Photos: Let there be light off the grid

Cosmos Ignite Innovations, founded in 2004, received early backing from veteran venture capitalist Vinod Khosla. The New Delhi company's signature product is the LED MightyLight, which also could charge mobile phones. The $45 water- and shock-resistant light can be hung from a hook as a light fixture or carried by a handle.

The company is moving its focus from lighting to other micro-energy applications, whose market could be 10 times larger, said co-founder and CEO Matt Scott. While a business student at Stanford, he was inspired by the Light Up the World Foundation, which has provided renewable energy to 14,000 homes in 42 countries.