TECH STARS (1004)
A civil engineering graduate, he chose to make sustainable transport more accessible in Africa. To achieve this, he relies on technology and promotes the adoption of electric vehicles across the continent.
Felix Rubanda (photo) is a Rwandan tech entrepreneur and the founder and CEO of Feru Energy, a startup specializing in e-mobility infrastructure across Africa.
Founded in 2022, Feru Energy aims to develop and deploy affordable and reliable e-mobility solutions for businesses and electric vehicle (EV) drivers on the continent. One of its key innovations is SafariCharger, a comprehensive charging optimization solution for electric vehicles.
SafariCharger includes a Charging Station Management System (CSMS) designed for infrastructure operators, as well as a mobile app. The CSMS provides real-time monitoring and analysis, offering detailed insights on charger usage to help operators optimize their charging networks.
The mobile app informs users about charging station availability, pricing, and locations. It also allows booking time slots and making payments via mobile money, a widely used payment method in Africa.
Rubanda is also the head of charging stations at Kabisa Electric, a Rwandan company specializing in electric mobility. In 2021, he co-founded Punda Group, a company leveraging technology to transform Africa’s construction sector. He holds a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering technologies from the University of Rwanda. Before venturing into entrepreneurship, he led Five Worlds, a Rwandan travel and tourism agency, from 2014 to 2017.
By Melchior Koba,
Editing by Sèna D. B. de Sodji
He is an entrepreneur passionate about digital innovation, especially in e-commerce, financial inclusion, and USSD technology. His work focuses on streamlining commercial transactions between merchants, suppliers, manufacturers, and retailers, making business interactions more efficient and accessible.
Amein Eskinder (photo) is an Ethiopian computer scientist and tech entrepreneur, best known as the founder and CEO of Taywan, a B2B e-commerce and financing platform.
Founded in 2020, Taywan is a digital solution designed to streamline informal trade and supply chains for merchants, retailers, and kiosks. The platform offers a comprehensive distribution network, connecting manufacturers, wholesalers, suppliers, and retailers—while also providing financing solutions for micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs).
“We are not only empowering MSMEs; instead, we are aiming to create an enabling ecosystem for manufacturers, wholesalers, suppliers, and retailers so that each one of the stakeholders participates in achieving an inclusive and prosperous Ethiopia,” says Eskinder.
Today, Taywan serves 2,500 merchants, 25 agents, 25 importers, and 15 suppliers.
In addition to Taywan, Eskinder is the CEO of Cico, a startup specializing in unified Cash In, Cash Out point-of-sale solutions. Before launching Taywan, he founded HYTHEM Labs in 2017, a software research and development institute, which he led until 2022.
Eskinder holds a computer technician diploma from The Spark Academy in Ethiopia. Between 2021 and 2023, he also worked as a consultant for Hover Developer Services, a tech startup that helps Android developers integrate USSD actions from any mobile operator into their apps.
By Melchior Koba,
Editing by Sèna D. B. de Sodji
He began his entrepreneurial journey in 2019 while still a student, developing technological solutions to accelerate digital transformation in Africa.
Cirus Sumika, a Ugandan tech entrepreneur, is the founder and CEO of Sumic IT Solutions, a startup dedicated to narrowing Africa’s digital divide by providing sustainable technology solutions.
Founded in 2019, Sumic IT Solutions specializes in building professional websites for businesses, NGOs, hotels, and educational institutions, among others. The company also develops mobile applications, handling the entire process from ideation to delivery while offering ongoing support. Additionally, it provides digital marketing services, IT consulting, and training in new technologies.
"Our core mission is to facilitate the growth and self-sufficiency of businesses by providing them with affordable, standard, and sustainable technologies. We achieve this through a range of services including Website Design & Development, Domain Name Registration & Hosting, Mobile Application Development, Digital Marketing, IT Trainings, and IT Consulting," the startup states.
Sumic IT Solutions operates under Sumic Group, founded by Sumika, which also launched Sumic Online, a platform that facilitates buying and selling various products and services.
Sumika holds a bachelor’s degree in computer science from Makerere University, Uganda, which he earned in 2021. In 2020, he interned as an accountant at KPMG East Africa. Between 2023 and 2024, he was a partner at Black Leaders Worldwide, a business network for Black professionals in the U.S. and the U.K.
His achievements include winning the Startup of the Year in Technology award at the 2022 Startup Uganda Awards. In 2023, Sumic IT Solutions received the Global Recognition Award. Most recently, in 2024, Sumika was named Young Entrepreneur of the Year by the Private Sector Foundation Uganda, the country’s top private sector body.
By Melchior Koba,
Editing by Sèna D. B. de Sodji
A fintech expert with extensive experience in sub-Saharan Africa, he has played a key role in the development of Onafriq (formerly MFS Africa) across the continent. He designs innovative financial solutions tailored to the needs of the African market.
Yogo Dubois (photo) is a Congolese entrepreneur specializing in financial technology. He is the founder and CEO of Rego, a fintech startup that is revolutionizing access to financial services in sub-Saharan Africa.
Founded in 2024, Rego is a pioneering company that facilitates digital identification and credit assessment. Its platform offers secure, scalable, and inclusive solutions, enabling businesses and individuals to access financial services more easily.
By integrating advanced technologies such as encryption, biometric authentication, and alternative data analysis, Rego ensures optimal security and promotes financial autonomy. From identity verification to credit profiling, it bridges the gap between innovation and financial inclusion.
Yogo Dubois is the president of the DRC Fintech Association, an organization dedicated to the development of the financial technology sector in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). He sits on the board of Africa Fintech Network, a platform bringing together fintech leaders across Africa, as well as on the board of Onafriq in the DRC, a pan-African fintech, where he is also a shareholder.
A graduate of the Frankfurt School of Finance & Management in Germany, he earned a master’s degree in marketing in 2017, followed by a master’s in business management and administration in 2019. In 2024, he obtained a certification as a commercial banking and credit analyst from the Corporate Finance Institute.
His career began in 2002 at Airtel DRC, where he successively held positions as customer service representative and product manager. In 2008, he became regional head of business development at InTarget Mobile Advertising, a company specializing in advertising and mobile marketing in Africa. In 2016, he joined Onafriq as commercial director for Southern and East Africa.
In 2017, Yogo Dubois joined the South African company Siyavula Education, specializing in educational technology. In 2020, he became regional director of business development for sub-Saharan Africa at Mondia Group, a mobile commerce company.
By Melchior Koba,
Editing by Sèna D. B. de Sodji
As a computer scientist and entrepreneur, Ousseynou Diop leverages innovation to advance education and entrepreneurship, driving Africa into the global digital economy.
Ousseynou Diop (photo) is a Senegalese software developer and tech entrepreneur. He is the founder and CEO of Xarala, a startup specializing in technology education.
The name Xarala, which means “technology” in Wolof, reflects the platform’s mission: to provide Africans with access to quality education to help them unlock their full potential. Founded in 2018, Xarala offers hands-on and accessible training in key digital fields, including software development, digital marketing, design, and data analysis.
The startup provides a mobile app for self-paced learning, along with personalized mentorship and certifications upon course completion. Xarala allows learners to study in their preferred language, making education more inclusive and accessible.
Alongside his work at Xarala, Ousseynou Diop serves as Software Technical Lead at ORYA TECHNOLOGIES, a financial services provider in Senegal. His tech journey began in 2016 as a freelance web developer. From 2017 to 2022, he was Vice President of the Programming Commission at Daara-IT, a Senegalese community of young tech enthusiasts.
Diop later joined OuiCarry, a logistics company, as a full-stack developer, before moving to Digital.in in 2020, where he worked on AI-driven recruitment solutions. From 2022 to 2023, he was a full-stack developer at Gemography, a platform connecting software engineers and data specialists with global tech companies.
By Melchior Koba,
Editing by Sèna D. B. de Sodji
He helps businesses develop innovative products by building a community of information and communication technology (ICT) experts.
Thierry Kientega (photo) is a telecommunications engineer and tech entrepreneur from Burkina Faso. He is the founder and CEO of OUIcoding, a consulting firm specializing in information technology.
Founded in 2018, OUIcoding specializes in digital transformation, offering custom development solutions, NoCode services, and data and artificial intelligence-based tools. The company focuses on process automation and rapid application development. It also identifies, vets, and connects coders, designers, and engineers from Africa and emerging markets with businesses across the continent.
The startup has built a community of talents, where members can train, learn, share knowledge, and innovate. Its ambition is to create an ecosystem conducive to innovation and collaboration. Today, this community includes over 360 experts and has supported more than 158 projects, involving 46 companies.
Thierry Kientega holds a telecommunications engineering degree obtained in 2008 from the École Supérieure d’Ingénieurs de Rennes in France. He also earned a PhD in telecommunications in 2011 from the École Nationale des Ponts et Chaussées in France.
His career began in 2007 at France Télécom (which became Orange in 2013) as a telecommunications engineer. In 2011, he joined the international consulting firm Leyton as a senior consultant, helping companies identify financial levers to accelerate growth and drive sustainable progress. In 2014, he became director of the commerce division at CFAO France, a company specializing in international trade.
By Melchior Koba,
Editing by Sèna D. B. de Sodji
After studying in Europe, he returned to Algeria determined to use his skills to benefit his country. As an entrepreneur, he's leveraging technology to make healthcare more accessible.
Amine Babou (photo), an Algerian tech entrepreneur and business school graduate, is the co-founder and CEO of Beesiha, a digital health company.
Founded in 2019, Beesiha is an online medical appointment platform designed to improve healthcare access and simplify the patient experience in Tunisia. The service, available for free via a mobile app and website, helps patients find doctors and schedule consultations seamlessly. For physicians, Beesiha offers a synchronized online agenda, streamlining appointment management and reducing wait times.
"Beesiha addresses a challenge we all face—finding a doctor, locating their office, traveling for an appointment, returning for the consultation, and sometimes waiting for hours. These constraints can be solved through better organization. Our app is designed to simplify healthcare access," explained Hambli Charef, the startup’s public relations officer from 2020 to 2021.
Beyond healthcare, Babou expanded into sports marketing by co-founding DKS in 2022, an agency specializing in branding and communication for elite athletes.
A graduate of ESSEC Business School in France, where he studied entrepreneurship, finance, and economics, Babou began his career in 2014 as an analyst and surveyor at Junior ESSEC Conseil, a European junior enterprise. In 2015, he worked as a sales associate at Mercer Maurice Energy Solutions Limited in the UK. Between 2017 and 2019, he was a project management consultant at Atos Consulting, specializing in digital transformation.
Melchior Koba
Edité par Sèna D. B. de Sodji
Concerned about the challenges facing Tunisian artisans and provides them with digital solutions to showcase their work on international markets.
Moncef Ben Rajeb (photo) is a Tunisian computer scientist and tech entrepreneur. He is the co-founder and CEO of Qartaj, a company specializing in e-commerce.
Founded in 2015, Qartaj operates as a business-to-business (B2B) platform with the mission of showcasing Tunisian craftsmanship to a global audience. The company provides an online marketplace that enables local producers and artisans to market their products internationally.
"We enhance the sales potential of local businesses by promoting their products online and helping them overcome their biggest challenges: acquiring customers and managing sales. This allows local producers and brands to focus on creating high-quality products," Moncef Ben Rajeb wrote on LinkedIn.
Beyond Qartaj, Moncef Ben Rajeb co-founded Five Story in 2017, a retail brand specializing in Tunisian ceramics. In 2021, he launched Safa Tableware, a company dedicated to supporting Tunisian artisans.
He holds a master’s degree in web intelligence from Jean Monnet University in Saint-Étienne, earned in 2014, and a master’s in culture and design management from the Institut d’Administration des Entreprises de Saint-Étienne (IAE) in 2015.
Since 2020, Ben Rajeb has been a member of the Emerging Young Entrepreneurs Society (EYES), a global network of leaders committed to entrepreneurial excellence and authentic business relationships. From 2019 to 2020, he served as project director for Traveltodo Artisanat, a private sales platform dedicated to 100% Tunisian-made products.
By Melchior Koba,
Editing by Sèna D. B. de Sodji
He is a tech entrepreneur specializing in finance in South Africa. His mission is to make freelancing sustainable across Africa.
Thulani Masebenza (photo) is a South African entrepreneur. He is the co-founder and CEO of Bloo Money, a fintech startup simplifying payments between businesses and freelancers.
Founded in 2021 as Moya Money by Thulani Masebenza and Sabica Pardesi, Bloo Money offers a web-based application that streamlines invoice and payment management for freelancers. The platform enables them to request instant payments and get paid faster, helping them track their income more effectively and make more informed financial decisions.
For businesses, Bloo Money simplifies the administrative burden of managing freelancers, each with their own invoicing processes. The platform also facilitates the onboarding of suppliers and subcontractors while collecting valuable business data. By doing so, it aims to reduce paperwork and improve operational efficiency.
Thulani Masebenza holds a Bachelor's degree in Political Science and International Relations from the University of the Witwatersrand, earned in 2017. He also completed a postgraduate diploma in Management, Business Administration, and Management at Wits Business School that same year. In 2019, he completed Udacity's Nanodegree program in programming for data science with Python.
Before venturing into entrepreneurship, he worked in 2018 as an associate consultant at Ernst & Young, specializing in audit, advisory, tax, and legal services. From 2019 to 2023, he served as director at Young Aspiring Thinkers, a nonprofit organization that helps South African high school students develop essential career skills and tackles youth unemployment.
By Melchior Koba,
Editing by Sèna D. B. de Sodji
An engineer by training and passionate about problem-solving, he leverages his technological expertise to deliver high-impact digital solutions for businesses and individuals.
Thomas Brennan (photo) is a South African software engineer and tech entrepreneur. He is the co-founder and CEO of Franc, a startup specializing in investment and financial technology.
Founded in 2018 by Brennan and Sebastian Patel, Franc aims to simplify investing and saving for South Africans. The platform offers a robo-advisor that helps users develop personalized investment strategies based on their financial goals. It provides access to a cash fund (money market) with higher interest rates than traditional savings accounts, and an equity fund tracking stock market performance. Franc is fully digital and requires no minimum investment or administrative paperwork.
Thomas Brennan graduated from the University of Cape Town in 2003 with a Bachelor's degree in Electrical and Computer Engineering. He then pursued further studies at the University of Oxford, earning a PhD in Engineering Science in 2008. His professional career began that same year at AHL, a British investment management firm, where he worked as a quantitative analyst. That same year, he also became an associate product manager at Google.
In 2009, he joined GeoMed, a South African IT company, as a research consultant. The following year, he became a research assistant at the University of Oxford. In 2012, he moved to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) as a research engineer. From 2015 to 2018, he served as head of research and development at Discovery Ltd, a South African insurance company.
By Melchior Koba,
Editing by Sèna D. B. de Sodji
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She promotes financial inclusion in Africa, leveraging technology to offer digital solutions to businesses and individuals in Nigeria.
Adaeze Onwumere (photo) is a Nigerian tech entrepreneur and the co-founder and CEO of Aku, a fintech company dedicated to accelerating financial inclusion and economic development across Africa.
Founded in 2019, Aku provides digital payment and banking solutions. Its platform enables users to send and receive money and pay bills via USSD, a mobile app, and other channels. By democratizing access to banking and digital payments, the company aims to foster greater financial inclusion.
Beyond payments, Aku also allows customers and merchants to save and access credit. Its accounts come with no annual or monthly maintenance fees, and all banking transactions are completely free. The Aku app has already been downloaded over 10,000 times on Google Play.
Adaeze Onwumere holds a bachelor’s degree in political science and African studies from Yale University (2012) and earned an MBA from Harvard Business School in 2021.
She began her professional career in 2012 with Econet Global, a pan-African technology company, initially as an intern before spending five years in various roles. She later became head of commercial and operations at Cassava Fintech, a subsidiary of the group. Between 2018 and 2019, she served as chief operating officer at EcoCash Holdings, a company specializing in digital financial solutions.
By Melchior Koba,
Editing by Sèna D. B. de Sodji
He is an experienced entrepreneur, an expert in strategic planning and sales management. He is actively involved in promoting entrepreneurship in Africa.
Jean-Patrick Ketcha (photo) is a Cameroonian entrepreneur and the founder and executive director of Le Boukarou, an organization dedicated to supporting businesses and innovators.
Founded in 2016, Le Boukarou assists young entrepreneurs and women in sub-Saharan Africa by providing modern co-working spaces, mentorship and training programs, as well as funding solutions to help them turn their projects into reality. The organization guides them through every stage, from structuring their ideas to launching their businesses. With the backing of 13 partners, Le Boukarou claims to have reached more than 42,000 people and supported over 40 startups. Among the entrepreneurs it has assisted is Arthur Zang, the inventor of the CardioPad, a connected electrocardiogram device.
Committed to fostering entrepreneurship in Africa, Jean-Patrick Ketcha serves on the strategic advisory board of the Centre d’Employabilité Francophone of the Agence Universitaire de la Francophonie and is a board member of Afric'innov, an association providing support organizations with tools and resources to better assist entrepreneurs across the continent.
Before launching Le Boukarou, he co-founded Spread Ideas Kamer, a non-political association promoting idea-sharing, skill exchange, and the recognition of individual expertise.
Jean-Patrick Ketcha holds a master's degree in law from Paris Nanterre University (2006) and a master's in international business and trade from OMNES Education in France.
He began his professional career in 2010 as a sales manager at Société de Bétons Industriels du Cameroun, where he was promoted to operations director in 2014. In 2016, he joined real estate firm Millenium Immobilier as head of internal control.
By Melchior Koba,
Editing by Sèna D. B. de Sodji
He is an experienced creative director with strong expertise in visual communication and marketing. As an entrepreneur, he has specialized in finance and e-commerce.
Mohammed Awami (photo) is a Tanzanian tech entrepreneur and the founder of Elevt Financial Technologies, a company specializing in fintech solutions.
Founded in 2024, Elevt Financial Technologies provides integrated working capital solutions aimed at fostering the growth of small businesses and their customers. The company offers low-interest loans, enabling businesses to expand and improve their operations.
Elevt's platform features an innovative payment solution called Tap to Pay, which transforms smartphones into payment terminals. This functionality supports several contactless payment methods, including credit and debit cards, Apple Pay, Google Pay, and mobile money services. The platform also offers users detailed sales reports, giving them a clear view of their business performance.
Before founding Elevt Financial Technologies, Mohammed Awami launched Settlo in 2021, an omnichannel commerce platform based in East Africa. Settlo transforms business management for merchants, covering in-store sales, e-commerce, payments, and business performance analytics.
Awami holds a diploma in computer-aided publishing and digital image design, earned in 2009 from the AAA School of Advertising in South Africa. He began his career in 2005 as a graphic designer at Livewire Studios, a production and audio engineering studio. He subsequently worked as a graphic designer at Aggrey & Clifford, an advertising agency, in 2008. Awami later served as an art director at Lowe Scanad Tanzania, a communications agency, from 2011 to 2014, and at AIM Group, a Tanzanian digital media agency, from 2018 to 2021.
By Melchior Koba,
Editing by Sèna D. B. de Sodji
Her goal is to empower businesses to succeed. She provides expert guidance in finance, marketing, and technology.
Ebby Gatamu (photo) is a Kenyan marketing expert and entrepreneur. She is the co-founder and CEO of Cladfy Financial Services.
Founded in 2022, Cladfy provides microfinance lenders with modern solutions for loan management, credit assessment, and access to competitive financing. The company helps lenders confidently issue loans, streamline internal processes, and grow profitably.
The Cladfy platform integrates credit assessment models and features a dashboard enabling staff to visualize loans, deposits, expenses, and other reports. It also facilitates communication between lenders and their clients through automated web notifications, two-way SMS, and emails.
In addition to her role at Cladfy, Ebby Gatamu is the co-founder of Adshop Online, a digital marketing agency established in 2017. As a preferred rate service provider (PRSP), the agency offers digital marketing solutions. She also mentors startups at Wentors, an organization supporting women in technology.
Gatamu holds a bachelor’s degree in marketing from the University of Nairobi. Her professional journey began in 2011 at KPMG East Africa, where she worked as an audit advisor. Two years later, she became a project manager at Kenya Airways. In 2018, she took on the role of head of marketing and e-commerce at Vivo Activewear, a fashion company.
In 2019, Gatamu joined Digiduka, a digital payments provider, as marketing director. From 2020 to 2022, she served as director of customer experience at Alfluence, an AI-powered influencer marketing platform in Africa.
By Melchior Koba,
Editing by Sèna D. B. de Sodji