Blackfrog Technologies

Emvólio – Vaccine Cold Chain Technology for Last-Mile Delivery

IMPACT

As of February 2024

600+

devices deployed in PHCs and CHCs across 15 states

700+

health workers trained on vaccination-related topics

1.6 Lakh

vaccinations administered

Geographical Focus
  • Pan India

Samridh support

SAMRIDH’s financial assistance has been instrumental in the scale-up of Blackfrog Technologies’ Emvólio. Through a blend of financial tools, including risk guarantees, grant, and interest subventions, SAMRIDH enabled Blackfrog to meet its funding requirements to manufacture over 600 units of Emvólio and expand its reach across India. Further, the partial risk guarantee has enabled Blackfrog to secure a working capital loan from a financial institution at an interest subvention, with SAMRIDH bearing a portion of the interest cost that will be returned upon achieving targeted social outcomes. With SAMRIDH’s backing, Blackfrog is expected to generate sufficient cash flow from its operations to achieve sustainability after fulfilling its financial obligations.

African Presence

Blackfrog is a ISO 13485 & ISO 9001 certified Manufacturer of Medical devices which had developed Emvolio – A portable active-cooled refrigerator that maintains a stable 2-8 Deg C platform for 12+ hours for the last mile transport of Vaccines. Blackfrog has deployed in 11+ states in India and is now expanding into Africa starting with Kenya. Emvolio will ensure a stable cold chain of 2-8 Deg C during the last mile transport of vaccines is maintained which is critical for the effectiveness/efficacy of Vaccines. Most vaccines lose effectiveness/efficacy due to poor cold chain solutions which are not able to maintain the 2-8 Deg C platform. This would be a big step towards eradicating vaccine-preventable diseases and eliminating vaccine wastage. Emvolio can be used in dispensaries and for outreach sessions for routine immunization. The devices are solar compatible, hence can be easily integrated with the existing setup/infrastructure. The devices provide real-time alerts and tracking of the assets via the cloud to health officials for better accountability. The units will be deployed in four counties in their respective public health systems namely Isiolo, Samburu and the other two counties are being finalized. Letter of Intent received from the two counties.

9

out of 15 vaccines commonly administered today are freeze-sensitive [1]

25%

Of vaccines in India wasted due to suboptimal cold chain practices [2]

$7.5m

Of cost wastage is attributed to ice-based cold chain systems in rural India [3]

The devastating second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the critical need for widespread vaccine administration to break the chain of virus transmission. However, India’s inadequate cold chain infrastructure presents a significant impediment to achieving the national goal of universal vaccine coverage. Given the COVID-19 vaccines are temperature sensitive, a substantial portion of them lose their efficacy before administration, primarily due to inadequate quality control in the supply chain and logistics management systems. This challenge is particularly pronounced in a country like India, with its widely dispersed population.

[1] Sharda, Shailvee. 2023. “Now, ANMs to carry vaccines in battery-powered cooling box.” The Times of India, August 3, 2023.

[2] Dey, Sushmi, and Times Of India. 2016. 25% of vaccines go waste due to lack of cold chain.” The Times of India, July 1, 2016.

[3] Admin. 2022. “Strengthening sustainable Cold-Chains in Rural India – alliance for an energy Efficient economy.” Alliance for an Energy Efficient Economy. July 1, 2022.

Blackfrog Technologies, an ISO 13485 & ISO 9001-certified medical device manufacturer, has developed Emvólio, a portable medical-grade active cooling device. The device is designed to maintain a stable 2-8°C temperature for 12+ hours, ensuring last-mile transport of vaccines under controlled temperatures. Each Emvólio device can accommodate 30-50 vials of vaccines, enabling the administration of 300 – 500 doses of life-saving vaccinations. This 5.5-kg device can be used for 12-15 hours after a 3.5-hour charge in remote geographies. Emvólio is solar compatible and provides real-time alerts and tracking of assets via the cloud, enhancing accountability. SAMRIDH’s backing has enabled Blackfrog to strengthen India’s COVID-19 vaccination campaign by improving vaccine accessibility in remote areas with inadequate cold chain facilities and unreliable power supplies.