Brother Industries, Ltd. announced that it has entered into a capital and business alliance agreement with Dots for Inc., a Japan-based startup developing business in rural areas, particularly in Africa.
By combining the expertise Brother has accumulated through the development of its printers and All-in-One machines with Dots for’s local network, the two companies aim to further advance their initiatives and establish a foothold for business expansion in Africa.
Brother said it has long regarded Africa as an important market over the medium to long term and has been exploring ways to expand its printer and All-in-One business there. In 2024, in collaboration with Dots for Inc., which operates a unique business model in rural areas of Africa, Brother began test marketing of printing and copying services utilising Brother inkjet multi-function printers within Dots for’s village digital platform, d.CONNECT.
In rural African villages, which have been left behind by the wave of digitalisation, there are often no locations within the village to print or copy documents. Residents sometimes travel to towns tens of kilometres away, taking a full day to complete printing or copying.
To address this, a “Village Printing Service” accessible via smartphone is being developed and rolled out through Dots for’s digital platform, primarily targeting rural villages in Africa to help improve residents’ quality of life.
Satoru Kuwabara, Representative Director and Executive Vice President (Head of P&S Business, Executive Officer), Brother Industries, Ltd. commented: “Africa, while an enormous market in terms of potential, has long been considered a challenging region for business entry. Moreover, we believed that it would be even more difficult to do business in rural areas where infrastructure is limited. However, through this initiative made possible by the capital and business alliance with Dots for, we feel confident that not only can we accelerate digitalization in rural Africa, but also seize the opportunity to pioneer new business for Brother in Africa. We are delighted that this new service, which provides printing and copying to many who previously had no access, will create opportunities to utilise our printers and All-in-One machines, and we look forward to seeing this expand. We also feel this initiative can be a chance to change the conventional norms in rural Africa.
“Brother has pursued diverse business opportunities while also contributing to the realisation of a sustainable society. Looking ahead, we will aim to create new value and achieve sustainable growth in Africa, continuing to globally advance management with an emphasis on sustainability.
Carlos Oba, Founder, CEO and CIO, Dots for Inc. added: “In African rural villages, while issues such as water and electricity are recognised globally and addressed by many organisations, the issue of “not being able to print or copy in the village” has been a significant burden for residents yet has gone largely unnoticed by the world. This capital and business alliance with Brother Industries marks a major first step in solving this burden and strongly advancing our initiative of “Unleashing the constraints of the rural Africa,” which we believe will be a great opportunity to change the world of rural residents.”
