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Commown

Hardware as a service for sustainable electronics

December 2020
Gallery Commown 1
Gallery Commown 1
01.

Identification

The electronics industry generates a huge amount of negative externalities, from the mines to the products' end-of-life. Many studies showed that most of these impacts occur during the product birth and death. Thus the first priority is to reduce the number of electronic devices made and sold. However, this is not viable for companies that rely solely on the sale of these devices. There is therefore a need for another business model: Hardware as as Service (HaaS). Commown is a French Société Coopérative d’Intérêt Collectif (SCIC) that supports fair and sustainable electronics by providing HaaS services with devices designed to be repaired and to last longer. The service includes providing smartphones, computers, headphones and managing repairs beyond the manufacturer warranty, with a monthly subscription. Commown uses easy-to-repair devices and offers customer support to fix devices when issues occur. In doing so, this service extends product lifetime, reduces material waste, and offers a cost-effective option for smartphones and other electronics.

Label Date December 9, 2020
By Commown
From France
Maturity stage Small scale commercialization
Looking For New clients, Visibility
02.

Implementation Stories

Commown by Commown
Implemented by Etamine in Lyon (France) in 2018

The company Etamine located near Lyon started to rent Fairphone 2 devices from Commown in 2018 for its 50 employees. The model designed in 2015 provided proof of concept that making a modular smartphone was possible. Commown was able to roll out a professional offering with a smartphone that was already 3 years old compared to the latest on the market. Had the company purchased the devices from the manufacturer, the lack of ongoing support would have led to all of these smartphones being renewed when they could actually work with proper maintenance.

Result

41 devices in service in 2022

03.

The environmental benefits

  • The devices offered and maintained by Commown lasts twice as long than the market average
  • Reduces CO2 emissions from production of new devices by 50% by doubling product lifespan
  • The flagship smartphone provided by Commown includes 45% recycled plastic
04.

The Financial benefits

  • Cost of all breakages and repairs are covered in subscription fees
  • Commown offers a 40% price reduction for the smartphone contract after 2 years if the customer keeps the device
05.

Activity Region

  • /

Europe

Belgium, France, Germany,

  • Headquarters
  • Activity
06.

Company Profile

Commown

Commown provides long term leasing solutions with services (HaaS) of the most ecological and ethical electronic devices.

View company profile Solution website
Headquarters 67100 Strasbourg, France
Contact the Solution Provider Add to Favorites

The information set out above, is solely for the purposes of information and the Solar Impulse Foundation does not provide any guarantee as to its authenticity, completeness or accuracy. This information does not constitute investment advice or a recommendation to buy into, transact or to enter into any agreement with any of the parties or persons mentioned above. Potential investors or interested parties are solely responsible for their investment or business decisions and for performing any due diligence required by the circumstances. The innovator Commown has asserted ownership of the intellectual property rights for images, videos, and content showcased above, affirming full and unrestricted usage rights, and has provided explicit permission for the Solar Impulse Foundation to publish such information designated as "public" in the application form.