TECH STARS (819)
Passionate about building Ethiopia's next generation of tech leaders, he uses fun and engaging methods to gradually introduce children to the world of computer coding.
Nathan Damtew (photo), a computer science graduate from Addis Ababa University, is an Ethiopian entrepreneur dedicated to teaching coding to children through his startup, BeBlocky, and learning center, Yenetta Code.
In 2018, Damtew founded BeBlocky, a gamified learning app that introduces young African children to the fundamentals of programming using a block-based visual programming language. The app guides characters through puzzles, helping children master coding concepts in a fun and intuitive way. BeBlocky's user-friendly interface allows children to advance without prior coding knowledge, and parents can track their children's progress through a dashboard.
Alongside BeBlocky, Damtew co-founded Social.ly in 2017, a digital marketing company that specializes in lead generation through social media, website development, content creation, marketing, and SEO. Social.ly helps organizations reach their full potential by combining innovative ideas with technology.
In 2019, Damtew established Yenetta Code, a learning center in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, aimed at enabling youth to thrive as builders and creators in the tech field. The center offers various programs to develop market-relevant skills, providing learners with the confidence and capabilities to embrace new careers in coding and technology.
Through his diverse initiatives, Damtew opens doors for young generations, offering them the tools and opportunities to excel in the rapidly evolving tech industry.
Melchior Koba
With over 17 years of experience in communication and team management, particularly in sales, he currently leads WenaData. His role involves assisting businesses by providing them with valuable information and statistical data.
Nuno Soares is a Mozambican entrepreneur with a degree in Information Sciences from the Instituto Superior Miguel Torga in Portugal. He is the co-founder and CEO of WenaData, a technology company offering solutions and services to citizens and organizations.
Founded in 2017, WenaData provides a web platform, software, a mobile application, and research tools. It collects statistical data for the government, the private sector, and other institutions, serving as an educational barometer and aiding in information gathering and strategic decision-making.
Discussing the origins of his company, Nuno Soares explains, "The idea came from a group of people with common projects. We wanted to create a company in a field that was not sufficiently explored in our country, with a different market approach that truly makes a difference. It took us about a year to develop the entire project. A trial version was released in July 2017, and the final version was published on December 18."
In addition to WenaData, Nuno Soares is the co-founder and CEO of Veludo & Mentol, an advertising and new technology company founded in 2014. Since January 2018, he has been the director of Revista Xonguila, a monthly magazine available online and in print that highlights Mozambique's tourism, culture, entrepreneurship, and environment.
Before venturing into entrepreneurship, Nuno Soares gained experience working for several companies. In 2003, he was hired by NOS Lusomundo Audiovisuais, an audiovisual company, as a cinema technician. In 2006, he joined Guimasete, a Portuguese telecommunications company, where he worked as a customer service specialist until 2015.
Melchior Koba
A serial entrepreneur, he has co-founded several companies in the technology, e-commerce, and digital marketing sectors. His latest innovation assists merchants in optimizing their sales on social media and managing their business operations more efficiently.
Ali Ouattara (photo) is an Ivorian marketing expert and serial entrepreneur. He is the co-founder and CEO of Tuzzo, an all-in-one digital solution designed for both informal and formal sector vendors in Africa.
Founded in 2023, Tuzzo helps merchants boost their revenue by selling products on social media platforms such as Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram, and TikTok. The app centralizes all sales channels and enables the launch of targeted promotional campaigns to retain customers and drive sales. Tuzzo users also have access to essential data such as profits, total sales, expenses, top-selling products, and best customers.
In addition to Tuzzo, Ali Ouattara is the founder and board member of bim!, a startup offering a digital business card linked to a mobile app for instant information sharing. He also founded Diago, an e-commerce startup launched in 2021 and sold in May 2022 to Chari, a Moroccan company providing e-commerce and fintech solutions to merchants. Currently, he serves as the managing director of Chari in Côte d'Ivoire.
Ali Ouattara's first venture, Digit Communication, was launched in 2017. This 360° marketing agency supports small and medium-sized enterprises in developing and implementing their communication strategies. Ali was a board member of Digit Communication until 2020.
The serial entrepreneur holds a bachelor's degree in marketing, communication, and distribution obtained in 2018 from the Félix Houphouët-Boigny National Polytechnic Institute in Yamoussoukro. He also graduated from the Ecole supérieure de commerce d'Abidjan, where he earned a master's degree in marketing in 2021.
To gain extensive experience, Mr. Ouattara worked for several startups. In 2020, he became the brand manager for PepsiCo in Côte d'Ivoire. From 2021 to 2022, he was a partner at Glovo, an on-demand service app for local restaurants, grocery stores, supermarkets, and retail shops.
Melchior Koba
Concerned about the security of data collected by companies, he develops innovative tools to ensure the protection of data collected by digital businesses in emerging markets.
Lanre Ogungbe (photo) is a Nigerian computer scientist and entrepreneur. He is a co-founder and the CEO of Prembly, a data infrastructure and compliance provider for businesses.
Founded in 2021, Prembly specializes in identity verification, security, and compliance, with the mission of protecting digital businesses in emerging markets. This allows these companies to operate globally by establishing a trustworthy relationship with their clients. Under its brand, Prembly offers several solutions, including IdentityPass, IdentityRadar, IdentityForm, Compliance Tracker, and Background Checks by Prembly.
IdentityPass helps digital businesses acquire and onboard clients through instant data verification tools, document verification, and biometric authentication. IdentityForm ensures the authenticity and accuracy of user information. IdentityRadar provides a comprehensive suite of fraud prevention tools, facilitating identity verification and fraud detection for businesses worldwide.
On Wednesday, July 3, Prembly announced its merger with Peleza, a Kenyan company specializing in background and identity checks. The new entity, Prembly Group, will be led by Lanre Ogungbe and will bring together over 100 employees across offices in Uganda, Kenya, the United States, and Nigeria.
Lanre Ogungbe is a member of the Forbes Business Council and serves on the board of The IREDE Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to encouraging, educating, and empowering children aged 0 to 18 living with congenital disabilities. He graduated from Adekunle Ajasin University with a bachelor's degree in computer science and earned a master's degree in analysis, leadership, and innovation from The Johns Hopkins University in 2023.
His professional career began in 2014 as a team leader at Enactus. In 2017, he became the operations director at myPadi.ng, a Nigerian digital platform facilitating housing access. From 2018 to 2021, he served as head of business and customer services at Accounteer, an online accounting company for entrepreneurs.
Melchior Koba
For several years, he worked as a web designer for various companies. Today, as an entrepreneur, he operates a startup that specializes in the online sale and delivery of fresh household and food products.
Muhammad S. Habib (photo) is an Egyptian computer scientist and entrepreneur who co-founded Breadfast, a startup specializing in the delivery of food and household products. Founded in 2017, Breadfast aims to revolutionize product delivery in Egypt by offering dairy products, eggs, fresh bread, fruits, and vegetables, all available 24/7, with products packaged and delivered fresh daily.
The startup delivers to most neighborhoods in Cairo and Giza, as well as to Alexandria for same-day food deliveries. It also serves Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, for next-morning bakery deliveries.
Before Breadfast, Muhammad S. Habib co-founded Nafham in 2012, an online educational video platform aligned with the public school curriculum. In 2015, he also co-founded MarginUX, a Cairo-based user experience design and consulting firm.
Muhammad S. Habib holds a bachelor's degree in computer science from the Modern Academy in Maadi, Egypt, obtained in 2009. He also earned a master's degree in management and business administration from ESLSCA Business School Paris in 2014. His professional career began in 2009 at LINKonLINE, an online services and content provider, where he worked as a web designer. From 2010 to 2011, he held the same position at MSN Middle East.
In 2011, he became a UI designer at Samardy, a company under the telecom operator Vodafone. From 2013 to 2015, he served as a UX consultant for Speakol, a social debate network that enhances online social engagement by providing a structured platform for real-time discussions on current issues.
Melchior Koba
She has extensive experience in digital technology and the development of online loyalty programs. Her company enables consumers to consolidate their loyalty points on a single platform, making them easier to use.
Moroccan engineer and entrepreneur Siham Elmejjad (photo) is the co-founder and CEO of Tookeez, a startup inspired by her passion for digital, economic, and financial inclusion.
Tookeez was founded in 2020 by Siham, her sister Wiam Elmejjad, and Hicham Amadi. The startup offers a platform that allows consumers to convert their rewards into tangible benefits. Users can consolidate their loyalty points from various retailers into a single digital wallet, which they can then exchange for services or discounts.
Tookeez also helps businesses understand their customers better by providing consumer behavior analytics and targeted marketing campaigns. In March 2024, the startup raised $1.5 million from Azur Innovation Fund, with the goal of reaching 4 million users by 2028 and expanding to a new country by 2026. Currently, the platform has over 20,000 users.
"We plan to enhance the user experience by developing new features and integrating cutting-edge technologies like blockchain and artificial intelligence to optimize interactions between brands and consumers within our system," Mrs Siham Elmejjad said.
The CEO holds an engineering degree in information technology, earned in 2002 from the National Institute of Posts and Telecommunications (INPT). She began her career the same year at Alcatel Research and Innovation as a research and development engineer. In 2004, she became the marketing director at Maroc Telecom.
In 2006, she joined Bilendi, a company that designs and markets online loyalty programs. There, she successively held the positions of business and development manager and general manager in Morocco. In 2019, she became the executive vice president responsible for products and deliveries at World Wide Loyalty System (2WLS), where she worked until 2023. 2WLS helps brands adopt loyalty strategies for their customers and partners.
Melchior Koba
In recent years, the digital sector has become one of the most significant development areas for several African countries with the digital economy improving millions of lives. In that context, a Guinean program aims to qualified local ICT professionals.
1000 TechLeaders is an innovative program in Guinea aimed at developing a new generation of skilled professionals in information and communication technology (ICT). Launched on June 18, 2024, by Nimba Hub and the Devscom developer community, the program is championed by Fodé Momo Bangoura, the CEO of Nimba Solution. The objective is to equip young people with advanced technological skills, stimulate local innovation by creating a network of qualified professionals, and facilitate access to investment for innovative projects.
The program offers four main courses, tailored to the current demands of the tech job market: backend development, frontend development, mobile development, and UX/UI design (user experience and interface design). Each course lasts six months and combines theory with practical training, delivered in person.
For 2024, 1000 TechLeaders has already selected 130 young talents from 754 applicants. The courses began on the program's launch day and will conclude on Sunday, December 8, 2024.
To achieve its ambitious goals, the program is supported by several sponsors and partners, including Medias 7 Plus, AfroTech Hub, Tech Elevate Africa, Fata.school, the restaurant Heroes Coffee, and Guinea's Post and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (ARPT).
Melchior Koba
He plays a key role in the development of ICT in South Africa. Through an innovative platform, he connects technology experts with clients seeking specialized services.
Sai Govender (photo), a South African tech entrepreneur, is the founder and CEO of Blue, a startup he established in 2020. Blue is an innovative platform that simplifies the search for talent and projects in the ICT sector, offering clients a wide range of professionals specializing in various fields such as software development, network infrastructure, cybersecurity, and data analysis. This enables clients to easily find consultants that meet their specific needs.
Blue also provides ICT consultants with opportunities to secure rewarding projects. Consultants can showcase their skills, references, and experiences on their profiles, allowing them to effectively respond to tenders, demonstrate their capabilities, and expand their professional network. This approach facilitates direct interactions between clients and consultants for their ICT needs.
In addition to Blue, Govender is the founder and CEO of Blue Pearl, a start-up he established in 2013. Blue Pearl develops cloud solutions and offers professional consulting services to complement business strategies and management. The start-up implements data analysis processes to provide relevant and useful insights to business leaders for decision-making.
Govender holds a degree in Information Systems Management, obtained in 2002 from Oval International Computer College, and a bachelor's degree in Accounting and Finance from the University of South Africa (UNISA), which he graduated from in 2005.
His professional career began in 1999 at Morar Incorporated, an accounting firm, where he worked as an audit manager. In 2004, he became a compliance auditor for the National Lottery Community Fund. The following year, he joined EY, where he held positions as senior associate, deputy director, and director. In 2010, he was appointed compliance director at Transnet Freight Rail, a logistics and freight transport company in South Africa. In 2015, he was promoted to director, responsible for performance reporting and business intelligence.
Melchior Koba
A trained accountant, he has extensive professional experience in the finance sector. As a serial entrepreneur, he currently serves as the CEO of a startup company specializing in carpooling.
Gabonese entrepreneur Jean-Arsène Houla-Houla is the founder and CEO of WebCars, a carpooling startup specializing in short-distance rides. Founded in 2020, WebCars started on WhatsApp and has since evolved into a platform that allows users to create carpooling groups with trusted individuals.
For passengers, WebCars provides the opportunity to plan their trips, avoid delays caused by public transportation shortages, and travel with peace of mind. For drivers, it serves as an additional source of income while transporting people they know.
In addition to his role at WebCars, Jean-Arsène Houla-Houla is a trainer at Em Gabon Business School, part of the Em Gabon-University group, specializing in management, administration, and economics. He also holds a position in trade finance at Euro Exim Bank.
Before creating WebCars, Jean-Arsène Houla-Houla founded Rehoboth Finance in 2016, where he served as CEO until 2022. In 2019, he launched Les Génies Solidaires (LGS), an investment fund that he currently leads.
Jean-Arsène Houla-Houla holds a general university studies degree (DEUG) in mathematics and physics from the University of Science and Technology of Masuku, obtained in 2006. In 2011, he earned a master's degree in accounting and finance from the National Institute of Management Sciences.
With a wealth of experience, Jean-Arsène Houla-Houla worked as a financial assistant at Citi bank in 2012. The following year, he became a financial analyst at JTC Consulting and later held the same position at Shell from 2013 to 2014. In 2021, he was appointed sales director at Router-switch.com, a global network equipment supplier, where he worked until 2022.
He is an expert in artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning. Leveraging his knowledge and skills in these cutting-edge technologies, he assists farmers in optimizing their operations and boosting their profitability.
Adamou Nchange Kouotou, a Cameroonian computer scientist and entrepreneur, is the founder and CEO of Agrix Tech, a tech startup he established in 2018 that automates the process of analyzing technical and financial risks for small-scale farmers.
Agrix Tech provides farmers with comprehensive solutions, including financing, agricultural inputs, advice, insurance, and market access. The company optimizes and monitors farms for high yields using machine learning and satellite data, thereby facilitating better credit decisions for financial institutions. In 2019, the company received the President's Special Award in the digital sector.
"At Agrix Tech, we develop artificial intelligence that instantly equips small, on-the-job trained farmers with skills to prevent, detect, and treat crop diseases. Thus, small farmers, who make up 80% of farmers in Africa, can increase their farm yields and consequently their income," explained Adamou Nchange Kouotou in 2019.
Before founding Agrix Tech, Adamou Nchange Kouotou co-founded the IT company Nabla in 2011. He graduated from the University of Yaoundé 1 with a master's degree in physics in 2006 and a master's degree in telecommunication engineering in 2008. He also holds an MBA obtained in 2019 from the European School of Management and Technology (ESMT) in Berlin, Germany.
His professional career began in 2009 at ZTE Corporation as an after-sales engineer. In 2010, he joined Huawei Cameroon as a field maintenance manager. In 2013, he became a Service Level Agreement (SLA) manager at IHS Towers, a communications infrastructure developer. From 2019 to 2023, he served as the regional head of governance and compliance at Allianz Africa, a non-banking financial services company.
Melchior Koba
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He leverages digital technology to enhance business efficiency. Through his company, Itwe Solutions, he has already supported numerous projects with dozens of clients satisfied.
Namureba Abel, a Ugandan accountant and technology entrepreneur, is the founder and CEO of Itwe Solutions, an IT company that helps businesses grow through digital technology. Founded in 2022, Itwe Solutions specializes in artificial intelligence, cloud computing, the Internet of Things, and blockchain to enhance the efficiency, transparency, and security of its clients. The company provides advice and guidance on digital transformation and innovation.
Itwe Solutions assists businesses in adopting digital technologies and improving their operational efficiency. It utilizes data analytics tools to provide valuable insights, enabling companies to make better decisions and improve their performance. The startup has already completed several projects and helped around fifty clients.
Namureba Abel graduated from Uganda Christian University in 2018 with a bachelor's degree in accounting and finance. He began his professional career in 2017 as an intern at the Uganda Revenue Authority (URA). In 2019, he became a junior associate at Standard Chartered Bank Uganda, while also volunteering for the cryptocurrency exchange platform Binance. Later that year, he joined the fintech startup Yellow Card App, where he worked as a country director until February 2024. In 2020, he also took on the role of customer support and compliance officer at URA.
Melchior Koba
He aims to revolutionize the job market in his country and across Africa. By facilitating the connection between service providers and clients, he significantly simplifies the hiring process.
Julius David Wambogo is a trained journalist, communication expert, and entrepreneur from Tanzania. He is the founder of Mchongoo, a company offering various job opportunities for Africans.
Founded in 2021, Mchongoo connects service providers with job seekers in Tanzania. It offers several services and tools to support its users. For instance, it provides a lead generation tool that directly connects service providers with potential clients, simplifying the hiring process.
Mchongoo also offers a booking and scheduling system. This system allows users to make appointments, receive confirmations and automated reminders, and modify bookings. The platform's geolocation services help users find nearby providers, ensuring quick access to services, especially in emergencies.
For service requests, Mchongoo utilizes multiple communication channels. Users can contact providers via SMS, phone calls, WhatsApp, Instagram, and Facebook.
Julius David Wambogo also serves as the head of communication for the Enabling Africa Trade Forum (EATF), an African trade development organization. Additionally, he is the national operations director of Zanite Digital, an agency specializing in social media management and digital marketing.
The entrepreneur holds a higher national diploma in journalism from the School of Journalism in Dar es Salaam. He also studied graphic design at the University of Dar es Salaam.
Before becoming an entrepreneur, he worked as a brand manager and radio presenter at Tanzania Broadcasting Corporation (TBC) from 2016 to 2019. From 2019 to 2021, he served as the head of public relations for Future Team Tanzania.
Melchior Koba
Trained as an urban planner, she aims to improve the quality of life for Africans. She leads a tech company that creates digital solutions for the health and finance sectors.
Scarlett Zongo, a Burkinabè tech entrepreneur, urban planner, and sustainable development consultant, is revolutionizing the lives of Burkinabè with her digital solutions. As the co-founder and CEO of Aino Digital, a tech company founded in 2019, Zongo aims to improve daily life and promote sustainable development in Africa through innovative digital services.
Aino Digital's flagship product is Sauvie, a digital identity device available as bracelets or cards with QR codes. Sauvie stores personal health information and emergency contacts, facilitating patient care in health centers and sending automatic SMS alerts to relatives in emergencies. The project won first prize at the POESAM (Orange Social Entrepreneur Prize in Africa and the Middle East) in 2022.
The startup's second product, Yelkaï, is a digital micro-savings solution that enables users to save with microfinance institutions by creating virtual accounts. Users can easily and securely save as little as 100 FCFA using electronic money.
In addition to her work at Aino Digital, Zongo founded Cité Branchée in 2016, a service and consulting firm specializing in urban planning and sustainable development, where she serves as CEO. Cité Branchée aims to promote sustainable cities in Africa.
Zongo holds a master's degree in environmental engineering from the École de technologie supérieure du Québec, obtained in 2013. She began her career in 2013 at Mobi-O, a Quebec-based sustainable mobility company, where she worked as a project manager. Upon returning to Burkina Faso, she joined the Ouagadougou City Council in 2017 as a technical advisor on environment and sustainable development. In 2022, she became a consultant for the diagnostic assessment of Ouagadougou's green belt and contributed to drafting the EXAF project: Digital Solutions for Sustainable Cities in Africa, for the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne.
Melchior Koba
After studying in France, he returned to Mali to venture into entrepreneurship. Today, he actively contributes to the financial inclusion of all segments of the African population through his fintech solution, Sama Money.
Daouda Coulibaly (photo), a Malian entrepreneur, operates in the fields of new technologies and digital finance. He is the founder and CEO of Sama Money, a tech company specializing in money transfers and mobile payments.
Founded in 2020, Sama Money's mission is to promote financial inclusion in Africa. The company offers a comprehensive range of digital payment services to individuals, businesses, and public services, including money transfers and withdrawals, payment of electricity and water bills, mobile phone top-ups, and insurance policy payments.
"This 100% Malian Fintech offers an innovative and tailored money transfer and payment solution that meets the needs of the population. Our multi-operator offering and multiple access channels ensure our services are accessible to everyone," states Daouda Coulibaly. Sama Money's services are available via the web, a mobile app, WhatsApp, and a USSD code, covering Mali, Burundi, and Côte d'Ivoire.
In addition to Sama Money, Daouda Coulibaly is the president of the Mali Fintech Association, which promotes financial inclusion in Mali, especially for those excluded from the traditional financial system. He also founded Malijet.com, a news website, in 2008, and Trainis, a professional training center he led until May 2024.
Daouda Coulibaly holds a master's degree in regional planning from Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne University, obtained in 2005. He also earned an MBA from IAE France, a federation of 38 university management schools, in 2009.
Melchior Koba