...Current issues Movirtu has a tough decision regarding its funding options in its midst. First started by CEO Nigel Waller, the company “Movirtu” was created to serve the Base of the Pyramid which are people living on an income of below $2 per day. There is an estimated 1 billion people who cannot afford to purchase a mobile phone and if this “cloud phone” software is not introduced, they would have to resort to borrowing and sharing phones. However, this proves to be quite inconvenient as sharing phones and switching SIM cards is expensive and lacking in both privacy and security. Movirtu’s technology will allow users purchase a private ID number which will allow them to send and receive calls, and thereby offering a cheaper way to communicate. After securing two seed-round impact investors, Gray ghost Ventures and Grassroots Business fund, Movirtu has been able to develop their “cloud technology”. However, having invested most of their liquid cash into the development of this technology and hiring more experienced members of the telecommunication industry, Movirtu is running out of cash. It now faces the problem of having to find Series A funding to solidify the team, commercially launch the product and establish proof-of-market. Time is also of the essence as there are competitors eyeing this new market and Waller must immediately find new sources of capital investment to grow the company and also help make a social impact in the Base of the Pyramid. Implementation In implementing...
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...Brief Evaluation Form Note: You don’t have to answer the guiding questions verbatim, use them to prompt your thinking. You do need to suggest an action/recommendation. See me if you have any questions. For those who want more guidance, see below. 3 = Very Good/Above average 2 = Good 1 = Poor/Below Average Innovation at the Bottom of the Pyramid Impacts Comfort As a common practice in the poor countries, sharing mobile phones allows many of these customers to use their own SIM card and switch it in and out when borrowing a mobile device. However, this may be inconvenient as it is not secured and sometimes costly. Nigel Waller, founder of Movirtu, a British start-up, developed cloud software for people too poor to own their own mobile phone. The cloud phone offers a cheaper, more convenient alternative because it gives individuals who cannot buy a handset their own phone numbers and mobile services. This model presents mutual advantages for both the poor as well as the start-up. In other words, their service is priced for base-of-the-pyramid customers and the mobile network carriers get a piece of the action. This model is a demonstration that innovation can spur ventures that sell services aimed at the poor in a way that creates value at the base of the pyramid as well as to the investors. The business model implemented by Morvitu provides an opportunity to assess how effective...
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...reference 1-429-140 May 11, 2012 How to Write a Business Case Study A business case study confronts students with a real-life dilemma and engages all their abilities to solve its challenges. In presenting a specific business or policy situation—one that does not have an obvious solution—the case provides information for classroom discussion and other study. A good case study stimulates an educated conversation and the building of business knowledge. The best case studies are learning-centered, not instructor-centered. Details describing the differences between the two can be found in Exhibit 1. A student reading the case should be provided with the information needed to make good decisions about the case, or the ability to find the information if that is a learning objective. Information critical to solving the case should never be contained exclusively in the case’s teaching note, because doing so puts the instructor in the center of the learning, and leads to frustrated students. Cases should satisfy professors and students as well as the businesses, organizations, and people featured in the cases. Although these interests might appear in conflict, a case that is written with fairness and intelligence will ultimately receive the respect of all parties. The best cases have several structural characteristics in common including a protagonist, specific time frame, and use of past tense. An author who becomes experienced in case writing may deviate from this pattern, but doing...
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