Six years ago, he decided to put his IT skills and international professional experience at the service of African countries. Today, he has several clients and awards thanks to the solutions he developed to help combat environmental crimes.

Badr Idrissi (photo) is a Moroccan entrepreneur and co-founder of tech startup Atlan Space. The startup, launched in 2016, builds artificial intelligence solutions to pilot fixed-wing drones. It aims to help African countries have affordable surveillance equipment to combat environmental crimes, illegal fishing notably.  

In an interview with Médias24, Idrissi explained that some countries, African notably, did not have tech solutions to effectively monitor and protect their oceans and fishery resources while "developed countries use several powerful tools, including light aircraft, satellite surveillance and other tech tools that cost millions, even tens of millions of dollars,” for the same purpose. His aim through Atlan Space is therefore to help monitor large geographical areas for the identification of anomalies or environmental threats to human health. 

In 2021, Badr Idrissi successfully raised 10 million dirhams (US$1 million) to expand his startup’s intervention sector to include deforestation, desertification, and illegal mining. Last February, the startup also launched a new product. 

For Atlan Space's contribution to the environment, Badr Idrissi has received several awards, including the Marine Protection Prize from the National Geographic Society and the African Entrepreneurship Award. This year, Atlan Space was one of 45 start-ups competing for the AfricaTech Awards organized during the 2022 edition of Viva Technology from June 15 to 18. 

Melchior Koba