TECH STARS (831)
The Dot offers a variety of support programs for startups. It has a significant impact on the entrepreneurial ecosystem in Africa. Its ambition is to become the spearhead of the Tunisian entrepreneurial ecosystem.
The Dot is a Tunisian digital innovation hub supported by Fondation Tunisie pour le Développement, an NGO that promotes socioeconomic development in Tunisia. Launched in January 2021 as part of a public-private partnership, it aims to federate the local entrepreneurial ecosystem, support innovation and digital transformation, and strengthen ties between Tunisia and Africa.
The innovation hub is headed by Zeineb Messaoud, a business developer and entrepreneurial program designer. It offers free programs and services to entrepreneurs, innovative project leaders, and companies wishing to expand into the African market.
These include Dot Camp, a mentoring program that selects 37 innovative startups in the seed phase each year. It offers a year's free accommodation, privileged access to other programs offered by The Dot, and networking and business opportunities.
The hub also provides a free resource center called Dot Services. This center features event rooms, a space for exchanging and sharing with a community of innovators, open-plan offices, and computers equipped with a range of creative and editing software. It also provides a studio equipped for podcast creation and audiovisual equipment.
Its support program Dot Landing is tailored for entrepreneurs within the Tunisian diaspora and foreign companies looking to establish a presence in Tunisia or forge partnerships and business connections across various sectors in the country. The free 4-month program provides intensive coaching to entrepreneurs.
Beyond its structured programs, The Dot aspires to serve as a hub for interaction, knowledge-sharing, and learning among diverse stakeholders in the entrepreneurial ecosystem. The organization regularly organizes events, workshops, training sessions, hackathons, conferences, and competitions designed to stimulate creativity, innovation, and collaboration.
The Dot has already supported several companies. These include 3D Wave, which specializes in 3D printing and digitization, the online business management platform Iberis, the interactive educational platform ClassQuiz and the Cynoia platform, which aggregates communication and collaboration tools on a single platform. For its activities, it is supported by Expertise France, GIZ, and Smart Tunisia, among other partners.
Melchior Koba
Limited financial resources usually prevent some amputees from buying prostheses, therefore restricting their independence. In response to this issue, Nada Ghammem provides a solution by offering affordable, personalized bionic prostheses. Her innovative approach has earned her recognition and awards.
Nada Ghammem (photo) is a Tunisian entrepreneur and the founder/CEO of Bionic Soul, a startup that develops and manufactures advanced, personalized leg prostheses for amputees. She studied mechanical engineering at the Higher Institute of Technology Studies in Sousse from 2018 to 2021. She got the idea that would later lead to Bionic Soul (in 2022) during that period.
Through her company, she strives to offer a more cost-effective alternative to traditional prostheses without compromising product quality. Using advanced technologies, Bionic Soul designs its prostheses according to the measurements of each patient, who also benefits from personalized follow-up. Working in partnership with hospitals and customers to offer its services to as many patients as possible, the company also raises awareness of the importance of making bionic prostheses accessible to amputees.
Bionic Soul has developed two distinct types of prostheses. The first, ErgoLeg, is a mechanical prosthesis designed to provide fundamental mobility, equipped with a joint and a walking damper. This enables users to regain independence and resume their daily activities. Successful testing of this prosthesis version was concluded in October 2023.
The second option, BioniLeg, stands out as an intelligent bionic prosthesis incorporating sensors and an artificial intelligence algorithm. This advanced design offers users an almost natural, adaptive walking experience. Additionally, the company has created a dedicated app that allows users to customize their prosthesis settings, monitor their physical activity, receive personalized advice, and access valuable resources for both rehabilitation and maintenance of their prosthetic devices.
With Bionic Soul, Nada Ghammem won the international women's prize at the 13th edition of the international stage of Orange’s POESAM, which was concluded in October 2023. She received €20,000 in funding.
Currently, Nada Ghammem is a student at Enova ROBOTICS, a company specializing in the design and manufacture of robots through combined expertise in software, hardware, and perception. She began her professional career in 2018 as a student intern at the Centre Technique des Industries Mécaniques et Électriques (CETIME) in Tunisia. She also completed an internship in 2019 at Precimold Plastic Industries Sdn Bhd, a plastics company located in Malaysia.
Melchior Koba
mHub, a key player in Malawi's technology ecosystem, promotes innovation and entrepreneurship. It has already created a thousand jobs and trained tens of thousands of young people.
mHub is Malawi's first technology and innovation hub, located in Lilongwe, with workspaces in Blantyre (Malawi) and Lusaka (Zambia). Founded in 2014, the hub's mission is to promote technology, entrepreneurship, and innovation in Malawi. It offers tailored technology solutions, entrepreneurship support, and digital skills training for Malawian youth and businesses.
The center was initiated by Rachel Sibande, a Malawian computer scientist and social entrepreneur. A fervent advocate of technology in Africa, she was featured on the Forbes list of Africa's 30 most promising young entrepreneurs in 2016.
mHub offers creators tailored entrepreneurial support, software development services, co-creation opportunities, digital skills, and on-demand startup assistance. It also hosts programs and activities to strengthen Malawi's entrepreneurial and innovative ecosystem. One such program is Digital Malawi, a project that has benefited over 500 young people, some of whom have received funding of around $2,500 as seed capital for their businesses.
The Modern Cooking for Healthy Forest Accelerator (MCHF), a project aimed at improving forest management and mitigating land-based emissions, is another of the center's initiatives. It has trained 94 entrepreneurs and linked 20 participants with beneficiaries, thereby contributing to sustainable forest management.
In partnership with Care Malawi, mHub has also set up a project called Ntchito Mbambande. This focuses on improving employability and self-employment opportunities for young people. It is mainly funded by the European Union (EU) and operates in five development districts: Blantyre, Machinga, Salima, Dedza, and Mzimba.
Since its inception, mHub Malawi has facilitated over $1 million in funding for emerging entrepreneurs, created over 1,000 jobs, and trained over 42,000 young people in business and technology. In 2018, mHub won the Most Innovative Organization award at the Cloud Awards and the IOT Awards.
Melchior Koba
Christine Namara is one of Africa's leading investors and mentors most committed to the development of the technology ecosystem. Her appointment to Flat6Labs is proof of her expertise and commitment.
Christine Namara (photo) is a Kenyan businesswoman, investor and mentor. On Wednesday, November 15, 2023, she joined leading MENA seed-stage venture capital firm Flat6Labs as a partner in its Africa Seed Fund (ASF).
"With innovation as our compass and collaboration as our engine, I am honored to join Flat6Labs, a pioneering force in shaping Africa’s entrepreneurial landscape. Together, we will embark on a transformative journey, unlocking the vast potential of startups across the continent. In this interconnected world, every idea has the power to change lives. I am excited to champion these innovations, catalyzing progress and leaving a lasting impact on communities in Africa and beyond," Ms. Namara said, according to a release published by Flat6Labs.
The Africa Seed Fund she is joining was recently set up by Flat6Labs to extend its reach in Africa. The $95 million investment vehicle targets North, West, and East African regions, to invest in over 160 seed-stage startups in the region's tech ecosystem.
With her wealth of venture capital and private equity experience, the new partner will be a key asset in achieving the fund’s objectives. Indeed, in 2012, she graduated from Uganda Christian University with a Bachelor's degree in Economics and Management, specializing in Law and Business Policy. She then kickstarted her professional career as an executive administrator trainee at the Institute of Customer Service Kenya the same year. In 2013, she worked as an intern at CS Consulting Ltd. as well as a member of the customer service and marketing team at Thornsoft International.
Later, in 2021, Christine Namara joined The Baobab Network, a Nairobi-based accelerator that invests in early-stage technology companies across Africa, as a senior venture capital partner. The following year, she was appointed Head of Enterprise at the same accelerator, a position she held until October 2023.
Melchior Koba
O'Botama catalyzes innovation and is a driving force for entrepreneurial change in Africa. It provides support, training, and assistance to young entrepreneurs in securing financing for their businesses.
The O'Botama Collaborative Innovation Workshop (AIC) is a business incubator based in Cameroon. Since 2018, it has been supporting local Cameroonian entrepreneurs and those from the diaspora in the development of their businesses. It was created by the collective O.S.E.R. L'Afrique (a non-profit association established by the diaspora) and is headed by Benjamin Ngongang, an experienced professional in the financial and investment sector.
AIC is dedicated to catalyzing talent and strengthening the entrepreneurial spirit among young Africans, guiding them in creating innovative solutions for their region. To fulfill this mission, AIC provides comprehensive support to project leaders from conceptualization to value proposition assisting in the implementation of their innovation or activity, aiding in the search for financing, and facilitating connections with suitable partners.
It features a coworking space that regularly welcomes professionals and an online platform for events, training, and diverse services, it offers an incubation program specifically designed to support and accelerate innovative projects with a social impact. Program members receive tailored training sessions to address their unique needs, coupled with expert guidance to ensure the successful development of their businesses.
The incubator also has a center of expertise where a team of experts offers technical assistance, consultation, and training in the fields of law, taxation, labor and social security, project management, accounting, and finance. It also offers training in business management, digital marketing, accounting management, and personal development.
Since its creation, O'Botama has supported over 40 companies and project leaders in Cameroon and welcomed over 1,000 participants to its activities. It regularly hosts 111 coworkers in its shared workspace. A member of the AfriLabs network, the incubator is supported by Afric'Innov, Genius Center, Kmer Tech, Fiatope, and Objis, among others.
She connects African entrepreneurs with major international groups in Europe. She has received several awards and distinctions, making her a true pioneer in technology and business.
With a diverse academic and professional background, she earned a master's degree in foreign languages and cultures (USA, UK) in 2001 from Université Paris Cité. Additionally, she holds a certification in entrepreneurship from ESSEC Business School.
In 2015, she co-founded Afrobytes to offer African startups increased visibility, networking opportunities with investors, as well as opportunities for rapid expansion. Afrobytes facilitates access to the African market for European startups, companies, and investors looking for growth and investment opportunities. In addition, the company organizes technology conferences in Paris, providing a platform for meetings with players strongly committed to Africa.
Apart from Afrobytes, in 2019, Ms. Haweya Mohamed co-founded The Colors, a platform that aims to add value to the cosmetics and fashion products of African origin.
Before embarking on her entrepreneurial career, Haweya Mohamed worked for Endemol, where she was a TV production assistant between 2001 and 2003. In 2004, she worked as a reality TV production assistant at Lagardère Active. The following year, she became Channel 4's broadcast rights sales coordinator before being hired in 2006 as executive assistant to the CEO of RTL in France. In 2011, RTL appointed her to the position of Head of Communications.
A member of the Harambe Entrepreneur Alliance, in 2018, Haweya Mohamed was recognized by Entrepreneur Magazine as one of the 50 most audacious entrepreneurs. The same year, U.S. business magazine Fast Company singled her out as one of the most creative minds in business. At the same time, Forbes included her in its list of 92 Women To Follow Who Are Disrupting Tech In France.
Melchior Koba
Iris Hub plays a key role in the fight against youth unemployment in Rwanda and across Africa as a whole. Through its innovative programs and commitment to education and creativity, it is positively influencing the future of Africa.
Iris Hub is an incubation and innovation center that uses technology to address youth unemployment in Rwanda. Founded in 2016 by Benjamin Manirafasha, its president and CEO, it supports young people with innovative projects in the fields of technology, art, textiles, audiovisual, e-commerce, gaming, and cybertech.
Located in the Kicukiro area of Kigali, Rwanda, Iris Hub was set up to encourage innovation and creativity, provide training, and foster connections between entrepreneurs through a variety of activities. Thanks to dedicated coaches and mentors, it provides young people and women with the right support to turn their business ideas into reality. Through workshops, conferences, bootcamps, and hackathons, it offers training, networking, and exposure opportunities.
Iris Hub has a magazine on entrepreneurship and innovation for young people, called Iris Magazine. It has also introduced a 3-6 month accelerator program that includes an initial investment, networking opportunities, sales strategies, mentoring, and a public presentation event where participants unveil their prototype at a demo day. The program aims to accelerate selected startups’ growth.
Furthermore, the center coordinates business events and conferences while providing software design and development services for managers seeking to incorporate technology into their businesses.
Since its creation, Iris Hub has incubated 15 startups, including edutech platform East African Dictionary, fintech BetaPay, cybersecurity company Intore Security Lab, and healthtech Mentale. A member of the AfriLabs network, it is supported by several partners, including ICT Chamber, Deep Ecosystems, and the Africa Europe Innovation Partnership.
Melchior Koba
He is an accomplished software developer with a demonstrated track record in the financial sector. Through his financial technology company, EvMak, he has garnered numerous awards and distinctions.
Evans Makundi (photo) is a Tanzanian IT specialist with a career in digital health, business consulting, and banking. He is the founder and CEO of EvMak Tanzania, a financial technology company offering a range of tools and services to help other businesses prosper.
He graduated from Bangalore University in 2010 with a Bachelor's degree in Computer Science and holds a Business Administration and Management Certificate from HarvardX (2020).
The tech entrepreneur founded EvMak Tanzania in 2012 to bring change to the communications, banking, and financial industries as well as to small and medium-sized enterprises and large corporations such as airlines.
His company offers a unified payment solution for both online and offline businesses, enabling them to automatically send payments to customers, employees, and various beneficiaries.
"We are focused more on software development, helping mostly the non-governmental organizations but also the government organizations as well as the Ministry of Health, focusing on developing their software, enhancing their sub sales and billing integration on the payment side, and anything else related to software development," said Evans Makundi in 2021.
Evans Makundi is also the Managing Partner of DIGI FARM, a social enterprise that leverages technology and data to empower smallholder farmers in Africa. Since 2021, he is also Head of Software Quality Assurance at CRDB Bank Plc.
Before establishing EvMak Tanzania, he worked at the Kenya Medical Research Institute in 2012, where he was an expert in geographic information systems. He has also been a CRDB Bank software developer between 2014 and 2020. During this period, he deployed SWIFT GPI, a digital payment solution.
In 2019, EvMak was named one of the best business-to-business companies in Tanzania by Clutch, a company that helps companies find the right partners to grow their business. In 2022, the entrepreneur was recognized as one of the country's top 100 CEOs and Managing Directors.
Melchior Koba
In recent years, a growing number of young Africans have embarked on the path of entrepreneurship. Most often they either want to create jobs for themselves and others, diversify businesses, or just innovate to address local issues. In Guinea, the incubator Ose Ton Emploi has set itself the mission to support them.
Ose Ton Emploi is an entrepreneurial support institution created in 2018 in Guinea by Danda Diallo, a young Guinean entrepreneur. The incubator stimulates entrepreneurial desire, encourages, mentors, and directs innovation efforts toward growth-generating sectors. It aims to create a new generation of entrepreneurs committed to the growth and development of Guinea Conakry.
The Incubator provides customized support to meet the specific needs and profiles of entrepreneurs. It establishes incubation programs and arranges training, coaching, mentoring, and networking sessions to enhance entrepreneurs' capabilities and streamline their access to funding, markets, and partners. Operating on an inclusive approach, it centers around the entrepreneur, valuing the diversity of sectors, regions, and genders.
In 2022, the incubator introduced a digital platform, specifically designed for youth training, named Sanku Lab. Funded by Orange Guinea, the platform's goal is to train 2,100 individuals in "digital professions, prototyping, and the manufacturing of various objects." According to Danda Diallo, the founder and CEO of the incubator, Sanku Lab occupies a central role in the activities and support programs provided by the incubator.
Sanku Lab provides learners with a 3D printer, laser cutter, vinyl cutter, heat press, electronic tools, digital embroidery machines, and laptops, among others.
One of Ose Ton Emploi’s core programs is the Guinea Startup Challenge launched in 2019. It aims to imprint the entrepreneurial culture into young students through training, awareness-raising, and competition.
Ose Ton Emploi also offers a coworking space for young entrepreneurs. A member of the Afric'Innov community, it is supported by several institutions, including the Guinean Ministry of Youth and Youth Employment, the UNDP, and the University of Kindia in Guinea.
Melchior Koba
In Africa, managing payroll and human resources poses significant challenges for companies. In Benin, Mario Zannou established Uptimise to streamline and automate these processes.
Mario Zannou (photo) is a Beninese entrepreneur and the founder and CEO of Uptimise, a startup offering an online solution to simplify human resources and payroll management.
The entrepreneur holds a master's degree in computer engineering from Debrecen University's Faculty of Engineering, obtained in 2014. He also holds an engineering degree in telecoms networks obtained in 2015 from Sup Galilée and two Master's in Business Administration, obtained in 2023, from IFG Executive Education and IAE Paris respectively.
Mario Zannou founded Uptimise in May 2023. The company centralizes employee data and ensures efficient management of HR-related processes. Its platform facilitates the management of salaries, leave and absences, bonuses and benefits, salary advances, expense reports, and pay slips. It also enables better management of employee-related data and documents, including employment contracts and payslips.
In addition, the company provides real-time reporting and performance-tracking tools to assist companies in monitoring key indicators and making informed decisions.
Since 2020, Mario Zannou has been head of the cybersecurity department at cybersecurity and digital transformation consultancy Erugis. His professional career began in February 2015 at Prosodie, a subsidiary of the Capgemini Group that designs and hosts front-office services for major accounts, where he was a software engineer.
In October 2015, he joined the rail company VIIA as an IT project manager. In 2019, he joined business consultancy Willing as a cybersecurity consultant. At the same time, he works for civil engineering company Egis as head of the IT security department.
Melchior Koba
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For more than a decade, Wiki Start Up has been dedicated to equipping startups with the essential resources, mentorship, and networking opportunities they need to transform their ideas into successful businesses.
Wiki Start Up is the first private incubator in Tunisia. Founded in 2011, it is a center that combines business incubation, coaching, and seed financing with certified investment professional Mohamed Salah Frad as its managing director.
The incubator specializes in support, consulting, research, and training, offering several programs to Tunisian startups. One of its programs is Startup Nest, an incubation program financed by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs with technical support from the NGO SPARK, dedicated to assisting and supporting innovative project leaders.
In 2015, Wiki Start Up initiated Start’Act in collaboration with the Carthage Business Angels Association. The said program supports innovative startups by helping them materialize and develop their projects. It features a rich incubation program with a wide range of shared training courses, in addition to personalized expertise-building training established in collaboration with project leaders. In addition, the program has a 50 million dinars (around $16 million) seed fund (Capital’Act) dedicated to startups that go through the Start’Act program.
In addition to helping startups raise funds, the center also co-launched CapitaLease Seed Fund, the first pre-seed fund in Tunisia. The pre-seed fund provides financial support to startups during their conception and prototyping phases.
Wiki Start Up has a significant impact in Africa. It has reached over 750 startups and supported more than 90 entrepreneurs. Its network comprises over 100 experts, mentors, and business angels, and more than 50 private companies, public bodies, and international organizations.
Melchior Koba
A software engineer by training, he creates AI and robotics solutions to automate farm management. His innovations have won him several awards.
Akhlad Alabhar (photo) is the founder and CEO of Egrobots, a startup developing smart agricultural solutions. The Egyptian-born tech entrepreneur studied at Alexandria University's Faculty of Engineering, graduating in 2010 with a Bachelor's degree in Computer Engineering.
In 2021, he founded Egrobots to help farmers grow crops more efficiently with minimum resources. His company enables farmers to cover more hectares by making strategic use of products, improving not only plant health and yield but also management and sustainability.
Egrobots uses cutting-edge imaging and artificial intelligence, robotics, and machine learning technologies to give suppliers and planters information to enable them to make informed decisions.
Through Egrobots, Akhlad Alabhar offers several products. Among them, Roboscoot uses AI to gather information about farmers' fields. Shagarah detects crop diseases, analyzes vegetation, humidity, and weather conditions, and makes recommendations to farmers.
The company recently took second place on the international stage in the Orange Social Venture Prize in Africa and the Middle East (POESAM) 2023. It also won first prize of 30,000 euros in the INTECMED ENI CBC Med transformation project.
Before becoming an entrepreneur, Akhlad Alabhar worked at Alinma Bank in Saudi Arabia. Hired in 2013 as an IT consultant, he successively held the positions of data analysis consultant and AI team leader before leaving in June 2023. He was also a project manager at Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Finance from 2018 to 2019.
Melchior Koba
A HEC Paris graduate and advocate of the Process Communication Model, he offers software and web services for Big Data applications through Ryax Technologies, his company.
Andry Razafinjatovo (photo) is a Malagasy entrepreneur, CEO, and co-founder of Ryax Technologies, a startup specializing in data engineering. He holds a master's degree in business administration and management from HEC Paris and a Process Communication Model trainer certificate from Kahler Communication France in 2022.
Ryax Technologies, which he launched in 2017 with David Glesser, and Yiannis Georgiou, offers software and web services leveraging hybrid distributed infrastructures for big data applications. The vision of Ryax Technologies is to offer an open-source platform for swift and efficient backend development.
The Ryax software developed by the company offers customizable encrypted communication and data confidentiality management. It facilitates secure supervision of data transfer, ensuring complete security. Moreover, it enables real-time flow processing thereby streamlining the application development process.
"Data engineering is key to getting value from your data science projects. We cannot wait until the end of the development phase to be sure of their ROI. We aim to allow our customers to reduce their time to market dealing with up to 100% of data engineering tasks from the execution to the maintenance of their data workflows," said Andry Razafinjatovo, explaining the importance of the Ryax platform.
A Process Communication Model trainer at Matana Conseil, the Malagasy spent a decade, from 2004 to 2014, working for Bull, a technology hub affiliated with the digital transformation enterprise Atos. Within this span, he undertook roles ranging from research and development engineer to high-performance computing (HPC) architecture engineer. Subsequently, from 2015 to 2017, he assumed the role of head of the performance and scalability department in the research and development division at Atos.
Melchior Koba
RLabs offers training, empowerment, and incubation programs for young people and women. It has already reached tens of millions of people and graduated 2 million individuals.
Reconstructed Living Lab (RLabs) is a South African social organization founded in 2009 by Marlon Parker, an entrepreneur and innovator with a passion for technology. The current head of RLabs is Christine Taphel, a psychologist and linguist by training.
RLabs is dedicated to establishing environments and systems that foster transformative experiences, driven by hope, innovation, technology, training, and economic opportunities. Through a diverse range of activities and programs, RLabs actively pursues the realization of its mission.
Via the RLabs Academy, the organization introduces free specialized skills programs designed for community members, enabling them to enhance personal growth, grasp economic opportunities (jobs, businesses, etc.), or further their education. The academy also provides internships and employment prospects, alongside curriculum development through its RLabs Course Lab.
RLabs offers the RLabs Innovation Lab to its community, actively engaging in collaborations with a range of international organizations, private enterprises, and public sector partners to craft solutions for social change. Furthermore, RLabs established Venture Studio, a one-year incubation program geared towards cultivating impactful businesses that drive job creation.
Equally concerned with women's empowerment, RLabs offers several training programs and initiatives. One such initiative is the JUNK.Fund, which raises funds to invest in and support a new female entrepreneur every month.
RLabs has had a considerable impact in Africa and worldwide. To date, it has impacted 50 million people and graduated 2 million. It has also supported 5,500 businesses. In 2017, it received the SA Blog Awards for best educational blog. The following year, it won the Google Impact Awards and, in 2022, it received the Social Innovator of the Year award issued by the Schwab Foundation and the World Economic Forum.
Melchior Koba