TECH STARS (960)
After several years in the fashion retail industry, she founded a company empowering South Africans to resell their unused clothing.
Phumi Körber (photo), holder of a Higher National Diploma in Somatology from the University of Johannesburg and a Diploma in Communication Management and Brand Communication from the Vega School of Branding, is the founder of the e-commerce platform WiSi-Oi Resell Fashion App. Launched in 2020, WiSi-Oi is a video-based social platform for second-hand clothing resale, providing sellers with real-time analytics to manage their online stores and earn extra income.
WiSi-Oi, an acronym for WEAR IT. SELL IT. OWN IT, offers customers secure and reliable payment systems to purchase their favorite brands at discounted prices. The platform aims to reduce fashion waste by extending the lifespan of garments and promoting sustainable circular fashion. “The aim is to extend the life of clothes that are already in circulation and reduce the need to buy new clothes all the time. The business also offers an empowerment factor, where sellers can generate an income just by selling clothes that are hanging in their closets,” Körber told Disrupt Africa in 2022.
Before founding WiSi-Oi, Körber worked as a category manager for hair care at health, beauty, and wellness retailer Clicks in 2014. She later joined The Foschini Group, a fashion retailer, as an e-commerce and marketing manager in 2018. In 2023, AfricArena accelerator recognized Körber’s startup as the best femtech startup.
Melchior Koba
Beehive Incubator & Coworking is a key player in Cameroon's entrepreneurial ecosystem. It offers incubation and coworking opportunities to startups, entrepreneurs, and freelancers.
Established in 2019, Beehive Incubator & Coworking is a Cameroonian incubator and workspace for startups and entrepreneurs across Africa. Led by Solange Majolaine Tchato, the organization is committed to fostering startups and freelancers by providing an environment that encourages innovation and growth.
It offers a variety of services designed to meet the needs of startups. Its incubation program assists project leaders throughout their development journey, from conducting market studies to formulating their business models. The organization also provides strategic and practical training courses on key topics such as startup management, marketing, communication, finance, accounting, law, and business intelligence.
As an incubator, Beehive helps entrepreneurs validate their concepts by acquiring their first paying customers. It hosts events, including the StartUp MeetUp, which is dedicated to founders of Cameroonian and African startups. The incubator also provides open spaces and private offices, along with domiciliation and secretarial services for companies.
Understanding that funding is often the primary challenge for startups, Beehive Incubator & Coworking also aids entrepreneurs in their quest for financing at every stage of their project. It assists startups in their international expansion strategies by identifying potential partners.
The incubator is making a significant impact on Africa's tech landscape, currently incubating a range of startups. These include Light, a company specializing in connected devices and intelligent solutions, Beauty House, an online home hairdressing service, and Med-sync, a fully online medical secretarial service.
Melchior Koba
Through its incubation and acceleration programs, it stimulates innovation and supports entrepreneurs across the continent. It has supported over 1,000 startups and created thousands of direct and indirect jobs.
xHub Addis, an incubation and acceleration center founded in 2014 by entrepreneur Tewodros Tadesse, is a hub for IT entrepreneurs, innovators, technologists, investors, technology companies, and coders in Ethiopia.
Based in Addis Ababa, the center offers a range of services for startups, including custom software development, IT management services, training, IT strategy consulting, and web development. It aids in the development of businesses and services across various sectors, including information technology, agribusiness, communications, health, transport, engineering, art, design, and education.
xHub Addis has established various incubation and acceleration programs, workshops, events, and networking opportunities to foster leadership and entrepreneurship across a wide range of industries. These efforts aim to cultivate successful innovators.
Among its programs is the Waka Tech Project, a 3 to 5-month initiative that invites companies specializing in technology, education, climate, sustainable solutions, fintech, and more. The center also served as a consultant to the Tifter Ethiopia program of the Ministry of Innovation and Technology and the UNDP, designed to find and support innovators creating solutions to prevent, detect, and control COVID-19.
In terms of impact, xHub Addis has incubated 1,500 companies and graduated 1,200 startups, creating 5,000 indirect jobs and 300 direct jobs. It is supported by several institutions, including UNDP, Mastercard, the British Council, Rotary International, Amref Health Africa, and Reach for Change.
Melchior Koba
After acquiring international experience through studies and corporate roles in England, she returned to her native Kenya to contribute to the continent's financial landscape. She has co-founded Ndovu, a digital investment platform designed to facilitate investments in local and international financial markets.
Radhika Bhachu (photo) is a Kenyan entrepreneur known for co-founding and leading Ndovu, a startup that simplifies saving and investing for Africans. Bhachu, who holds a Bachelor’s degree in Mathematics from the University of Nottingham (2011), has been instrumental in Ndovu’s growth since its inception in 2020.
Ndovu is a digital investment platform that provides expert financial advice tailored to the unique needs and goals of its customers. The startup’s mission is to make investing in financial markets safer and more affordable. It aspires to be recognized as a regional leader in the provision of financial investment solutions in Africa and envisions a future where Africans secure their financial futures through its platform.
To achieve its vision, Ndovu offers several products. Ndovu Sure provides users with a secure way to earn money based on their investment risk profile and planned investment period, making it ideal for diversifying investment portfolios, establishing emergency return products, or preserving capital. Ndovu Goal-based Saving helps customers increase their wealth by building a personalized portfolio according to their financial objectives. The startup also offers a wealth management API, the Ndovu Embedded Wealth Management API, which enables partners to offer personalized investment and savings products.
Bhachu’s professional journey began with an internship at the British banking and finance group HSBC in 2008. She later joined Deloitte Consulting as a senior consultant in 2011 and moved to BlackRock, an asset manager and technology provider, as a relationship manager in 2015.
Melchior Koba
Olotu Square is dedicated to building success stories in technology and entrepreneurship. With its team and innovative programs, it supports young entrepreneurs in building their businesses.
Olotu Square, a technology innovation hub based in Port Harcourt, Nigeria, has been making strides in empowering young people with innovative technologies and fostering employability and entrepreneurship since its inception in 2016.
Founded by Bruce Lucas and currently led by President and CEO Aima Atigari, Olotu Square began as a simple software technology company. It has since implemented a series of programs and activities, particularly in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria. These initiatives include STEM training, campus visits, industrial training, training events, intensive employability courses, an employment support program, skills outsourcing, entrepreneurship training, start-up incubation, and the establishment of an innovation laboratory.
The center also features a coworking space to encourage collaboration between entrepreneurs and provides invaluable business support, mentoring, and networking to help entrepreneurs throughout their start-up journey.
Olotu Square is one of the partners of the Africa Netpreneur Prize Initiative (ANPI) for West Africa, a competition that seeks to discover African entrepreneurs whose stories inspire the continent. The 10 finalists have the opportunity to present their pitch to judges for a chance to win a $1 million prize.
In addition to partnering with angel investors and venture capitalists to fund start-ups, Olotu Square has collaborated with government partners to strengthen their impact. As a member of the AfriLabs network, the center is supported by Coworkers, Google, and VC4A (Venture Capital for Africa), among others.
Melchior Koba
An entrepreneur, she has many years' experience in the telecommunications, consumer products and satellite broadcasting sectors. In December 2023, she won Ghana's Technology Leadership of the Year award.
Adelaide Abbiw-Williams, President and CEO of SES HD PLUS Ghana Ltd, a subsidiary of global content connectivity solutions provider SES, was awarded the Technology Leadership Award at Ghana's fifth annual National Communications Awards in December 2023.
The award recognized the company's commitment to innovation, leadership, and the empowerment of women and youth in the media and technology sectors. SES HD PLUS GH, under Abbiw-Williams' leadership, also received the Innovation in Digital Solutions of the Year award.
"I am grateful to receive the Technology Leadership Award of the Year at the National Communications Awards 2023, and proud that SES HD PLUS GH also earned 'Innovation in Digital Solutions of the Year.[...] Kudos to Team HD+ and our Partners for making it happen. This win is for all of us! Looking forward to collaborating with more stakeholders so we can push boundaries and inspire change in the world of satellite TV technology," Abbiw-Williams said.
Abbiw-Williams, who joined SES in 2020 as Marketing Manager for SES Video in West Africa, has been heading SES HD PLUS Ghana since January 2023. In June, she created the LeadHERS Lean-In Circle and the HD+ LeadHERS Xperience platform to foster collaboration between like-minded women leaders. In October, she launched a satellite installation training program for Ghanaian female prison guards.
The Ghanaian executive holds a Bachelor's degree in Mathematics and Statistics from the University of Cape Coast and a Master's degree in Business Administration from Lancaster University. Her professional career began in 2007 at Nestlé Purina North America as a Regional Sales Analyst. She later joined Nestlé Ghana in 2009 as a Sales Development Specialist and Vodafone Ghana in 2011, where she held various managerial positions before leaving the company in 2020.
Abbiw-Williams also won the Outstanding Women in Leadership Award at the 2023 Women's Choice Awards Africa organized by Global Ovations Ltd.
Melchior Koba
Driven by a passion for women's empowerment, Nomndeni Sethole Mdakhi has launched "Agenda Woman," a digital platform fostering connection and collaboration among women.
Nomndeni Sethole Mdakhi, a seasoned entrepreneur with a focus on information and communication technologies, is a marketing graduate from the University of Johannesburg (2004). She is also the Founder and CEO of Agenda Woman, an online platform established in 2018 to cater to women seeking connections with like-minded individuals and content facilitating personal and professional growth.
The platform goes beyond the usual networking circles, aiming to build a supportive community where women can share experiences, access resources, and uplift each other through mentorship and professional development initiatives.
On what inspired the creation of Agenda Woman, Nomndeni Sethole Mdakhi said: "I separated from my ex-husband in 2016 after being together for 13 years. That transition made me realize that I had no one who would understand my standpoint, that I could talk to. Now I have this desperate need to bring women together and create a space where they can have conversations about common issues they’re facing. I felt like there was no authentic space where that was already taking place and in a manner that made it easy for people to open up."
Before Agenda Woman, Mdakhi co-founded, in 2009, the Fuse Academy for Girls, a school aimed at empowering young women aspiring to pursue careers in the entertainment industry.
Her professional career began in 2006 at MultiChoice, an entertainment company, where she served as a Customer Service Representative. Subsequently, in 2007, she transitioned to Discovery Holdings, assuming the role of Customer Relations Manager for healthcare professionals. From 2011 to 2021, she held the position of General Manager at Edits Communications.
Melchior Koba
A serial entrepreneur, he leverages technology to deliver innovative platforms and solutions that solve social problems in Africa. His latest startup, PricePally, offers fresh produce and packaged food in Nigeria.
Luther Lawoyin (photo) is a Nigerian entrepreneur and graduate of the University of Lagos with a Bachelor's degree in Management and Business Administration. He is also the co-founder and CEO of the e-commerce platform PricePally.
Established in 2019 by Luther Lawoyin alongside Deepak Bansal, Mosun Lawoyin, and Jummai Abalaka, PricePally specializes in providing a diverse range of fresh food products in collaboration with trusted farmers and partners. The platform aims to address food cost challenges, ensure product availability, and maintain price predictability amid shortages and inflation, catering to the needs of urban populations across African cities.
It also operates a swift product delivery service through its digital channels, including a dedicated app and a WhatsApp chatbot. With fulfillment centers located in major cities such as Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt, and Ibadan, PricePally emphasizes efficient distribution to meet consumer demands.
In November 2023, it secured $1.3 million in funding to expand its footprint beyond its current service areas in Nigeria. The company is set to reintroduce group buying initiatives, reaffirming its commitment to making quality food accessible and affordable to consumers.
Apart from his role at PricePally, Luther Lawoyin has been actively contributing to the ecosystem as a board member of Motherland since 2021. Motherland serves as an ecosystem orchestrator, bringing together selected communities and startups to address community challenges and promote sustainable development.
A serial entrepreneur, in 2013, Lawoyin founded Pass Exam Ventures, an innovative electronic testing platform designed to prepare students for the JAMB (Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board) exam. In 2015, he established Lucy.ng, an online gift store catering to various seasons, occasions, and events, where he served as CEO until 2019.
His journey also includes being a former fellow of prestigious programs such as the Alibaba eFounders Fellowship, the Westerwelle Foundation, the Miller Center for Social Entrepreneurship, and MassChallenge Switzerland. Lawoyin also participates in the SOSV MOX program, an accelerator run by venture capital firm Orbit Startups.
Melchior Koba
In the tech sector, marked by persistent gender under-representation, Diyé Dia stands out as a noteworthy exemplar. She heads Aristarc, a firm specializing in digital transformation consulting, as well as providing services in web and mobile development and training.
Diyé Dia (photo), a Senegalese computer scientist and entrepreneur, is at the forefront of the digital transformation sweeping across Africa. As co-founder and CEO of Aristarc, a web and mobile application development company, Dia is helping businesses and individuals alike harness the power of technology to thrive in the new digital age.
Dia's journey began with a passion for technology and a deep understanding of the challenges facing African economies. After earning her engineering degree in computer science and modeling from the Senegalese computer engineering school ISIMA in 2011, she went on to pursue a PhD in computer science, data mining, e-commerce, machine learning, and artificial intelligence at Blaise Pascal University in France.
Armed with her expertise, Dia returned to Senegal in 2017 and co-founded Aristarc. The company offers innovative web design and development services, as well as training programs in the tech field. It also provides solutions related to data and AI, helping businesses make sense of their data and use it to drive growth.
One of Aristarc's most successful products is Gabi, a mobile application that helps users find their nearest ATM. Another notable Aristarc product is Scorapp, a web application designed for banks, investment funds, and microfinance institutions. Scorapp helps these institutions dematerialize credit applications and rate credit files, making it easier and faster for businesses to lend money to qualified borrowers.
Before diving into entrepreneurship, Dia honed her skills working for various companies. Between 2012 and 2014, she balanced part-time lecturing at Blaise Pascal University with research and development engineering at Almerys, a health and insurance tech platform. In 2016, she shifted gears, joining Performances Group as a data project manager, contributing to their mission of driving economic transformation across Africa, until 2018.
Melchior Koba
He boasts over 10 years of experience in robotics, AI, computer vision, and digital transformation. A seasoned entrepreneur, he heads DevisionX, an AI-focused company.
Mahmoud AbdelAziz (photo), an Egyptian entrepreneur and 2011 graduate of Zagazig University with a bachelor's degree in electricity, electronics, and communications, serves as the co-founder and CEO of DevisionX. Established in 2016 by AbdelAziz and Samar Hamdy, DevisionX specializes in the artificial intelligence industry, offering solutions that empower manufacturers and businesses through the application of AI and computer vision to address their daily challenges.
DevisionX’s flagship product is Tuba.ai, a no-code tool designed to streamline the machine learning process. This innovative platform facilitates the labeling, training, and deployment of AI-Vision applications in a systematic, modular fashion. Even individuals lacking experience in artificial intelligence or coding can leverage Tuba.ai to achieve these tasks.
Tuba.ai, created to cater to a wide range of expertise levels, allows users to develop computer vision applications directly through an interface without the need for coding. Alternatively, those inclined towards custom programming can utilize software development kits.
In addition to his role at DevisionX, AbdelAziz is the Head of Business Development at Stream Controls, a company offering cutting-edge software products to systems integrators. As a member of both the Future of SaaS community and the AI Guild specialist association, AbdelAziz also serves as a consultant to Management & Training Corporation, an American entity overseeing workforce development contracts in areas such as prison administration and medicine, with a focus on serving disadvantaged populations.
Beyond his corporate responsibilities, in 2011, AbdelAziz co-founded the MATE Egypt Regional ROV Competition, an annual event organized at the Arab Academy of Science, Technology and Maritime Transport (AASTMT) for undergraduate students. In 2013, he established QEYE, an Egyptian startup committed to enhancing production quality across various industries, including textiles, plastics, paper, packaging, and more.
Demonstrating his entrepreneurial spirit, AbdelAziz co-founded EG Robotics in 2015, a company specializing in robotics, and in 2018, he ventured into the fintech realm with the establishment of Digified, an Egyptian startup providing digital identity verification solutions.
Melchior Koba
More...
OceanHub Africa is an organization dedicated to supporting and investing in companies that pioneer innovative solutions across diverse sectors of the blue economy. Recognized with both national and international awards, these accolades underscore its significant impact on the ocean ecosystem in Africa.
OceanHub Africa, a pan-African organization founded in 2019 by Alexis Grosskopf (photo, center) and Stéphanie Canac, is a catalyst for Africa's ocean impact ecosystem. Functioning as both a connector and investor, its mission is to unite, inspire, and assist entrepreneurs, investors, researchers, businesses, and other stakeholders within the blue economy. The organization is committed to expediting the development and adoption of sustainable ocean solutions across Africa.
Renowned for its impactful accelerator program, OceanHub Africa provides comprehensive personal, product, and business development to equip startups for success in the marketplace. Beyond the accelerator program, the organization actively supports the development of the blue economy and entrepreneurship in Africa, hosting the prestigious African Ocean Innovation Summit for three editions.
In 2022, OceanHub Africa was named the best impact startup accelerator in South Africa by the MEA Business Awards. At COP 28, it won a gold award at the Africa Grows Green Awards in the climate research, education, and training category.
Since its launch, OceanHub Africa has supported, throughout its four cohorts, 24 African entrepreneurs in various sectors of the blue economy. These sectors include aquaculture, fisheries, shipbuilding, marine renewable energies and biotechnologies, coastal tourism, ocean sports, awareness-raising and education, data mining, and the circular economy of ocean plastics.
Melchior Koba
In every part of the world, SMEs operating in the agricultural and food industry are required to undergo sometimes complex compliance audits before exporting their products. In South Africa, Nneile Nkholise streamlines the process, providing expert guidance and access to all biosafety audit and verification needs.
Nneile Nkholise (photo) is a distinguished South African entrepreneur and engineer who serves as the founder and CEO of Thola, a B2B trading platform dedicated to facilitating the global export of African agricultural products. A native of South Africa, Nneile Nkholise pursued her academic journey at the University of the Witwatersrand, earning a Bachelor's degree in Physics and Computer Science. She later earned a Master's degree in Mechanical Engineering from the Central University of Technology.
Established in 2021, her trading platform, Thola, offers small and medium-sized enterprises compliance automation in the agricultural and food industry, to accelerate their access to affordable compliance certification enabling seamless access to global trade and export of goods.
A serial entrepreneur, she is either the founder or co-founder of several other startups. In 2015, Nneile Nkholise founded iMed Tech, a company that uses computer-aided design (CAD) to manufacture external dental and breast prostheses, particularly for women who have undergone mastectomy(s) after breast cancer. In 2018, she co-founded 3DIMO, a company that specializes in data analysis and tracking farm animals to monitor their health.
Currently an Atlantic Council Millennium Program Fellow and Northeastern University Founder-in-Residence, the former Dihlase Consulting Engineers Mechanical Engineering Technologist (2015-2016) was a member of the Harambe Entrepreneurship Class of 2018.
Nneile Nkholise has received several awards and honors during her entrepreneurial career. In 2016, she was recognized as Africa's Best Woman Innovator by the World Economic Forum. In 2017, she was named Young South African of the Year by the Office of the President. The following year, she made it to Forbes Africa's 30 under 30, recognized as one of Africa's top 100 young people by the Africa Youth Council, and was awarded Southern Africa's Industrialist of the Year at the All Africa Business Leaders Awards. In 2021, during the Digital Women's Days, she was awarded the Margaret Entrepreneur Africa award.
Melchior Koba
DR Congo: Ingenious City Cultivates Entrepreneurial Skills, Promotes Entrepreneurship and Networking
Ingenious City is a DR Congo-based hub that connects entrepreneurs and enables them to collaborate for the development of impactful solutions. It has already incubated over a hundred projects and continues to promote entrepreneurship.
Ingenious City, a Congolese incubator founded in 2018 by Alexis Indenge and François Ngenyi, promotes entrepreneurship and fosters connections among ecosystem players in DR Congo. Its main goal is to cultivate collaboration among entrepreneurs to create impactful solutions.
In practical terms, Ingenious City offers tailored training modules focused on entrepreneurship, specifically designed for the Congolese ecosystem. The incubator offers guidance and advice to enhance the performance of innovative ideas. To facilitate networking and cooperation, Ingenious City provides a well-equipped 1,200-square-meter physical workspace for entrepreneurs. Through its business incubation service, it supports the launch of startups by offering a professional workspace and access to essential resources, including financing.
Ingenious City identifies projects that provide tangible solutions to societal challenges, offering them logistical support and financial backing to kickstart their operations. The incubator extends its support to projects spanning technology, agri-food, industry, and services.
Leveraging a network of over 150 experts and mentors, Ingenious City has successfully incubated over 100 projects since its inception. The incubator enjoys support from more than 25 partners and sponsors, including RAWBANK.
Melchior Koba
He studied business administration, accounting, and finance. However, he specializes in communications and digital technology. He developed, with his team, an app to facilitate fleet management.
Loic Kapitho (photo), a seasoned Gabonese entrepreneur with expertise in communications and digital sectors, co-founded POZI App, a tracking application designed to make life easier for vehicle owners and fleet managers.
The entrepreneur holds a bachelor's degree in business administration from ICN Business School, earned in 2008, and a master's degree in accounting and finance from Gabon's National Institute of Management Sciences, also obtained in the same year. In 2020, he joined forces with Thomas Leluc to establish POZI App, aiming to empower vehicle owners and fleet managers by providing tools for monitoring, analyzing, and optimizing their business operations.
Specializing in vehicle tracking and fleet management, POZI App analyzes users' journey performance, identifying risks, and highlighting opportunities across all their vehicles.
"Our application has three specific features. Firstly, we offer the most accurate and local mapping on the market. Secondly, we offer a modern, innovative user experience with, for example, the possibility of real-time, contextualized incident notifications on one's smartphone and automatically generated analytical reports. Our interface is very 'user friendly', accessible, and takes into account the increasing mobility of users," said the entrepreneur in 2021.
POZI App's ambition is to become the market leader in Gabon by 2024. The startup has already reached the symbolic milestone of 1,000 active vehicles, positioning itself as a benchmark application for businesses and semi-professionals.
Loic Kapitho is also the founder and CEO of TOUCH Innovative, a digital communications agency and digital advertising sales house set up in 2016. He is also chairman of TECH 241, Gabon's technology business union, which brings together major companies and professionals in the digital and technology sectors.
His professional career began in 2008 at Trade & Services, a Gabonese SME specializing in graphic design and creation, where he was director. Between 2011 and 2015, he worked at JTC Consulting in Gabon as Strategy and Communications Manager.
Melchior Koba