Driven by a passion to empower African businesses, he returned to his native Benin after his agro-economics and veterinary studies in China. He has since launched an e-commerce platform that connects African businesses to global markets.
Yarou Bao Sero Razack (photo) is a veterinary surgeon and agro-economist hailing from Benin. He is also the co-founder and CEO of Ahiyoyo, a startup dedicated to streamlining the procurement, distribution, and payment processes for companies, resulting in significant time and cost savings.
Ahiyoyo was born in 2019 to connect businesses with international suppliers and local consumers. Its primary aim is to assist enterprises in reducing procurement costs, expanding their operations across diverse African countries, and facilitating seamless transactions with global suppliers, ultimately enhancing overall profitability.
In a recent interview with We Are Tech Africa, Yarou Bao Sero Razack outlined Ahiyoyo's ambitious plans for the future. The company has extended its presence beyond Benin, deploying team members to Côte d'Ivoire, Senegal, and Burkina Faso. Ahiyoyo's future roadmap includes geographical expansion through the establishment of warehouses and agencies, diversification of services, forging strategic partnerships, and a commitment to continuous innovation. The CEO explains that the startup eyes 25,000 transitions by December 2025 as well as $3 million in turnover and 1,000 registered businesses by that timeline.
Recently in Togo, the entrepreneur took part in Ocean's News' L'Afrik De Demain (ADD) program and was awarded the prize for second best African entrepreneur. Expressing his satisfaction with the recognition, he told We Are Tech Africa: “The award I received during Ocean's News' L'Afrik De Demain program represents a significant recognition of my efforts as an African entrepreneur. Being ranked second-best African entrepreneur at this annual conference is a source of immense pride and a validation of the work accomplished with Ahiyoyo.”
On the educational front, Yarou Bao Sero Razack holds a veterinary medicine degree from Hunan Agricultural University (2018) and a master's degree in agricultural economics from Southwest University (2021).
A board member of edtech Yasiri and a business mentor at VC4A (Venture Capital for Africa), he worked in China at HIMANX, a Chinese tobacco company, where he was a brand development specialist from 2019 to 2020.
In addition to the ADD award, the entrepreneur received several other distinctions in 2023. A member of the ForbesBLK community, he was one of the top 25 founders selected for the Westerwelle Foundation's Young Founders Programme. He is also a FAST Accelerator Fellow.
Melchior Koba
