TECH STARS (960)
A lawyer turned entrepreneur, she leverages technology to pioneer social and educational programs in Tanzania's education sector.
Tanzanian social entrepreneur and lawyer Faraja Kotta (photo), a University of Dar es Salaam graduate, is the founder and executive director of Shule Direct. This non-governmental organization, established in 2013, provides innovative educational solutions and resources.
Shule Direct leverages technology to offer digital educational resources to Tanzanian learners. Collaborating with local teachers, the organization creates a wide array of digital content, including lecture notes, interactive tutorials, quizzes, and multimedia, spanning 13 subjects in the national secondary school curriculum.
The NGO also develops educational mobile games to enhance primary school students’ reading, writing, and math skills. With a growing suite of products, including the Shule Direct mobile app, the Elimika learning management system, and the Makini SMS platform, Shule Direct has become a significant force in Tanzania’s digital education sector.
Over 4.2 million users have accessed the high-quality learning resources on the organization’s digital platforms to date. Shule Direct has more than 59,000 registered teachers and over 276,000 mobile downloads.
Named the World Economic Forum’s Young Global Leader 2020, Kotta has served as the Chairwoman of the Board of Directors of the Tanzanian Education Network since 2022. She is also a board member of the Global Campaign for Education.
Kotta’s work with Shule Direct has earned her several accolades, including the Woman in Technology Africa award in 2016 and the Hall of Fame Website of the Year award from the Tanzania Leadership Awards. In 2017, she received the System Innovator award from the Segal Family Foundation for transforming digital learning in secondary education in Tanzania. In 2019, her startup was recognized as the Best Educational Platform of the Year at the Tanzania Elimu Awards.
Melchior Koba
Through its programs and resources, hapaSpace supports young people at every stage of their entrepreneurial journey, from developing STEM skills to accessing finance, and from incubating to accelerating innovative ideas.
HapaSpace, a technology and collaborative innovation center located in Kumasi, Ghana, was established in 2016 by CEO Gideon Brefo and CFO Albert Yaw Opoku. The hub helps young people create start-ups and develop skills in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) through workshops, specialized training, meetings, mentoring, and incubation and acceleration programs. It supports the entire business journey, from idea generation to pre-seed financing.
It also offers coworking spaces and fully-equipped offices with reliable Internet connectivity. In addition to physical infrastructure, hapaSpace facilitates access to volunteers, organizes events, and fosters networking opportunities for budding entrepreneurs. Moreover, the center collaborates with venture capital firms, angel investors, and sponsors competitions to provide funding avenues for startups.
Among the programs launched by hapaSpace, SmartWoman aims to equip 150 women with basic digital skills in Adjamesu, in the Ashanti region of Ghana. The program is part of the DigiWorks project sponsored by the Digital Transformation Center of the German Agency for International Development Cooperation (GIZ) and eSkills for Girls.
The center provides technical assistance to companies and individuals. It carries out market research for individual start-ups, companies, and development partners. It has created four active communities to help entrepreneurs build resilient businesses.
The hapaSpace technology community totals over 500 people who support one another. It also has an entrepreneurs' community, an artists' community, and a readers' club. The first counts over 1,000 innovative people, while the second totals around 158 creative artists. In the readers' club, a book is read each month and discussed.
Melchior Koba
In Tunisia, Connect'Innov supports companies by promoting entrepreneurship and technological innovation in the healthcare field. It offers a range of services, from pre-incubation to business acceleration.
Connect'Innov is a Tunisian support institution dedicated to identifying, supporting, and promoting innovation in the healthtech field, particularly e-health, medtech, and biotechnology. It was founded in 2020 by biochemist Wafa Bchir and accountant Hichem Radoine.
It offers pre-incubation and awareness-raising services with ongoing training for entrepreneurs and researchers. It also creates startups and supports innovative projects, providing incubation and acceleration programs and organizing events and meeting sessions to create more partnership opportunities.
Currently, Connect'Innov hosts a range of impactful programs. Among these initiatives is Connect'Innov Prep, a foundational program that introduces participants to entrepreneurship and innovation while providing pre-incubation support. Additionally, Connect'Innov Camp offers a series of concise yet comprehensive training modules focused on fostering entrepreneurial skills and innovative thinking.
Its startup creation initiative, Connect'Innov Studio, cultivates in-house ideas spearheaded by its dedicated team. Furthermore, with its incubation arm, Connect'Innov Lab, Connect’Innov supports startups in the innovation phase. The primary goal of this program is to assist young entrepreneurs in refining their concepts, and comprehensively preparing them for subsequent phases of development.
For startups that have progressed beyond the ideation phase and validated their prototypes, Connect'Innov offers the acceleration program known as Connect'Innov Fab. This initiative helps healthtech companies secure funding and expand their market presence both nationally and internationally.
To date, Connect'Innov has run over 30 programs and events and has logged over 550 hours of support. More than 55 startups have been or are currently being supported, and more than 25 have been accredited. The institution is supported by entities such as the World Bank, Start-up Tunisia, Institut français, Deloitte, and Eurobiomed.
Melchior Koba
Through KudiGo, a technology platform, the entrepreneur aims to redefine micro and small business operations in Africa. He seeks to transform the continent's retail landscape.
Kingsley Abrokwah (photo) is a young Ghanaian entrepreneur and computer scientist. He is the founder and lead facilitator of KudiGo, a startup that aims to strengthen African retail through local technology solutions.
Founded in 2017, KudiGo offers omnichannel digital commerce infrastructure for micro and small business retailers in Africa. Its solutions include an in-store storefront, a code-free online store, a WhatsApp bot, and enterprise data solutions. The startup also offers white-label infrastructure for FMCGs, banks, fintechs, and other stakeholders.
The Ghanaian holds a higher professional diploma in network engineering obtained in 2010 from the National Institute of Information Technology (NIIT) Ghana Ring Road Centre. Since October 2017, he has been a consultant with Topia Technology Consult, a company specializing in cloud infrastructure, cloud security, and digital strategy. Since February 2024, he has also been a business mentor with Ashesi Venture Incubator, which trains emerging entrepreneurs to integrate outcomes focused on the SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals) into their business models.
Before KudiGo, Kingsley Abrokwah served as the co-founder of Chillax in 2013. Chillax is a mobile application offering personalized going-out suggestions, and Abrokwah led the team until 2015. He has also worked for several companies.
Between 2010 and 2022, he led PentiumTech successively as managing partner and CEO. At the same time, between 2014 and 2015, the entrepreneur worked for Apurimac Media, a digital media and marketing agency based in South Africa, as head of business development. In 2023, he took up the position of interim executive consultant at iJANU, an e-mobility technology company focusing on ecological and equitable mobility in African markets.
Kingsley Abrokwah was a student at the Meltwater Entrepreneurial School of Technology (MEST) between 2013 and 2014. In 2013, he won Startup Weekend Accra with his Chillax solution. He was also a finalist at DemoAfrica in 2017.
Melchior Koba
Known for his innovations, the Tunisian video game entrepreneur invests in digital entrepreneurship. He also holds board positions in multiple organizations.
Walid Sultan Midani, a Tunisian entrepreneur and video game enthusiast, founded YouRun, an independent video game development studio based in Malta, Europe, in 2018. The studio, which publishes the 2D arena shooter Warshmallows, aims to combine elements of casual games, e-sports, and animated series to provide a unique gaming experience.
Midani is also a stakeholder in Bravvo, an AI-powered cloud platform designed to enhance employee engagement. The platform assists African companies in implementing top-tier employee engagement programs, allowing employees to acknowledge and reward each other’s work achievements.
Midani serves on the boards of La FrenchTech Tunis and Game for Change Africa. The former is a community comprising a broad network of digital economy players, aiming to generate services and actions beneficial to the Tunisian entrepreneurial ecosystem. Game for Change Africa, on the other hand, leverages the power of games to drive social impact and economic growth in Africa.
Additionally, Midani is a founding member of the Pan Africa Game Group (PAGG), a network comprising over 200 game development talents across the continent. The Tunisian entrepreuneur, who earned an engineering degree in computer systems and networks from the Ecole supérieure privée d’ingénierie et de technologie (ESPRIT) in Tunis in 2008, founded DigitalMania Studio, a video game studio, in 2011. He served as the CEO of the studio until November 2023. From April 2022 to January 2023, he co-founded and served on the board of Makers Factory, an initiative aimed at accelerating innovation in creative sectors such as gaming.
DigitalMania Studio received Microsoft’s Best Performing Start-up Award in 2012 and was selected for the Europe4startups program the following year. In 2014, Midani, along with DigitalMania Studio, received the award for the best pitch and business model among the 10 international entrepreneurs participating in the PITME program in Silicon Valley. In 2017, Quartz named him one of the African innovators.
Melchior Koba
With over twenty years of experience working around the globe, he founded Open Access Energy. The startup is the embodiment of his passion for using technology to simplify energy transactions and promote sustainable energy.
Gerjo Hoffman (photo) is a South African entrepreneur and Stellenbosch University graduate with Bachelor's degrees in Information Science, Afrikaans, and Dutch obtained in the year 2000, followed by a Bachelor's degree in Journalism in 2003. He is the co-founder and CEO of Open Access Energy, a company established in 2021 with Christoff Albertyn to enhance energy accessibility. His platform facilitates the automated matching of energy generation and consumption loads, allowing for transparent energy transactions between producers and consumers.
Open Access Energy introduces two key solutions: Amptera and Energypro. Amptera serves as an all-in-one energy billing tool empowering municipalities, utilities, and homeowners. On the other hand, Energypro addresses the intricacies of private energy distribution through advanced technologies.
Before his involvement with Open Access Energy, Gerjo Hoffman co-founded Qikcommerce in 2012, offering an intuitive e-commerce solution for businesses venturing into online product sales. This platform enables users to swiftly establish their online stores.
Hoffman's professional journey includes roles at various companies. At WeChat Africa, a technology platform supporting diverse communication modes like group chat and multimedia messaging, he served as the Head of Marketing from 2013 to 2014. Subsequently, at Tencent Africa, he held positions such as Head of Operations (2014-2017), Director of Innovation (2017-2018), and Director of Sales and Marketing (2019-2021).
Between 2018 and 2019, Gerjo Hoffman assumed the role of Managing Director at JET8 Africa and later became the Global Head of Sales and Marketing for JET8, a social commerce technology platform.
Melchior Koba
Ishango Startups Center stands as a beacon, guiding young talents toward entrepreneurial success. It aims to stimulate economic development and promote innovation in the DRC.
Ishango Startups Center, a startup incubator based in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), is a product of a public-private partnership between Medialab Group and its host country’s SME promotion agency OPEC. Launched in 2021, the initiative aligns with President Félix-Antoine Tshisekedi’s vision to enhance the business environment and foster entrepreneurship in the DRC.
The center’s mission is twofold, according to project coordinator Félix Mangwangu. “Firstly, we aim to educate young people from the incubation stage, transforming their projects into formal businesses or startups within the Congolese market. Secondly, we provide ongoing support to these individuals across Africa via an acceleration program.”
Ishango Startups Center is designed to address unemployment issues and cater to the specific needs of the professional sector. It provides both private and open workspaces equipped with high-speed internet and computers. Additionally, the center houses a fablab where entrepreneurs can create 3D models of prototypes relevant to their industries.
To successfully carry out its missions, Ishango Startups Center collaborates with other institutions, including Orange Digital Center (ODC) for additional startup support. In 2023, the center participated in ODC's Orange Fab acceleration program in the DRC. Supported startups include Inki, which provides digital customer feedback solutions, and STAR UP KOBIKA NA NDAKU. The latter develops neonatal incubators with phototherapy, solar power, and health software to reduce infant mortality.
Melchior Koba
Recognizing digital inclusion as a critical factor in economic growth, education, and healthcare access, organizations are working to expand internet access and promote digital literacy in Africa.
The UK’s Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) and the International Society of Mobile Operators (GSMA) announced a new phase of their partnership on Monday, February 27, at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona. The strategic partnership, valued at £37.3 million ($47.3 million), aims to accelerate digital innovation and address barriers to digital inclusion in low- and middle-income countries, including Africa.
Max Cuvellier, Head of Mobile for Development at the GSMA, expressed gratitude for the FCDO’s leadership and ongoing collaboration. “The renewal of this partnership is a tremendous opportunity to continue leveraging our respective strengths to accelerate the impact of transformative digital innovation and tackle local socio-economic challenges and climate change. We are extremely thankful for the FCDO's thoughtful leadership and longstanding collaboration,” he said.
The partnership, which has been in operation for over a decade, has already benefited over 100 million people by creating jobs and enhancing opportunities. The new phase aims to extend its reach to an additional 110 million people, including 60 million women.
The joint “Mobile for Development” program focuses on accelerating the digital and green transition for all, with a particular emphasis on supporting emerging technologies such as AI. In Africa, the program aims to overcome obstacles that hinder countries, businesses, and citizens from fully harnessing the power of digital technologies, including challenges related to mobile Internet adoption such as affordability and digital skills.
According to the GSMA, the number of unique subscribers in sub-Saharan Africa continues to grow. By 2022, the region is expected to have almost 287 million mobile Internet subscribers. Over the next six years, the total number of subscribers could reach nearly 700 million, representing a mobile penetration rate of 50%, thanks to various ongoing projects in the continent.
Samira Njoya
A computer scientist and entrepreneur, he aims to become a key player in the development of the Chadian tech ecosystem. With years of freelance experience across various digital projects, he is now dedicating his expertise to empowering the youth in his country.
Mahamat Issaka Saleh (photo), a web and mobile developer and entrepreneur from Chad, is the founder of Sahelindev. This startup, through its namesake platform, offers IT services, supports tech-related projects, and provides digital skills training for young people.
“There is a shortage of qualified and fast-acting IT service providers in Chad, especially for website creation,” says Saleh explaining that this observation led him to establish Sahelindev, with the primary mission of meeting digital needs and promoting digital technology across Africa.
In an interview with We Are Tech Africa, Saleh expressed his long-term goals of expanding his platform across Africa to foster wider digital transformation. His aim is “ to expand the platform on a continental scale, targeting various African countries to foster broader digital transformation and play a key role in supporting startups by offering innovation spaces and incubation programs." He also wants to "actively participate in social responsibility initiatives by using technology to solve social problems.”
Saleh, who has a deep passion for technology, is driven by his desire to contribute to Chad’s technological progress and create innovative solutions. His journey in the digital world began in secondary school. After earning his high school diploma, he enrolled at M’Hamed Bougara University in Boumerdes, Algeria, in 2018, where he obtained a bachelor’s degree in mathematics and computer science.
Upon graduation, Saleh embarked on a freelance career, offering his skills on various freelancing platforms and providing services to his network and local organizations. His portfolio includes several projects in programming, web and mobile development, and graphic design.
In December 2023, he received the Actor for African Ecosystem ASC award in the “Technology” category at the African Start-up Conference in Algiers.
Melchior Koba
As an artist, he was usually frustrated with how hard it was to book beauty services for music videos. So, he founded TausiApp, a platform designed to provide easy, transparent access to personalized beauty services.
Kenyan tech entrepreneur and artist, Amos Kimani (photo), is the founder and CEO of TausiApp, a platform that connects individuals seeking personalized beauty services with professional beauticians. The app, launched in 2021, is named after the Swahili word for peacock, ‘Tausi’.
TausiApp uses advanced artificial intelligence algorithms to provide personalized recommendations and optimize service matching. The idea for the app was born out of Kimani’s personal experiences while filming music videos, where he found it challenging to book beauty services on set.
“TausiApp identified a gap in the market for convenient and on-demand beauty services, especially for freelance beauticians who faced challenges in reaching clients efficiently,” Kimani said in February 2024. He also highlighted the plight of salon-employed beauticians who often earn less than 30% commissions, despite being the main attraction for clients.
As of today, TausiApp has served over 20,000 customers, recruited more than 6,000 beauticians, and completed over 13,000 transactions. In early February 2024, Kimani was recognized with the global Underdog Tech Award, a prestigious accolade for technology entrepreneurs.
Kimani, a graduate of Kenyatta University with a Bachelor’s degree in Human Resource Development, also holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and Operations Management from the University of Nairobi. In 2023, he was a finalist in the Start-Up World Cup.
Melchior Koba
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As a social entrepreneur, she is committed to bridging the gender gap in technology.
Barbara Mutabazi (photo) is a Ugandan social entrepreneur working to bridge the technological gender divide across Africa as the founder of Women in Technology Uganda (WITU). Established in 2014, WITU empowers young and underprivileged women in Uganda through hands-on training, resources, and employment prospects to foster tech innovators, leaders, and entrepreneurs contributing to local and regional economies.
WITU imparts diverse professional, commercial, and digital skillsets, encouraging participants to initiate revenue-generating activities and develop comprehensive business plans by analyzing community needs. The organization further promotes collaboration among its members, aiming to nurture a culture of creativity and achievement while supporting startup growth in Uganda.
Mutabazi is also a co-founder and director of Hive Colab, a hub promoting experimental concepts with significant societal and economic impacts in Uganda. This initiative aims to establish a conducive environment for innovation and excellence, thereby enhancing the success rate of emerging businesses.
A graduate of Makerere University in 2011 with a Bachelor's Degree in Business Computing, Mutabazi continued her education at the University of Salford, England, earning a Master's Degree in Information Systems Management in 2018. Her extensive experience includes serving on the Board of Directors of AfriLabs Foundation from 2014 to 2017 and acting as the National Director of the SPRING Accelerator in Uganda from 2014 to 2017. Additionally, Mutabazi served as an associate at the British Council's Business Creation Service from 2018 to 2021, providing business development support to more than 50 creative entrepreneurs throughout Africa.
For her efforts, she received the Anita Borg Institute's Change Agent Award in 2014 and became a Fellow of the Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI) Mandela Washington program in 2017.
Melchior Koba
In line with its mission to help startups and entrepreneurs grow, Bamako IHub, a Mali-based innovation hub, offers a range of resources including financial support, coworking spaces, and R&D laboratories.
Bamako IHub, a Malian incubator, is dedicated to fostering a conducive ecosystem for technology start-ups and green industry companies in Mali and Africa. Established by the non-governmental organization Mali Folkecenter Nyetaa, the tech hub aims to equip startups, entrepreneurs, and aspiring entrepreneurs with the necessary tools, expertise, and training for their growth.
The incubator provides a coworking and networking space, fablabs for R&D, and a range of programs including pre-incubation, incubation, acceleration, and financial support for seed-stage start-ups. Our mission “is to provide startups, entrepreneurs, and aspiring entrepreneurs, primarily in the tech and green sectors, with the essential tools for their growth, the expertise and training they need to develop their businesses and themselves, as well as technical and financial support tools tailored to the needs of project leaders and the African entrepreneurial and financial ecosystem in general, and Mali in particular,” it informs on its website.
Bootstrap-Mali, the hub’s pre-incubation program, offers a three-month professional technical training course introducing tech entrepreneurship and the green industry in Mali to students, start-ups, and entrepreneurs.
BoostUp-Mali, the incubator’s incubation and acceleration program, assists tech and green startups and entrepreneurs in structuring their startups, organizing their initiatives, building their teams, and accessing the market and initial financing.
Through its BuildUp-Mali program, Bamako IHub provides members access to experimentation labs, coworking and collaboration spaces, and devices with pro versions of sought-after software in the sector. The incubator’s fablab offers a range of devices, including 3D and PVC card printers, and state-of-the-art work tools such as computers and high-speed internet.
Melchior Koba
Through his company Hilt Technology Engineering, Sissoko provides consulting and technology solutions to help businesses of all sizes digitize their operations and stay ahead of the curve.
Ibrahima Sissoko (photo) is a Franco-Malian serial entrepreneur with a passion for driving digital transformation across industries. As the founder and CEO of Hilt Technology Engineering, Sissoko has been providing digital services since 2016, helping clients develop technological projects and digitize their businesses.
Hilt Technology Engineering, with its team of experts, offers a variety of services including technology and innovation audits, consulting, and customized training programs. The company specializes in blockchain, application development, artificial intelligence, and data.
Sissoko, an active contributor to the Francophone business community, has been serving as the President of the Economic Intelligence Commission of the Groupement du Patronat Francophone (GPF) since January 2022. The GPF is a business network present in 88 member states and governments of the Francophonie.
The serial entrepreneur holds a Master’s degree in Management and Digital Transformation from EPITA, a degree in Computer Engineering from the Conservatoire National des Arts et Métiers (CNAM) in France, and a diploma in Accounting from Harvard Business School Online.
In addition to Hilt Technology Engineering, he has founded several other ventures. In 2019, he established Growth Ground, a London, Paris, and Dubai-based consulting firm specializing in growth strategy and finance. In 2020, he also launched Talent Factory Paris, a network of IT professionals offering product engineering services.
The same year, he co-founded NamX (New Automotive Mobility Exploration) with Faouzi Annajah and Thomas De Lussac. NamX, which designs hydrogen-powered vehicles with rechargeable capsules, showcased its prototype at the Paris Motor Show in October 2022, attracting over 400,000 visitors.
Melchior Koba
Envisage Incubators is committed to guiding innovators from ideation to commercial success. With a network of mentors and resources, it provides a nurturing environment for Rwandan startups.
Established in 2019, Envisage Incubators supports early-stage agritech startups in Rwanda, guiding them from initial concepts to revenue generation. The incubator's mission aligns with the broader goal of achieving sustainable food security for Africa's growing population.
Led by Patrice Habinshuti (COO), Vincent Forsman, Victor Lindahl, Ronny Eriksson, and Deo Mutambuka, Envisage provides dedicated workspace and resources to its startups. A network of mentors, organizations, universities, and experts helps entrepreneurs find solutions and navigate challenges.
The team, composed of young Finnish and Rwandan students and entrepreneurs, fosters Rwanda's development through incubation programs. Coworking spaces facilitate collaboration, experience sharing, and idea validation, fostering a supportive community.
Envisage equips startups with the skills and resources needed to turn their concepts into reality. Its training programs help them become problem-solvers and efficient doers while capacity-building workshops aim to make them bankable.
Thanks to its strategic partnerships, it provides access to machinery and tools for prototyping and product improvement, enabling continuous innovation.
Melchior Koba