Brother Industries, Ltd. has announced a capital and business alliance with Japan-based startup Dots for Inc. to accelerate its entry into the African market and address digitalization challenges in rural areas. The collaboration builds on earlier test marketing efforts that introduced Brother’s inkjet multi-function printers into Dots for’s village digital platform, d.CONNECT. This initiative provides a “Village Printing Service” accessible via smartphones, offering residents convenient printing and copying without the need to travel long distances to urban centers.

Through this partnership, Brother aims to create new business opportunities in Africa while contributing to community development. The new alliance will be highlighted at the TICAD Business Expo and Conference in Yokohama on August 20, 2025, where Brother and Dots for will showcase the d.CONNECT model and display printers already installed in Benin. The exhibition will demonstrate how the service is enabling digital access and improving efficiency in villages previously left behind in the digital transformation.

Brother executives emphasized that Africa, while a challenging market, presents enormous potential for sustainable growth. By enabling essential printing and copying services, the initiative opens new opportunities for Brother’s printer technology while addressing a longstanding but overlooked burden in rural Africa. Dots for CEO Carlos Oba highlighted the significance of solving this daily challenge for residents, calling the alliance a critical first step in “unleashing the constraints of rural Africa.”