How Bright Simons is combating Product Counterfeiting through cutting-edge technology

Bright Simons is curbing product diversion and counterfeiting in Africa by utilizing an effective and innovative tech platform he developed through his startup, mPedigree.

Simons founded the company in 2017 to develop a leading technology to solve global supply chain challenges and protect essential product categories, including medicines, agro-inputs, and medical devices, from counterfeiting.

According to the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AASCB), “the concept quickly caught on in neighboring Nigeria and other countries, attracting global giants like HP and Xerox. It quickly grew into a social enterprise that spans three continents, with partners including more than three dozen telecom operators; building broad capabilities from sensors to software in health and food security, transparency, and governance.”

Since its inception in 2017, mPedigree has established technology and partnership models that create a new framework for supply chains that carry consumer products in emerging markets.

“In our view, the 20th Century supply chain, in which consumers were passive recipients of goods, and at the mercy of middle-men, and brand owners struggled to get their message across, no longer has a place in the current century,” Simons said.

“We see a near future in which consumers can assert their choices in the marketplace with freely accessible technologies, communicating directly with brand owners, to confirm to their satisfaction the quality of their purchases”.

Partnering with over two-dozen telecom operators, Fortune 500 technology companies, and regulatory agencies in several countries, Bright Simons has successfully created a technology platform and launched a movement, thus globally leading the use of mobile and web technologies in securing products against faking, counterfeiting, and diversion.

Through partnerships and fostering cutting-edge supply chain transformation technologies, mPedigree renders service to the world’s leading pharmaceutical, agro-input manufacturing, automotive, and many other industries, and share the goal of protecting consumers, enriching lives, and transforming communities through a cleaner, better, supply chain.

“Our social change focus shows in the kind of consumer products we provide systems to protect: medicines, agrochemicals, cosmetics, medical devices, electricals, and similar consumables, which are critical to the health and well-being of people everywhere.”

Through mPedigree, Bright Simons delivers life-saving and transformative value to leading brands and companies globally, including AstraZeneca and Sanofi, helping regulatory bodies in several countries to effect and improve their mandate of securing markets.

Since 2017, Simons has been gradually achieving his dream, with mPedigree fully present in more than 12 countries on three continents and impacting the lives of over 100 million people globally.

“With our extensive suite of technologies, we can protect any supply chain from counterfeiting and diversion right from the factory floor till products get into the hands of the end-user. We can deploy tools for digital marketing, customer loyalty, brand protection, and brand consolidation programs, no matter how complex. We are most capable, however, operating at the intersection of these different domains to develop elegant amalgams that drive value for your business,” Simons explained.

“Our products deliver web and mobile experiences tailored to your (consumers’) shopping convenience and security. We bridge you smoothly and quickly to the value in the brands you love, whilst shielding you and your family and friends from all the nasty stuff in the market.”

The Ghanaian entrepreneur and global leader is also a leading member and researcher at IMANI Centre for Policy and Education.