TECH STARS (960)
The trained finance professional is experienced in risk management. With Mapha Logistics, he facilitates e-commerce operations for small and medium-sized businesses.
Loyiso Vatsha (photo) is the co-founder and CEO of Mapha Logistics, a logistics company specializing in on-demand delivery. He graduated from the University of Pretoria, South Africa, with a bachelor's in actuarial science and financial mathematics, in 2014.
In 2017, he co-founded Mapha Logistics to support local businesses that were struggling to access quality inventory, competitive prices, and efficient customer bases. His startup offers last-mile on-demand delivery and procurement solutions for small businesses in urban and peri-urban areas.
The aim is to empower businesses by providing a platform that enables them to create an online store, source supplies, deliver goods to local customers, accept online payments, and track inventory and delivery drivers. The company also serves as a marketplace for the public to easily order products from thousands of restaurants, convenience stores, cosmetics stores, and more.
In 2016, Loyiso Vatsha founded Mapha Foodshare, a food-sharing platform that allows users to post, sell, buy, and share with people in and around their neighborhoods.
A philanthropist, in 2022, he also founded the Vatsha Foundation to improve the lives of children living in poverty in South Africa, by promoting quality public education and children's health and improving the economic stability of families living in poverty.
Since 2021, he has been the Managing Director of Azania Ventures, a South African venture capital firm. From 2016 to 2019, he was a financial risk manager for South African financial services holding Rand Merchant Bank.
With Mapha Logistics, he has earned several awards. For instance, in 2021, he won the SAB Foundation Social Innovation Award, which “finds, supports and scales social innovations.” In 2022, he was also one of the beneficiaries of Google's Black Founders Fund program.
Melchior Koba
In Gabon, Akewa is positioned as a beacon of innovation. Its commitment to fostering entrepreneurship and providing technological solutions to community challenges sets it apart as a leader in the technology industry.
Akewa Accelerator claims to be the first incubator and accelerator launched in Gabon for entrepreneurs and young people with innovative projects in the ICT, mobile technology, social and solidarity entrepreneurship, and green economy sectors.
Founded in 2013 by Fabrice Ntchango –a serial entrepreneur who is the CEO of the accelerator, Akewa offers a wide range of services involving the provision of workspace, technology incubation, and mentoring. It provides support to project leaders or promoters who want to launch or develop their businesses. Its Services are focused on key sectors such as cultural industries, renewable energies, agri-food, ICT, and the environment.
Akewa’s pre-incubation and incubation programs support project leaders in developing and validating their business ideas, designing and testing a prototype, and drawing up a bankable business plan.
Its acceleration program offers early-stage startups access to mentoring, investors, and other forms of support to help them become stable and self-sufficient. The program can last from two to six months. It also provides accelerated startups with logistical and technical resources, as well as co-working space.
In 2022, it implemented notable initiatives including “Green Accelerator”, an entrepreneurial support program that took place entirely online. It also implemented the "Young Girl Digital Mother" (YGIDIMO), a program that provided digital coaching to 10 young mothers, helping them to develop income-generating activities. The award ceremony for the first winner of the YGIDIMO program took place in March 2023.
Akewa Accelerator has also created technological solutions, such as the Africa Climate App, a hybrid application that prevents climate risks and disasters, as well as the CINES Business & Digital School web platform, which offers certified training to its customers.
It also offers auditing, consulting, and strategy services. It helps companies raise funds and offers training courses as well as organizes events such as competitions, networking sessions, and conferences.
Thanks to its various initiatives and programs, Akewa won the award of the Best African Technology Company of the Year 2022, organized by the Alpha Blue Foundation and the African Digital Conference & Awards (ADCA). "This award confirms that we offer reliable, sustainable technological solutions that serve communities," its founder said, in January 2023, when the award was announced.
Melchior Koba
He has a PhD in computer science and has worked for several international firms. After venturing into the world of entrepreneurship, he launched an agritech startup that offers solutions to help stakeholders make the right decisions.
Dieu Donné Okalas Ossami (photo) is a trained computer scientist and tech entrepreneur. Born in Congo, he studied in France where he graduated (in 2002) with a Master of Advanced Studies in software engineering from the University of Franche-Comté. He also holds a PhD in computer science (in 2006) from the Marketing Academy in London, England.
In 2015, he founded E-Tumba, an agritech startup that combines mobile technologies, big data, connected objects, and mechanistic agronomic models to make productive and sustainable agriculture a reality in Africa. Based in Montpellier, France, it designs, develops, and supplies smart advisory and decision-support tools for agriculture and the environment for producers and technologically under-equipped areas in Africa.
His startup has designed and developed two main technological solutions. The first, Fieldsim, is a SaaS (Software as a Service) platform that helps producers make their agricultural sectors more sustainable. The solution, focused on agriculture and the environment, combines three service levels, namely industry management, advice, and decision support.
The second solution, BioFuncTool, is aimed at all players in the agricultural value chain. It is a digital solution comprising a mobile field application and a SaaS web application enabling non-specialists to measure, assess, and preserve the biodiversity of agricultural soils.
Since 2013, Dieu Donné Okalas Ossami has been an IT Security Analyst for VeriFone Systems France in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. His professional career began in 2005 at I.U.T Nancy-Charlemagne, where he was an assistant professor.
A postdoctoral researcher at Compiègne University of Technology between 2006 and 2007, he joined electronic payment solutions provider Hypercom as head of payment platform security and compliance. He worked there from 2007 to 2011.
Melchior Koba
Twende Hub is a community of innovators working together to solve concrete problems. It has already led to the development of several technologies and prototypes.
Twende Hub is a social innovation center that works to solve community problems through technology. Based in Tanzania, it provides workspace, technology incubation, and mentoring.
The center believes in working with students and community members to identify common challenges and design and create suitable solutions to those problems. Under the leadership of John Rexford Nzira, a project management and HR professional, it offers programs that encourage creativity and innovative thinking.
Its training programs are typically one day to eight weeks long. They are open to a variety of participants, from primary school pupils to community members. Through those programs, the center introduces participants to mechanical and electrical trades and thought processes that help them identify challenges facing them, their families, and their communities.
At the end of the programs, the center encourages “the more enthusiastic innovators with the most promising prototypes to take them forward towards a product which can be manufactured at scale, distributed, sold, serviced and used for the mutual benefit of everyone concerned and to contribute to the growth of the Tanzanian economy and poverty alleviation.”
Twende Hub has two creative spaces, workshops in which program participants can build their prototypes. One of these spaces is at its Arusha headquarters, while the other is located at the Orkolili secondary school and vocational training center in the Kilimanjaro region.
In its 9 years of existence, the center has helped develop over 60 prototypes and 20 technological products. More than 100,000 people use the technologies designed and developed by its trainees.
A member of the AfriLabs network, the center is supported by Google for Nonprofits, Kumasi Hive, Africa Open Science Hardware, Global Giving, Southern Africa Innovation Support, Pangea Advisors, The School of St Jude, and Okoa New Generation, among others.
Melchior Koba
Although she studied finance and actuarial sciences, she decided to pursue an entrepreneurial career in the transport industry. She now harnesses the power of technology to boost the industry in Kenya.
Balqis Chepkwony (photo) is a Kenyan-born tech entrepreneur and finance professional. She graduated from the University of Nairobi, in 2006, with a Bachelor's in Actuarial Science. The same year, she became a Chartered Professional Accountant after three years of study at the Vision Institute of Professionals.
The tech entrepreneur is better known as the CEO and co-founder of FleetSimplify, a startup offering fleet management solutions to revolutionize Kenya's transportation industry. Through FleetSimplify, launched in 2017, she develops innovative solutions that optimize transport, streamline operations, and improve the customer experience.
FleetSimplify is a car rental marketplace that connects drivers to quality cars for rent. It manages car rental, ensuring car owners are well paid and their cars are well maintained. And, to professional drivers, it allows instant access to cars that they can operate, as chauffeurs, to earn a decent living.
Balqis Chepkwony, the CEO overseeing its operations, entered the professional world in 2007. That year, she joined the energy company Hass Petroleum as an accountant. She left the company in 2014 and, the following year, she was hired by Texas Energy, as the chief financial officer. Her innovation and leadership have won her several awards and recognitions. She was one of seven finalists in the Pitch competition organized by Mobility 54 Investment SAS, the venture capital subsidiary of Toyota Tsusho Corporation and CFAO SAS, in May 2022. Her company was also selected, by Google for Startups, for the Black Founders Fund program in June 2023.
In August 2023, she was featured in Google Africa's WomeninIT series, which highlights women who are making significant contributions to their respective industries through technology.
Melchior Koba
The center embodies the promise of a bright technological future for The Gambia. With its unwavering commitment to innovation, education, and collaboration, it is positioned as a major player in the African technology landscape.
In Gambia, The Disruptive Lab stands out as an important driver for innovation and technological development for young people. It offers a dynamic coworking space, providing not only a collaborative workplace, but also state-of-the-art equipment, networking opportunities, and an ambitious vision for the future of Gambian entrepreneurs and startups.
Founded in 2019, this innovative center is an initiative of Innovate Gambia, a movement to drive digital transformation and accelerate economic development in The Gambia. It is funded by PointClick Technologies, a cloud services company headed by Malik Khan.
Equipped with the latest software and hardware technologies, the center's workspace includes 3D printers, virtual reality headsets, game consoles, PDAs, digital whiteboards, unified communications, and collaboration technologies.
It aims to foster collaboration, forge a strong community, encourage innovation, and promote learning. Doing so, it plans on becoming a catalyst for change and transformation through innovation and digital technology.
To achieve its mission, The Disruptive Lab offers a diverse range of services and programs for its members and the general public. In addition to its coworking spaces, it provides entrepreneurs with conference and meeting rooms. It also organizes regular events and meetings to promote learning, networking, and collaboration.
One of its programs is DRILL, a six-month acceleration program that provides 60 selected companies with skills, business tools, and capital to support their growth in The Gambia and Tanzania. This initiative is carried out in partnership with Tanzania's Westerwelle Startup Haus Arusha, and is sponsored by AfriLabs and Digital Africa's capacity-building programs.
The Disruptive Lab does not limit itself to its internal activities. It has created a major networking event entitled "Who is Who in Tech in the Gambian Diaspora", aimed at connecting tech industry professionals from the diaspora with the local tech ecosystem. It's a bridge between global experience and local potential.
As a member of the AfriLabs network, The Disruptive Lab is supported by leading organizations such as Google for Startups, MailChimp, Amazon Web Services and QuickBooks.
Melchior Koba
With a diverse educational background and a wealth of experience in the technology industry, Jennie Nwokoye is on a mission to transform primary healthcare services in Africa.
Nigerian-born tech entrepreneur Jennie Nwokoye (photo) is the founder and CEO of Clafiya, a startup that is revolutionizing access to primary healthcare by offering convenient, high-quality, and affordable services directly from users' cell phones.
Founded in 2021, Clafiya uses cutting-edge Google Maps Platform technology to enable patients to quickly locate the nearest healthcare providers. This innovative initiative offers patients the option of using USSD (Unstructured Supplementary Service Data) codes or the Clafiya web app to register and schedule face-to-face consultations with nurses and community health workers. As a result, patients receive an accurate diagnosis and treatment recommendations tailored to their needs.
Jennie Nwokoye, the CEO overseeing the operations of this innovative startup, has an impressive and diverse educational background. In 2012, she earned a bachelor's in biomedical sciences, with a minor in anthropology, at the University of Florida. Her thirst for knowledge then led her to earn a master's in medical science and technology at Stevenson University in 2015. Finally, in 2021, she earned a PhD in Systems Engineering at George Washington University.
Her professional career, spanning more than 10 years, started at Procter & Gamble in 2013, in the USA, where she worked as an analytical chemist. She then broadened her horizons by working with prestigious international and government institutions, including as an Intelligence Operations Specialist for the US Department of Homeland Security from 2016 to 2017, and as a Program Manager at Amazon Web Services in 2020-2021.
Jennie Nwokoye's dedication and innovative approach have not gone unnoticed. In 2020, she was honored as the recipient of the Legacy Lab Foundation Fellowship by Team One. The following year, Forbes named her in the “Health and Science” category of its Next 1000 list, which showcases “ambitious sole proprietors [...] who are redefining what it means to build and run a business.” In 2022, her startup, Clafiya, took part in the prestigious Google for Startups Accelerator Africa program.
Beyond her entrepreneurial successes, Jennie Nwokoye is deeply committed to supporting the next generation of entrepreneurs. As a mentor in the Washington-based incubator Halcyon, she has made a significant impact by helping more than a dozen young entrepreneurs raise over $200,000 since 2019.
Melchior Koba
Through its unwavering commitment to innovation, mLab Southern Africa is positioning itself as a catalyst for digital transformation in Southern Africa.
mLab (Mobile Applications Laboratory NPC) Southern Africa, founded in 2011, is a technology-focused company that trains innovators and entrepreneurs to make the most of digital opportunities.
It is the result of a collaboration between the World Bank, via its InfoDev project, the Department of Science and Innovation (DSI), the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research in South Africa (CSIR), and The Innovation Hub (TIH), among other stakeholders, to help open up and develop the mobile applications sector in South Africa.
It is part of a regional initiative encompassing Southern African countries. In addition to the members of the consortium that set it up, it relies on a solid network of partners and collaborators from the public, private, academic, and civil society sectors. These include the World Bank, the Finnish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, AfriLabs, Google, and Amazon Web Services.
Along with various partners, it strives to build a dynamic and robust innovation ecosystem. It focuses on empowering youth, women, and disadvantaged communities through digital skills training, business support, and technology development services.
With offices in Limpopo, Gauteng, and the Northern Cape, it offers a wide range of services and programs to support both aspiring technology entrepreneurs and established players in developing their skills, ideas, and products.
It organizes events, training, workshops, and bootcamps for a variety of audiences including school pupils, university students, graduates, professionals, and entrepreneurs wishing to learn about mobile technologies, design, development, and business management.
mLab Southern Africa successfully runs the CodeTribe program, a full-time coding academy designed to train young people from disadvantaged backgrounds to become software developers.
The company offers incubation and acceleration programs for early-stage startups. Through its programs, it offers services such as gap analysis, go-to-market strategies, mentoring, start-up grants, as well as assistance with digital tools and minimum viable product (MVP) development.
Its Innovation Lab is a fertile ground where its team supports the development of digital solutions, particularly those with social impact, and has contributed to the development of solutions for sectors as diverse as education, health, and agriculture.
Melchior Koba
He has over two decades of experience in media, entertainment, and technology. With his new role at Google Africa, he will play a greater role in promoting a digitally inclusive and prosperous future for the entire continent.
Alex Okosi (photo) is a Nigerian-born business executive. Last September 5, he was appointed Managing Director of Google in Africa. At that post, he will lead the company's operations on the continent, including programs to help businesses and economies grow, as well as expand Internet access and provide tools to help the next billion users get more out of the Web.
"I am excited at the prospect of leading Google’s team in Africa and the opportunity to be an even closer part of this diverse and dynamic region, which is so close to my heart," said Alex Okosi. "I’m a firm believer in the potential for technology and, in particular, the internet to improve people’s lives and to help individuals and businesses in Africa to thrive," he added.
The new executive attended university in the United States. In 1998, he graduated from Saint Michael's College with a Bachelor's in Business Administration and Economics. Before joining Google, he spent 22 years (1998-2020) with mass media company ViacomCBS (now Paramount Global). He held several executive positions, including General Manager of the BET International brand. He then worked for YouTube, between 2020 and 2023, as Managing Director of EMEA Emerging Markets.
Throughout his career, Alex Okosi has won several awards. In 2013, he was named Young Global Leader by the World Economic Foundation (WEF). In 2014, he won Up & Coming Future Leader of the Year at the Ai Investment & Business Leader Awards. In 2018, he was a finalist in the All Africa Business Leader Awards. The following year, he was made an honorary member of the National Institute Of Marketing Of Nigeria (NIMN).
Melchior Koba
He is an outstanding example of an African entrepreneur who is harnessing blockchain technology to generate a positive impact both on his continent and on the world stage.
Cameroonian-born entrepreneur Ricardo Konlack (photo) is a blockchain enthusiast. As the co-founder and CEO of IoT firm Katika, he is actively involved in revolutionizing the financial landscape in Africa through the adoption of this innovative technology.
His platform, Katika, stands out for its ability to offer innovative solutions perfectly adapted to the needs of African entrepreneurs. It facilitates rapid and secure payments, offers access to credit without the need for intermediaries, encourages savings, and enables investment in local projects.
Katika's mission is to promote financial inclusion, stimulate economic development, and enhance digital sovereignty in Africa. It uses blockchain to establish trust between users, reduce costs, increase transparency, and guarantee data protection. Its platform relies on an active, committed community that contributes to its governance and development.
The platform has benefited from support from several local and international incubators and accelerators, including Founder Institute and ActivSpaces.
Ricardo Konlack graduated from Germany's Technische Hochschule Mittelhessen in 2020, with a degree in civil engineering. The entrepreneur's first company is BrickBuilding, which designs, manufactures, and distributes products for civil engineering, architecture, construction, and public works.
Melchior Koba
More...
SING plays a key role in the digital ecosystem in Gabon and the Central African region as a whole. It provides solutions tailored to the needs of entrepreneurs, businesses, and institutions.
SING (Digital Incubation Society of Gabon) is a private company specializing in digital innovation. Founded in 2018 by business management consultant Yannick Ebibie, it primarily aims to help boost the competitiveness of African businesses by promoting digital transition.
With its PIVOT 4.0 incubator, SING offers customized programs to support the development of digital start-ups. It selects and supports innovative projects in various sectors such as digital, energy, agriculture, health, and education. Start-ups benefit from tailored support, access to state-of-the-art infrastructure, a network of mentors and experts, and financing opportunities.
The incubator also offers training courses leading to qualifications and certification in digital-related fields such as web development, design, digital marketing, and cybersecurity. These courses are accessible at all levels and are designed to enhance learners' skills.
SING also supports companies and institutions in their digital transformation by providing auditing, research, strategy, and customized digital solutions.
Since its creation, SING has supported over 50 digital startups in Gabon, some of which have won national and international awards. In addition, SING has been a key player in the organization or co-organization of digital-related events, such as hackathons, conferences, and workshops. Its ambition is to contribute to the creation of 20,000 jobs in information and communication technologies (ICT) in Gabon by 2025 and to foster the emergence of national digital innovation champions.
Some of the companies it supported include Ultimate CRM, an online prospecting platform designed to improve the sales force, and Ekena, a start-up focused on promoting local tourism through the development of digital solutions for all players in the value chain.
Its partners include the World Bank, Deloitte, eGabon, Gabon Telecom, Vivendi Africa, Total Gabon, and the Ministry of Digital Economy, Communication, and Post.
Melchior Koba
Technopark is a key player in innovation in Morocco. It helps revitalize the country’s economic fabric and promote youth entrepreneurship.
Launched in 2001 in Casablanca, Technopark is the first technology business incubator to be established in Morocco. It was established by MITC (Moroccan Information Technopark Company), a B2B service company, as a public partnership between the Moroccan Ministry of Industry, the World Bank, the national deposit and consignment fund CDG, Banque Centrale Populaire (BCP), and the now dissolved private equity firm ONA.
Technopark's mission is to facilitate the creation and growth of innovative companies operating in the fields of information and communication technologies (ICT), green technologies (greentech), and the cultural industry. It offers an environment conducive to the growth of start-ups, with a wide range of services including accommodation, mentoring, training, access to financing, market access, visibility, and networking.
Since its creation, Technopark has supported over 3,500 innovative companies, creating more than 15,000 direct and indirect jobs. It currently operates on five sites - located in Casablanca, Rabat, Tangier, Souss-Massa, and Agadir - hosting over 450 companies and regularly serving as a venue for events focused on innovation and entrepreneurship.
The incubator aims to be a strategic catalyst for Morocco's innovative entrepreneurial ecosystem, extending its model to other regions of the country. In the fourth quarter of 2023, Technopark Essouira will be inaugurated, and three other sites planned for Fez, Tiznit, and Oujda will launch in 2024. These new innovation centers will help support local start-ups and foster synergies between the various players in these regions.
Melchior Koba
She left the French pharmaceutical company Sanofi-Pasteur to fully devote herself to her passion: fashion. Her startup is now an industry leader in the Middle East and Africa, with a presence in Tunisia, Morocco, Algeria, and Egypt.
Ameni Mansouri (photo) is a young Tunisian entrepreneur better known as the co-founder and CEO of Dabchy, a fashion marketplace inspired by the European platform Vinted.
With a degree in biomedical engineering and biotherapy, she left her job at Sanofi-Pasteur to devote herself to promoting fashion and creating a community of fashion enthusiasts.
In 2016, she officialized Dabchy and, currently, the company boasts over a million users in the MENA region, offering the opportunity to sell and buy new and second-hand clothes at affordable prices, while being a sort of social network encouraging interaction between users. The platform generates revenue through commissions on transactions and offers secure delivery and payment services.
Ameni Mansouri wants to make her platform the leading reference for circular fashion in the Middle East and Africa, contributing to ecological transition in the textile industry. With that purpose in mind, in August 2023, Dabchy expanded operations into Egypt, consolidating its position as a major regional fashion player.
“This expansion fills us with pride, as it symbolizes Tunisia’s influence through its young and promising startup scene. We are determined to uphold the Tunisian values that have propelled us this far: innovation, creativity, and above all, trust in our community,” said Ameni Mansouri.
Over the course of her entrepreneurial career, the latter has won several awards. In 2018, she was selected among TechWomen and her start-up was recognized as one of Africa's top 100 at the Africa Forum.
In 2019, Dabchy became the first Arab and African company to be selected by Look Forward, a French incubator specializing in technological fashion. The same year, Ameni Mansouri was named one of Forbes' "30 under 30" in the Middle East.
Melchior Koba
Over the years, she acquired extensive professional experience working for various marketing and consulting firms. She now heads her startup, which enables customers to conveniently save towards the purchase of expensive goods.
Juliet Shiro Njoroge (photo) is a Kenyan entrepreneur and experienced marketing professional. She graduated from the University of Nairobi with a Bachelor's of Law in 2016.
In 2021, she co-founded Mosmos, a goal-based savings-to-purchase platform that helps people in emerging markets buy expensive items without stressing over going into debt and even earning cash rewards for their purchase.
Through its platform, Mosmos enables its users to save to buy several items, from electronics and home appliances to decor supplies. With its flexible payment system, it allows its clients to avoid debts. It even rewards its most active and regular clients.
In March 2023, on the sidelines of International Women's Day, the company was selected to be part of the first cohort of the Google for Startups Accelerator: Women Founders (Africa). Five months later, in August, it was selected as one of 20 African startups to take part in the fourth edition of The Future is Female Mentoring program. In the same month, it raised $66,000 from Catalytic Africa.
Throughout her career, Juliet Shiro Njoroge has held several positions in many different fields. Brand Ambassador of the YUSUDI professional skills development training program, between 2015 and 2016, she worked for Trinc Media as an account manager. In 2017, she joined the Catapult Brand Consulting agency as a digital account manager. The following year, she was hired by Ogilvy, an advertising company, as an account manager.
In 2019, she became head of marketing and key accounts at Turaco, a micro-insurance tech company. A year later, she was appointed marketing and communications consultant at BFA Global, a consulting firm specializing in financial and digital innovation. Between 2021 and 2022, she successively held the positions of Marketing Manager and Head of Partnerships and Offline Growth at Koa Technology.
Melchior Koba