Fairphone rejuvenates its market profile
Fairphone, a Dutch company known for its sustainable smartphones, announced its rebranding at the start of 2025. In so doing, Fairphone has shown that it’s ready for further growth. Putting people and the planet first, Fairphone has for many years focused on creating a fairer, more sustainable electronics industry. This new step serves to highlight sustainability as well as other aspects including product quality, user experience and design. DOEN Ventures will continue to support Fairphone during this next phase.
A new style based on a clear concept
Fairphone’s new brand identity illustrates that the company leads by example in the electronics industry. Its new style is both refreshing and simple, boasting new colours, a new logo, an updated website and a new suite of creative assets. The clearly defined, functional design carries the concept, without the need for gimmicks. In recent years, the marketing drive focused largely on environmental gains and sustainability. Fairphone now doubles down on their design ambitions, product quality, durability and accessibility, thus appealing to a broader target group. In unison with the brand identity, the product itself has been elevated. Fairphone devices are modular, featuring easily replaceable parts and extended software support. This means the phones will last longer without diminished quality or performance. Fairphone continues to focus on new ideas, sustainability and fair business practices.
From awareness to formation
Fairphone began in 2010 as an initiative of the Amsterdam-based Waag Futurelab. Initially, they aimed to answer the question of what smartphones are made of? Because major electronics brands didn’t put forward a clear answer, Fairphone decided to tackle the matter itself. What started as an awareness-raising campaign quickly led to the foundation of a company dedicated to changing how things are done in the electronics market.
Investing in growth
The DOEN Foundation played an important role in Fairphone’s growth from its inception. Initially, DOEN’s creative programme provided support to bring the concept of “fair electronics” to life. In 2013, DOEN Ventures stepped in as a shareholder. This provided Fairphone sufficient financial leeway to produce and sell the first fair smartphones. In the years that followed, DOEN Ventures continued to invest in Fairphone’s growth and still holds a minority shareholding today.
Merijn ten Thije, Impact Investment Principal DOEN Ventures: “Fairphone exemplifies how entrepreneurship can contribute to a fairer, more sustainable world. Our early involvement and continued investment in Fairphone’s growth, show how creative ideas can grow into impactful businesses when given the right support. Fairphone’s repositioning proves that the company is now ready to expand its sustainable mission and make an impact globally.”
DOEN Ventures is able to invest in Fairphone thanks to the players of the Postcode Loterij.