TECH STARS (1007)
An Orange Code School’s Success Story, Musa Turay inspires and engages learners from all backgrounds
A software engineer by training, he puts his enhanced skills at the service of the local banking sector.
Musa Turay, a Sierra Leonean computer scientist specializing in web and mobile software development, is among the many beneficiaries of the Orange Code School whose training has significantly impacted his professional life.
He enrolled in the Orange Code School in January 2022 after discovering Sierra Leone’s Orange Digital Center on his Facebook news feed. He seized the opportunity to deepen his skills in full-stack web and mobile application development. Months earlier, in 2021, he obtained his Higher National Diploma in Information and Communication Technology from the Eastern Polytechnic in Sierra Leone.
Turay credits the knowledge he acquired at the Orange Code School for his significant career development, which culminated in a position as a software developer at the Guaranty Trust Bank in Sierra Leone. Hired by the bank in June 2023, he works on developing innovative software solutions to improve banking operations and the customer experience.
With a passion for digital innovation, Turay gained experience in application development and other areas, including database management, before obtaining his national diploma and joining Orange Code School. In 2019, he founded the digital learning platform TurayMathic eLearning to make quality education accessible to everyone, regardless of geographical location.
“At TurayMathic eLearning, our mission is twofold. First, we strive to develop cutting-edge digital learning experiences that inspire and engage learners from all backgrounds. Secondly, we are committed to empowering educators and educational leaders to effectively harness technology in the classroom,” Turay said in an exclusive interview with We Are Tech Africa.
Eager to be among the world’s best in data engineering, software engineering, and DevOps engineering, Turay has returned to studying computer science at the University of the People, an online university accredited by the United States. He also plans to enroll in “training programs or pursue certifications that will deepen [his] expertise and keep [him] abreast of advances in the industry,” he says.
Turay is currently working on an e-commerce platform called We Yon Shop. His aim with this platform is to revolutionize the online shopping experience in Sierra Leone and beyond by bringing together convenience, accessibility, and quality.
“This platform aims to provide a smooth and user-friendly shopping experience, leveraging technology to streamline transactions and improve customer satisfaction,” he explains.
Melchior Koba
Artificial intelligence and robotics sectors are steadily making inroads in Africa. In Cameroon, serial entrepreneur Jacques Eone leads the charge to popularise these emerging technologies.
Jacques Eone (photo), a Cameroonian serial entrepreneur, is the co-founder and CEO of Sparte Robotics. His company, established in 2021, aims to popularise robotics, science, and engineering by providing services that enhance and simplify daily life for its customers.
Sparte Robotics specializes in supplying robotic instruments, particularly drones, and security solutions to businesses and individuals. The company aims to automate services in various sectors, including security, mapping, and industrial production. It is also a research and development center for robotics and artificial intelligence.
To encourage African governments, donors, and local businesses to invest more in robotics and AI in Africa, Sparte Robotics launched the Elviatech competition in 2023. The competition brings together teams from several countries to exchange skills and build robotic instruments specific to a particular theme, Eone explained.
In addition to his role at Sparte Robotics, Eone is the president of the Cameroon Robotics Association, which he founded in 2018 to demystify robotics in Africa. The association organizes free training courses for college and school students.
Eone is also a founding partner of CENTHORUS Corporation, a Cameroonian software engineering company, and the founder of Alkacun, an e-commerce platform established in 2021. Alkacun offers various purchasing options, from simple distribution to auctions.
Melchior Koba
Focused on promoting knowledge-based businesses, Nice Innovation Incubation Center is committed to fostering a culture of innovation and equity, with the ambition of turning bright ideas into tangible successes.
Established in 2018, the Nice Innovation Incubation Center is an innovation hub aimed at addressing the technological development gap in Ethiopia. The center’s vision is to cultivate an incubation and innovation ecosystem that nurtures knowledge-based businesses.
Its mission is to foster an innovative culture within the university environment and to establish a work culture grounded in fairness, equality, and performance. The center is committed to training bright minds for excellence in science, technology, fine arts, and the creation of marketable interdisciplinary knowledge.
The center’s areas of interest span a wide range of fields, including artificial intelligence, quantum computing, virtual, augmented, and mixed reality, cybersecurity, robotics, the Internet of Things, Industry 4.0, blockchain, advanced materials, drones, biotechnology, and more. Headquartered in Addis Ababa, the center also operates in Nairobi, Kenya, and has plans for expansion into other East African countries.
It collaborates with and invites technical and marketing experts for training, coaching, and mentoring programs. It also builds partnerships with local industrial companies and offers infrastructure consultancy and investment support.
Through its incubation program, the Nice Innovation Incubation Center welcomes technical or business ideas from students and emerging entrepreneurs. It provides support throughout the process, from planning to prototyping, to help turn their ideas into reality and bring them to market.
For each project that is successfully incubated, the center facilitates the prototyping process. It liaises with banks and public bodies to secure startup loans for the continued support of products and startups.
Melchior Koba
Introduced to technology at the tender age of 7, she quickly made her mark in her country's tech companies just three years later. She now dedicates her time to educating children and young adults about technology, fostering innovation and entrepreneurship among the next generation.
Betelhem Dessie (photo), an Ethiopian computer scientist and entrepreneur, serves as the co-founder and CEO of iCog Anyone Can Code. This initiative, which aims to provide children and young people with tech skills, was established as a company in 2020, following its inception as an initiative in 2016. Its mission is to democratize access to technology and tech education. Through its various projects, it offers training in robotics, artificial intelligence, and programming, enabling young learners to innovate and create. With a team of 40 mentors and trainers, the company has already reached 26,000 children and young adults.
iCog Anyone Can Code organizes free public workshops in state schools and runs a six-month acceleration program, the AYSRH Project, to support youth-led or owned start-ups focusing on adolescent and youth sexual and reproductive health. In collaboration with its partners, the company is piloting other initiatives such as the Girls Can Code project and the Solve IT national innovation competition for young people.
iCog Anyone Can Code operates as a subsidiary of iCog Labs, an artificial intelligence and robotics laboratory where Dessie serves as a senior consultant. The lab offers a range of research and development services to international clients, including artificial intelligence and bioinformatics research, as well as machine learning-based data analysis and application software development.
Dessie’s interest in technology began at the age of 7. By 2008, when she was nearing her 10th birthday, she was employed as a software developer at the Information Network Security Agency. In 2012, she worked as a mobile application developer for TECNO Mobile ET, and from 2012 to 2015, she served as a technical manager for EBAGD Computer and Related Working PLC. She also held a position as a trainer at Bahir Dar University.
Dessie’s contributions have earned her several accolades. In 2012, she received the Best Project of the Year award from the Center of Excellence. She was named Outstanding Girl of the Year at the Ethiopian Girls Awards in 2017 and Young Technologist at the Tech Playmakers Award two years later. She was also included in Quartz’s 2019 list of African innovators to watch. In 2023, she was honored with the Professional Excellence Award at the Bikila Award in Ethiopia.
Melchior Koba
To stimulate entrepreneurship and innovation in Togo, the local campus offers training programs, startup assistance, and co-working spaces. The initiative encourages the application of technology to address challenges in various sectors, including education, agriculture, and health.
Djanta Tech Hub, a technology campus in West Africa, is striving to become a leading reference point for technological entrepreneurship and training in new digital professions. The initiative, launched by the Togolese government, aims to foster entrepreneurship, creativity, and economic growth through digital technology, innovation, and research.
Established in 2018, the campus spans 3,000 square meters and supports the growth of Togo’s key economic sectors by incorporating information and communication technologies (ICT). It concentrates its efforts on a range of sectors, including education, agriculture, green technologies, health, financial inclusion, and more.
The Djanta Tech Hub plans to achieve its goals through various components. These include the Djanta Academy, a digital training excellence center; the Djanta Start accelerator and incubator; and NanaTech, a space dedicated to female entrepreneurship. The campus also provides a connected café area, meeting and conference rooms, and a one-stop service for all startup procedures.
The campus features a prototyping and research laboratory known as Djanta Lab, which is designed to be a hub for a diverse group of experts, including engineers, designers, students, and innovators. The lab is equipped with testing tools and platforms (Android, iOS, Firefox, etc.), a 3D printer, and augmented reality glasses.
Djanta Tech Hub also offers a coworking space where entrepreneurs, project leaders, and students from across Togo can collaborate. This space fosters the co-creation and co-development of digital applications, bringing together the initiatives of young people and providing a conducive environment for discovery, innovation, and creativity.
Melchior Koba
She is committed to making banking services accessible to all while reducing dependence on cash. She heads a startup that harnesses the power of artificial intelligence to understand users' needs and offer them appropriate services.
Matina Gaël Egbidi (photo), a Togolese software engineer and entrepreneur, is the co-founder and CEO of SOLIMI, a fintech startup established in 2020.
Through SOLIMI, she aims to democratize access to banking services and reduce the use of cash. It uses artificial intelligence to analyze customer behavior, predict purchases, and adapt its services to local habits. It designs Visa prepaid cards that are free of charge and can be funded via mobile money. Its cards and its mobile application enable users to make purchases in shops and online.
"We believe that Solimi can have a huge impact on unbanked and low-income communities. By making financial inclusion much more affordable, as well as simpler and more versatile, we can walk together towards a cashless world that works for everyone, at every level of wealth," says Matina Gaël Egbidi.
Operating like an ordinary bank card, Solimi's solution can also be used to withdraw cash from an ATM. On Monday 18 March 2024, the startup was awarded the "Togolese start-up prize" at the Startup Day organized by the Nunya Lab incubator to celebrate the International Start-up Day.
Prior to SOLIMI, Matina Gaël Egbidi co-founded Bassite Innovation and Technology in 2017. Based in Morocco, it is a company that uses the power of the cloud and artificial intelligence to develop conversational interfaces to bring brands closer to their customers. The entrepreneur was the company's COO until 2021.
Matina Gaël Egbidi is a graduate of the Moroccan School of Engineering Sciences. Her professional career began in 2017 at OCTO Technology, where she was an intern. OCTO Technology is a consultancy firm specializing in new technologies and the challenges of digital transformation. Between 2018 and 2021, the Togolese was an e-payment training consultant at HPS, a Moroccan provider of payment solutions and services.
Melchior Koba
MEDIANET has become a key player in digital innovation, supporting projects worldwide since its founding. The company operates on multiple continents.
MEDIANET, a Tunisian technology incubator established in 1998, aids entrepreneurs in transforming innovative ideas into thriving businesses. By creating that incubator, the founders, Iheb Béji, Akram Beji, Nidhal Battikh, and Mohamed Mellouki, aim to foster an ecosystem that encourages and enhances innovation and technological transformation.
With over two decades of experience, MEDIANET equips entrepreneurs with the expertise of its technical and business professionals and collaboration opportunities. The MEDIANET Incubator Space provides a workspace dedicated to fostering entrepreneurship and intrapreneurship, thereby enhancing the ecosystem of emerging startups.
FoodStart, MEDIANET’s premier incubation program, offers a customized, personalized program that equips foodtech entrepreneurs with technological proficiency and business acumen. The program aims to establish innovative foodtech firms, bolster the foodtech ecosystem in Tunisia, facilitate access to finance, and foster synergies between startups, SMEs, and large corporations.
In addition to being an incubator, MEDIANET specializes in digital transformation. With a presence in 30 countries worldwide, it provides a broad spectrum of digital services to businesses, including web and mobile development services and an e-commerce platform that simplifies the shopping experience.
The incubator also provides community management and SEO services, implements digital strategies for businesses, and assists business leaders in enhancing their performance and maximizing their return on investment through a media buying strategy.
To date, MEDIANET has successfully executed more than 2,900 projects across various sectors and has satisfied 1,000 customers globally.
Melchior Koba
A climate tech entrepreneur, she offers ecological and sustainable solutions to the Tunisian population through her company MonSapo.
Sabrine Chennaoui (photo), a Tunisian entrepreneur and co-founder and CEO of MonSapo, is at the forefront of green technology solutions. Her startup, MonSapo, established in 2021, is disrupting the green cleaning industry with its innovative, automated, and remote-controlled machine that recycles waste like used cooking oil and wood ash into natural cleaning products.
“MonSapo distinguishes itself by converting used vegetable oil and wood ash into detergent products, a unique innovation in the Tunisian market,” says Chennaoui. “Our research and development department is committed to continually providing our valued customers with premium products at always reasonable prices.”
On March 19, 2024, MonSapo was selected by the Techstars Sustainability Paris team to participate in its acceleration program, culminating in a demonstration day on June 6.
Chennaoui, a 2015 graduate of the Mediterranean School of Business in Tunisia with a master’s degree in business administration and management, participated in the Leading with Impact in Times of Change program at INSEAD business school in 2023.
Chennaoui’s professional journey began in 2010 as an intern at the Banque Nationale Agricole de Tunisie. She later served as a corporate marketing manager at Hashtag Agency in 2015, head of the marketing department at Hotel Africa Jade Thalasso in Tunisia in 2018, and a junior expert for the Tunisian Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research in 2020.
In 2022, the International Union for Conservation of Nature recognized Chennaoui as one of 20 young change agents. The following year, InspiringFifty named her one of the 50 most inspiring women in technology worldwide.
Melchior Koba
With its six divisions, Raizcorp works on a global scale to support the entrepreneurial ecosystem. To date, it has already supported 500 companies.
Raizcorp, a business incubator established in 2000, is dedicated to nurturing entrepreneurs at various stages of their business journey. Founded by CEO Allon Raiz, the organization serves as a hub for learning and guidance, facilitating tangible business success for entrepreneurs.
At the core of Raizcorp's mission is the creation, support, and development of entrepreneurs and the broader entrepreneurial ecosystem. By providing business incubation and acceleration services, the incubator aims to expedite the growth and prosperity of entrepreneurs. It also administers business and supplier development programs on behalf of companies.
Raizcorp extends equity investment opportunities to budding entrepreneurs, while also engaging in educational initiatives to foster entrepreneurial skills among school children. Moreover, the organization collaborates with governments and development agencies to establish robust entrepreneurial frameworks on a national scale.
It operates through six dedicated divisions. Notably, Arize, which offers dedicated support to entrepreneurs, and SEED, focusing on entrepreneurial development strategies in emerging markets like Africa and South America. The Partner Elite division provides scale-up capital to high-growth entrepreneurs in South Africa, while Canden manages non-traditional schools with an entrepreneurial curriculum.
Elixir, another division, assists companies in cultivating an entrepreneurial mindset and accessing relevant markets. It also aids entrepreneurial graduates in launching their own ventures. The Inspire division offers a range of motivational resources, such as books, inspiration packs, and posters, to support entrepreneurs on their journey.
To date, Raizcorp has empowered 500 businesses through its programs and oversees 13 incubators. Currently, 224 children are undergoing entrepreneurial training. The organization's impact extends across multiple countries, including South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Angola, the United States, France, and Mauritius.
Melchior Koba
The fintech sector in Africa is experiencing exponential growth, with South African entrepreneur Paul Kent as one of the actors leading the charge. His start-up, which offers a range of digital payment solutions, already caters to tens of thousands of customers across the continent.
Paul Kent (photo), co-founder and CEO of Adumo, is making waves in the fintech sector. A South African native, Kent completed a management development programme at the University of the Witwatersrand in 2003 and earned an MBA from Spain’s IE Business School in 2015.
His fintech, Adumo, is a growth partner for businesses. It offers a seamless and secure omnichannel approach to accepting various types of payment products. The company’s mission is to help entrepreneurs manage, grow, simplify, and optimize their businesses through superior payment experiences.
It provides several employee incentive solutions and a gift and loyalty platform to enhance customer engagement. Adumo has developed standalone payment card machines and offers access to various types of online and point-of-sale payments. Through Adumo Capital, it provides entrepreneurs with initial business funding.
Currently, Adumo serves over 70,000 active customers in 13 African countries, handling more than 80 billion rand, or over $4 billion, in annual transaction value.
Kent, a certified director of the Institute of Directors in South Africa, is also the founder and director of SureSwipe, a card payment services provider established in 2008. Since 2020, he has served as a director of the Innervation financial company PAN African Payment Solutions. His professional career began in 2001 as an account manager at Healthbridge, a healthcare payment solutions provider.
Melchior Koba
More...
As the tech landscape continues to evolve, entrepreneurship in new technologies is gaining prominence. Cyberschool Entrepreneuriat, based in Gabon, is positioning itself as a key player, spurring the youth to tap into the potential of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs).
Cyberschool Entrepreneuriat, a Gabon-based incubator specializing in new information and communication technologies (NICTs), leverages these technologies to foster entrepreneurship and aid young individuals in bringing their projects to fruition. The incubator, established in 2010 by Mve Asseko Simplice, an IT project management master’s degree holder, runs several training and support programs to cultivate an entrepreneurial mindset among Gabon’s youth.
The incubator has initiated a two-week training seminar for project leaders and those seeking to enhance their skills, focusing on business plan creation. To further assist its entrepreneurs, Cyberschool Entrepreneuriat has developed Business Booster, an application designed for business plan creation and project monitoring.
It regularly hosts a digital lunch for IT professionals and organizes development workshops. These workshops offer training in computer programming, software development, and IT project management to young individuals and professionals. The workshops aim to equip participants with the necessary tools to stay abreast of the latest technologies and trends, preparing them to work in teams and tackle the challenges of the IT industry.
Additionally, Cyberschool Entrepreneuriat offers training in graphic design and visual communication. This course enables students to master graphic design tools and software, principles of visual composition, and typography. It equips them with robust technical skills for producing high-quality visual communication media, creating effective graphic designs tailored to customer needs, and fostering the creativity and artistic flair required to design innovative and original projects.
Melchior Koba
A serial entrepreneur, she is mainly active in the digital and telecommunications sectors. Her latest innovation is an online platform designed to streamline hotel check-ins.
Franco-Gabonese finance expert and entrepreneur Selena Souah is the founder and CEO of REGCARD, a startup that launched its digital check-in card for express online hotel check-ins worldwide in 2022. The platform, which operates like a travel diary, allows hotels to perform express check-ins and check-outs for their guests at no cost and has a database of over 19,900 travellers.
Souah is also a co-founder and head of business development at International Schools Engineering, a management, investment, and consultancy group in the education sector established in 2013. In 2015, she co-founded Odyssey Education, a global French international education group offering education from nursery to sixth form.
In addition, Souah founded and presides Revolution’Air, a Rwanda-based telecommunications operator and internet service provider established in 2018. The company aims to establish a truly pan-African network and address connectivity and access issues in rural areas. Since January 2024, Souah has been a board member of Institut Aspen France.
Souah, a graduate of Maisons d’éducation de la Légion d’honneur in France, earned a bachelor’s degree in commerce and international business in 2008 and a master’s degree in general finance from ISC Paris in 2012. She began her professional career as a credit analyst at BGFIBank Gabon in 2011 before joining the French branch of Portuguese banking institution Banco Espírito Santo in 2012.
Melchior Koba
The tech entrepreneur specialized in education founded Nyereka Tech to provide innovative educational tools for African students and teachers. The company aims to play a significant role in the continent's educational and technological advancement.
Rwandan tech entrepreneur Shadrach Highflyer (photo) is the founder and CEO of Nyereka Tech, a startup that supplies experimental kits. Established in 2019, Nyereka Tech focuses on education and technology, specializing in the development and supply of innovative educational tools like IoT kits, STEM hardware, and robotics equipment.
The company offers a range of training services in areas such as IoT or microcontroller coding, circuit design, testing, electricity, electronics, software design, and robotics. These services are available to individuals, schools, companies, and centres.
"Nyereka Tech is a company founded on the purpose of resolving the pain points that our future and current innovators are experiencing. We’re collaborating with some of the top technology businesses on the planet to deliver the latest goods and ideas to more people all around the world in order to establish the ICT Innovation Journey. We’re constructing the company that will serve as the continent’s innovation hub," Highflyer explains.
Since 2022, the tech entrepreneur has been a mentor at The Cortex Hub, a British incubator for ICT companies in Rwanda. He also serves as an ambassador for Arm, a company that specialises in the construction of IP solutions.
Highflyer, a holder of two degrees in electrical and electronic engineering from Tumba College of Technology (2017) and the Institute of Information Science and Technology in Kobe, Japan (2019), served as a business mentor for the OIP Mentoring Program in August 2022, a program that supports young entrepreneurs in developing their startups.
Melchior Koba
After her studies and several years working as a software engineer in the United States, she returned to Kenya to help her community by establishing an education organization to help children learn about technology.
Nelly Cheboi (photo), a Kenyan computer scientist and entrepreneur, co-founded TechLit Africa, a non-profit organization aimed at promoting technological literacy in Africa. The organization, established in 2018, provides basic computer skills education to Kenyan students aged 5 to 14.
“Digital skills provide global opportunities,” Cheboi said in 2023. “These kids are doing so much. They have Zoom calls with NASA. They are so open to the world.”
TechLit Africa facilitates the establishment of computer labs in African schools by distributing recycled and refurbished computers. It currently serves 4,000 students across 10 computer labs and plans to construct an additional 100 labs to accommodate 40,000 more students.
After earning her Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science and Applied Mathematics from Augustana College in the U.S. in 2016, Cheboi joined New World Van Lines, a U.S.-based domestic and international household goods removal company. She held various positions, including business analyst and software engineer, between 2016 and 2018.
She later took on multiple software engineering roles at companies such as logistics firm ShipBob, children’s coding program Kodable, and User Hero, a tech company that assists businesses in conducting and organizing user research.
Cheboi’s contributions through TechLit Africa have earned her several accolades. In 2021, she received the Richard Swanson Humanitarian Award from Augustana College and was named in the Forbes 30 under 30 list for her social impact. In 2022, she was honored with the CNN Hero Award.
Melchior Koba