4YFN Investor Partner Bets Big on Developing World Mobile

4YFN Investor Partner Bets Big on Developing World Mobile

Smart feature phones are a vital tool for bridging the digital divide, bringing affordable internet connectivity to the developing world at a fraction of the cost for a smartphone. It means internet services are more democratically available, to the people who can benefit from them the most.



Less than 60% of mobile connections in the developing world are smartphones. Affordability has been a major barrier to bringing users online in the poorest parts of the world, leaving millions of people outside of the global digital ecosystem. As the advent of dumb phones provide, connectivity and communication are hugely advantageous for both social and economic development.


That is why we are so proud that 4YFN Shanghai’s Investor Club partners Cathay Innovation led the latest $50m funding round for KaiOS, a feature phone platform that is now the world’s third largest operating system for mobile. KaiOS has now shipped 100 million devices to customers in over 100 countries and has big aims to bring the gift of mobile to millions more around the world.


Congratulations are in order to both Cathay Innovation and KaiOS. We hope you will join us in wishing them well on this latest instalment of their fantastic story.