various national governments. i4SD is currently working in several countries providing access to electricity, water and connectivity together with local entrepreneurs and public organizations.

“We are excited to be embarking on this collaboration with Fusion as our missions of improving global access to infrastructure financing are aligned. Fusion’s interoperable and open-source protocol provides a powerful platform to bring together data from various different sources, including our Smart Meters.” said Joaquin Aviles Lopez, CEO of i4SD. “Their implementation of time value tools will provide a solution to our diverse financial needs, from raising funds to managing payments for resources.”

To start, i4SD is planning to leverage Fusion’s technology across projects in South East Asia and sub-Saharan Africa to: 1) support the use of smart meters and solar mini-grids for providing clean electricity; 2) connect low-middle income households to basic services such as water and access to clean cooking fuels using mobile pay-as-you-go technologies, and 3) offer innovative and transparent methods to raise and deploy funds.

“We are very excited to be working with i4SD, using our technology and network to bring social, economic and environmental impact globally,” said Dejun Qian, Founder and CEO of Fusion. “i4SD’s experience in applying technology and planning to emerging markets will be invaluable to the success of our combined endeavors.”

The lack of necessary economic and social infrastructure is undermining the living standards and opportunities in many regions of world. For example, there are an estimated 1 billion people without access to electricity, and over 2.7 billion people without access to clean cooking facilities. More than 1.1 billion people worldwide are unable to prove their identity, preventing them from accessing basic financial, government or market services. Moreover, fraud is a rampant problem, siphoning valuable resources in areas that are already in need while making donors or investors hesitant to commit capital.

Innovative technologies like Fusion’s open-source protocol and i4SD’s digital tools are synergistic and, when applied to meet the UN Sustainable Development Goals, can address these challenges while making systemic change and a lasting impact.

About Fusion

Fusion Foundation is a non-profit organization building the next generation infrastructure for decentralized global finance. By providing innovative companies and developers with the open source technology they need to build peer-to-peer time and value-based applications, the world will enjoy financial transactions that are more accessible, efficient and transparent than previously possible. Fusion’s seasoned team of industry veterans led by Founder and CEO DJ Qian, a blockchain pioneer who previously launched two top 20 global blockchain projects (VeChain and QTUM), is working to collaborate with financial institutions, cryptocurrency companies, businesses, peer-to-peer lenders, third-party app developers, academia, and the broader blockchain community. By providing the foundation that enables different cryptocurrency tokens, digital assets, off-chain values, and data-sources to be created and exchanged between the Fusion blockchain, other blockchains and financial systems, Fusion is moving ever closer to a globally accessible system for the free exchange of values. Visit www.fusion.org to learn more about Fusion and its partnership program.

About I4SD

i4SD (Infrastructure for Sustainable Development) is a global social enterprise that is focused on smart and connected infrastructure and its applications for sustainable development. We bring together traditional master planning, digital tools and public-private partnerships to deliver sustainable and resilient programs and business models. Working with governments, international organizations and local entrepreneurs, our mission is to be a trusted partner in the implementation of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). I4SD’s areas of expertise are: 1) Infrastructure Planning (Transport, Water, Energy and ICT); 2) ICT applications (Connectivity, IoT, Smart metering, Mobile payment, Data management); and 3) Sustainable Cities Programs and 4) Cross-Sector International Development (SDGs). For more information, visit www.i4sd.com.