TECH STARS (1006)
After a few years in finance, he turned his attention to entrepreneurship. Leveraging technology, he developed innovative solutions in finance, logistics, and event management.
David Christian Mbang (photo) is a Cameroonian accountant by training and the founder and CEO of Adwa Sarl, a software development startup. Established in 2017, Adwa Sarl supports businesses in their digital transformation, offering IT audit and consulting services. The company designs custom technology solutions tailored to the needs of both businesses and individuals, guiding them through their digital projects.
One of its flagship products is AdwaPay, an online payment platform that enables businesses and e-commerce sites to manage financial transactions. AdwaPay supports payments through Orange Money, PayPal, Express Union, and various credit cards.
The startup also offers a range of other solutions, including Kwanza, a multichannel e-ticketing system, and Kiwoti, a web and mobile platform for ticket sales. Additionally, MyEvent, a platform dedicated to event promotion and ticket sales, is part of Adwa Sarl’s offerings. The company rounds out its service lineup with Mboa Taxi, a chauffeured vehicle reservation service providing air-conditioned cars for urban and intercity travel.
David Christian Mbang holds a master’s degree in finance and accounting, earned in 2012 from the University of Douala. Before founding Adwa Sarl, he served as Administrative and Financial Director at NG Conseil Sarl, a consulting firm operating in Congo and Cameroon, from 2016 to 2017.
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Energy efficiency and smart resource management are top priorities for businesses. In Senegal, he leverages technology to meet these needs by delivering innovative solutions.
Bassirou Ba (photo) is a Senegalese tech entrepreneur and the founder and CEO of Witniss IoT, a startup specializing in fleet and fuel management. Witniss IoT aims to transform business operations by harnessing the power of the Internet of Things (IoT). The company addresses the need for monitoring and optimizing mobile assets through two main solutions: iGeoTrack and Fuel-Route.
The startup’s flagship product, iGeoTrack, enables companies to track the real-time location of their vehicles and monitor fuel consumption. By installing submerged fuel sensors, this technology boosts energy efficiency and reduces operating costs.
Additionally, Witniss IoT offers predictive maintenance services, along with driver identification and management systems. The company is also expanding its focus to include smart home solutions, temperature management for cold storage, and promotes the recycling of electronic and tech equipment.
Bassirou Ba graduated from the Institut Supérieur de Management in Senegal, earning a master’s degree in international management in 2018. After completing his studies, he worked as a business engineer for Group I.C.R., an IT and industrial engineering company, from 2018 to 2022. He then served as the B2B sales manager at Huawei in Senegal from 2022 to 2023.
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Every year, many Africans move abroad in search of better opportunities. This Nigerian entrepreneur supports migrants like himself by enabling them to provide financial assistance to family members back home.
Emmanuel Ogbodo (photo) is a Nigerian computer scientist and entrepreneur based in the United Kingdom. He is the founder and CEO of OhentPay, a fintech startup specializing in international money transfers.
Founded in 2018, OhentPay is a UK-based money transfer platform serving individuals and businesses. It allows users to send and receive money easily and quickly, facilitating financial exchanges between friends, family and loved ones worldwide. The platform supports up to 40 currencies, offering competitive exchange rates.
OhentPay primarily targets the millions of Nigerians living abroad, making international transactions straightforward with fixed, transparent fees and no hidden charges. The company currently operates in over 190 countries, including Australia, Belgium, France, the United States, Canada, and Estonia.
Ogbodo graduated from the University of Greenwich in the UK with a bachelor’s degree in computer engineering in 2017. His career began in 2013 at Nigeria's National Information Technology Development Agency, where he worked as a programming instructor.
In 2015, he joined Facebook as a software engineer, then moved to Mobile Worker Plus, a software and technology company, in 2017, where he served as a software engineer and DevOps consultant. In 2018, he took on the role of full-stack developer at Gigaclear, a UK telecommunications company.
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He is an award-winning entrepreneur with a proven track record in digital marketing and business. He has founded over five companies in various industries, including finance, mobility, and logistics.
Wilson Ganga (photo) is an Angolan serial entrepreneur and business leader. He is the founder and CEO of Paypay Africa, a fintech specializing in mobile payment solutions for e-commerce across Africa. His mission is to make financial services more inclusive and payments more convenient.
Launched in 2020, Paypay Africa offers a mobile app that enables users to send and receive money, pay electricity, water, and TV bills, buy airtime, and shop at various retailers. The startup also helps individuals and businesses save money by eliminating maintenance fees and providing discounts to its customers.
On its website, the company states its goal is to empower Angolans to make international transfers through Paypay and establish the app as the top payment solution in Angola.
In 2015, Ganga co-founded Tranzind Delivery, an online ordering and marketing company where he now serves on the advisory board. In 2016, he co-founded Tupuca, a delivery startup where he holds a board position. The following year, he launched G-Smart Solutions, a firm focused on digital business services.
Ganga also serves as CEO of G-Corporate, an investment company in Angola. In 2021, he co-founded Gafran International, a transport and logistics company, and in 2023, he launched Avança Na Vida, a microcredit startup. He is also on the board of the Angolan group Dinelia.
Ganga holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration with a concentration in management and operations from the University of Saint Francis in the United States, awarded in 2015. In 2018, he was named Entrepreneur of the Year at Deloitte's Sirius Awards.
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A computer science graduate with a passion for artificial intelligence, he aims to make education more accessible in Africa. He has received numerous awards and honors for his achievements.
George Boateng (photo) is a Ghanaian computer scientist, engineer, educator, and social entrepreneur. He is the co-founder and CEO of Kwame AI, a tech startup focused on democratizing science and technology education in Africa.
Founded in 2022, Kwame AI (formerly SuaCode.ai) specializes in artificial intelligence. The company supports students, educators, researchers, and legal professionals in enhancing their performance and productivity. It offers EsqAI, an AI-powered legal assistant.
Accessible via a web app, EsqAI enables lawyers and law students in Commonwealth countries to conduct legal research. This assistant combines semantic search with generative AI to answer users’ questions instantly, leveraging its database and aggregated content.
Boateng is also a lecturer at ETH Zurich, a renowned Swiss university known for its expertise in science and technology. Before founding Kwame AI, he co-founded the Nsesa Foundation in 2014, a non-profit organization promoting innovation in Ghana, where he served as president until 2022. He graduated from Dartmouth College in the United States, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in computer science in 2016. He also holds a master’s in computer engineering from Dartmouth’s Thayer School of Engineering (2017) and a PhD in machine learning from ETH Zurich (2022).
In 2015, he interned as a software engineer at Sapho, a U.S.-based software company, and in 2021, he joined Amazon as an applied scientist. During his internship with the Alexa Edge ML team, he worked on multimodal sarcasm detection for Alexa AI.
His career has garnered significant recognition. In 2021, he was named among MIT Technology Review’s 35 Innovators Under 35. In 2022, he was listed as one of IBM’s “New Creators,” and in 2023, he was featured on Forbes’ 30 Under 30 list.
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After gaining several years of experience in France, she returned to Africa to contribute to its development. She is passionate about promoting women's inclusion in the tech industry.
Longa Andrea Mbuyamba (photo), a Côte d'Ivoire-based digital transformation consultant based, is the founder of Abidjanaises In Tech, an organization focused on strengthening and promoting women’s participation in the digital sector in Côte d'Ivoire. Established in 2023, Abidjanaises In Tech aims to inspire, connect, and equip women with the skills needed to thrive in the technology field. Positioned as a business network, the organization aspires to build the largest pool of qualified female tech experts in the country.
"Our goal is to create opportunities, enhance digital skills, and spark interest in tech careers while raising awareness across our ecosystem. We reflect the diversity and dynamism of women from all backgrounds in the STEM universe [science, technology, engineering, and mathematics] and work with determination toward a more inclusive, balanced digital future," the organization explains.
Abidjanaises In Tech hosts workshops, experience-sharing sessions, and mentoring programs to develop both technical and leadership skills among its members. It also highlights members' achievements on its communication platforms. Currently, the organization has over 280 members, including 38% professionals and 31% entrepreneurs and startup founders. In its first year, it generated more than fifty opportunities for its members.
Before founding Abidjanaises In Tech, Mbuyamba co-founded Panafrican Stories in 2018, a platform aimed at strengthening connections between Africa and its diaspora by sharing stories and insights on the continent.
Mbuyamba holds a State Certificate in Political Studies, specializing in economic intelligence, earned from Sciences Po Aix in France in 2014. She also obtained a Master’s in Management Science from IESEG School of Management in 2017.
Her professional journey began in 2014 as an account manager assistant at South African PR firm Amplicon PR. In 2017, she interned as a marketing assistant before advancing to project manager at Deloitte France. She later joined Accenture France in 2018 as a digital transformation consultant. From 2021 to 2023, she served as Head of Organization and Change Management for financial institution COFINA Group.
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He harnesses technology to address unmet needs in Algeria. He leads two companies, one of which connects individuals to local and international experts.
Kheireddine Boulefa (photo), an Algerian tech entrepreneur, is the founder and CEO of Moustachir, an online consulting platform that connects users with Algerian experts across various fields, both nationally and internationally.
Founded in 2022, Moustachir enables users to engage with high-level Algerian specialists across diverse sectors, including economics, finance, entrepreneurship, and import-export. The platform also offers technical consulting in web and app development, artificial intelligence, networking, cybersecurity, operating systems, data analysis, and robotics.
In addition, Moustachir provides consultations in social, educational, linguistic, artistic, and media fields. With over 90 consultants, the platform extends services such as business domiciliation, training programs, and coworking space rentals.
Beyond Moustachir, Boulefa is also the CEO of Yinvesti, an Algerian crowdfunding platform that connects entrepreneurs and investors. Prior to founding Moustachir, he launched EURL KHEIROTAXI, a chauffeur-driven vehicle reservation platform, which he led until 2022.
Before his entrepreneurial ventures, Boulefa worked with Oriflame SPO, a beauty products company, joining in 2013 as an agency director in Algeria. In 2017, he became a project manager at BlueGreen Business, a startup incubator, a role he held until 2022.
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He is committed to empowering African youth by providing them with the tools and guidance needed to reach their full potential. Through technology, he has already managed to reach thousands of young people across the continent.
Patrick Ngounou (photo) is the founder and CEO of Student’s Mag, a startup aimed at improving access to education and employment in Africa. A Cameroonian-born, Ngounou envisions making his company an essential partner for African students.
In 2008, Student’s Mag began as a 152-page directory listing training programs available in Cameroon. As demand from parents for educational information grew, Ngounou and his team realized the need for a more sustainable solution. This led to the official launch of the startup Student’s Mag in 2023.
Today, leveraging technology, Student’s Mag connects talent, experts, academic institutions, and businesses across Africa. The platform democratizes access to information and supports young people in their educational and professional journeys. It offers a comprehensive range of school and career guidance services tailored to the needs of African students, helping them make informed choices about their studies and easing their transition into the job market.
Young users can access digital directories of universities, an AI-driven job portal, and scholarship opportunities at partner institutions. Universities, training centers, and companies can also promote themselves through the platform.
"Since our launch, more than 2,000 students have already benefited from our services, finding valuable guidance and resources for their academic and professional paths. This direct impact on the lives of young Africans is the greatest reward for our work," Ngounou told We Are Tech Africa. The startup has already reached over 4,000 young people and lists 1,400 institutions across Cameroon, Côte d'Ivoire, Senegal, Gabon, and Togo.
Ngounou also has extensive experience in international mobility and entrepreneurship. In 2006, after three years as a junior consultant in international mobility, he founded Advisers Agency, a firm that helps African students pursue studies abroad. In 2012, he expanded his business ventures by launching Advisers Services Sarl, a freight transportation company that has worked with major clients like Guinness, Bolloré, and Fobert Centrafrique.
After completing his baccalaureate, Ngounou studied mathematics for a year at the University of Yaoundé 1. In 2003, he enrolled at Cambridge International College, earning an advanced diploma in finance in 2006. He is currently pursuing a Global International MBA in impact entrepreneurship at the Catholic University of Milan.
An active member of the Junior Chamber International (JCI), Ngounou recently won third place in the 2024 Orange Social Venture Prize for Africa and the Middle East (POESAM) in Cameroon.
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He has over 10 years of experience in industrial operations and digital transformation projects. He leads a startup that leverages technology to revolutionize the agricultural sector.
Amine Derj (photo) is a Moroccan tech entrepreneur, co-founder and CEO of Jodoor, an agri-tech startup. Founded in 2021, Jodoor aims to provide Africa and the Middle East with a robust, inclusive, and sustainable agricultural infrastructure to meet the needs of tomorrow's agriculture.
The company offers “turnkey” soil-free farms in Morocco and across the Maghreb region, using technology that reduces water consumption by 80% and enables pesticide-free production, promoting environmentally friendly farming practices. Jodoor supports farmers with sustainable solutions, encourages female inclusion, and also develops agricultural management software and offers technical consulting services.
In addition to Jodoor, Derj is the co-founder and corporate relations lead for the EDHEC Social Impact and Innovation Club, an organization launched in 2018 to advance social impact through innovation. The club collaborates with social organizations to accelerate projects with high social and environmental value.
Derj holds a degree in industrial engineering from the National Institute of Applied Sciences, Centre Val de Loire, obtained in 2013. In 2014, he earned a master’s in project and program management from SKEMA Business School and later, in 2019, completed an MBA at EDHEC Business School in France.
To build his expertise, Derj joined the mobility company Iveco in 2013 as an industrial project engineer. In 2014, he moved to TE Connectivity, where he served as a supply chain analyst for Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. From 2021 to 2024, he was head of digital transformation at Infomineo, a firm specializing in outsourcing services such as research, analysis, design, and language support.
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He aims to transform small businesses' access to capital and make financing easier for them. To achieve this, he is relying on technology as a key tool.
Luyanda Jafta (photo), a South African investment expert and entrepreneur, is the founder and CEO of The People’s Fund (TPF), a financial company he established in 2017. TPF operates as a crowdfunding platform that helps businesses raise capital to fulfill government or corporate orders, providing the financial support they need to complete their contracts. The platform also allows individuals to support these businesses' growth, improving their access to financing.
Jafta is also the founder and CEO of The People’s Stokvel, a sister company to TPF, which enables South Africans to invest in small businesses owned by Black entrepreneurs.
In addition, Jafta leads Paybook, a digital agency he founded in 2012. Paybook lets subscribers share brand campaigns on their profiles, earning rewards based on unique visitors, leads, or sales commissions generated for the brands.
As a serial entrepreneur, Jafta’s ventures include Whole In One, a student and youth-focused journal he launched in 2010, and Box A Veg, a home delivery service for organic produce founded in 2016. Box A Veg supports small farmers by providing steady income while offering South Africans an easy way to access healthy foods.
Jafta holds a bachelor’s degree in economics, insurance, and investment from the University of the Witwatersrand, earned in 2011.
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She is a key figure in the DRC's tech and entrepreneurial ecosystem. Her work has earned her numerous awards and accolades.
Medi Kebantima (photo), a Congolese telecommunications engineer and tech entrepreneur, is the founder and CEO of INNOV SARLU, an IT company specializing in engineering and technological innovation projects. INNOV SARLU provides technology training and services in home automation, robotics, artificial intelligence, and IT solutions. One of its flagship products is Kisi App, a digital health solution designed to check the authenticity of medications.
Kisi App leverages artificial intelligence to check medicines for authenticity. It includes an electronic device capable of performing molecular analyses on drugs, with results sent to a dedicated application. This tool is mainly intended for pharmacies, laboratories, customs services, and pharmaceutical inspectors.
Beyond Kisi App, Kebantima has launched Jeuneuriat, a program encouraging youth entrepreneurship in Congo through creative, engaging learning experiences.
Kebantima holds a telecommunications engineering degree from the Higher Institute of Applied Techniques in Kinshasa, completed in 2018, and is currently pursuing a master’s in cybersecurity at the Paris School of Technology & Business. In 2022, she won first prize in the Citypreneurs competition, awarded by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), and was named a TotalEnergies Startupper of the Year for Best Business Project Idea. Most recently, she was recognized among the “50 femmes qui inspirent” (50 most inspiring woment) in 2024 in the Science and ICT category.
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He envisions a future where everyone, regardless of their location or background, can benefit from technology. To this end, he's providing IT maintenance services to people in the Congo.
Erickson Kayembe (photo) is a Congolese programmer and tech entrepreneur. He is the CEO of Lisungi-Tech, a startup offering a range of services to meet the technological needs of its clients.
Founded in 2023, Lisungi-Tech provides in-home tech support for Congolese clients, addressing issues with devices and equipment. With a team of skilled and experienced technicians, the startup resolves a variety of problems, from hardware failures and software issues to Internet connectivity challenges.
"Our company was created in response to a growing need for tech support among older people. We understand that technology evolves quickly and can be hard to keep up with. That's why we’re here to support you and make technology easier," the company states.
Lisungi-Tech technicians visit clients’ homes to assess and resolve their tech issues on-site. The company also offers personalized training services to help Congolese users make the most of their tech products.
In addition, Erickson Kayembe serves as CEO of Congo-Spotlight, an organization dedicated to promoting Congolese talents and entrepreneurs it believes deserve recognition.
Kayembe, currently studying web project management at Leadership Academia University, is also the founder of Vision-X Corp in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Launched in 2020, Vision-X Corp specializes in web development, helping companies, agencies, and organizations digitalize their services.
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A software engineer with years of experience at major tech companies, including Mozilla, he's now an entrepreneur working on his second startup.
Remy Muhire (photo) is a Rwandan computer scientist and tech entrepreneur. He is the co-founder and CEO of Pindo, a startup that enhances digital accessibility, particularly for those with limited literacy or technological skills.
Founded in 2020 by Muhire and Eugène Rwagasore, Pindo aims to revolutionize communication in Africa through voice-based artificial intelligence (AI). Their technology enables businesses to reach and engage millions of people in their native languages. Pindo’s AI solution converts written text into a natural-sounding voice in Kinyarwanda, Swahili, and Luganda.
Muhire is also a member of forLoop Africa, a network of software developers and tech enthusiasts across the continent. Before founding Pindo, he co-founded Exuus Ltd in 2016, a company specializing in big data. He served as Chief Technology Officer there until 2018 and remained on its board until 2020.
A computer science graduate from the University of Rwanda, Muhire began his professional career in 2012 at Digital Creations, a creative agency, where he was lead software engineer. In 2014, he became a senior software engineering consultant at Oxfam, the nonprofit dedicated to combating poverty.
In 2018, he joined Progate, an online coding education platform, where he managed growth and community engagement across Africa. In 2020, he was recruited by Mozilla, the technology company, to serve as a community manager specializing in voice technology—a role he held until 2022.
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She has over 10 years of experience in digital marketing and data management. As an entrepreneur, she strives to help organizations deliver the best services to underserved communities.
Sandra Awilli (photo) is a Ugandan serial entrepreneur. She is the founder and CEO of ShareCARD, a startup that leverages digital technology to support vulnerable populations across Africa.
Founded in 2022, ShareCARD aims to enhance the effectiveness of development projects by providing real-time data, accountability tracking tools, and impact mapping services. The platform enables users to streamline processes, optimize resources, and make well-informed decisions.
ShareCARD simplifies data collection, verification, and analysis, giving organizations up-to-date insights on beneficiaries' access to programs, which allows for swift responses to identified needs.
Before ShareCARD, Sandra Awilli founded Boldite Ltd in 2016, a digital marketing and creative agency that helps African businesses expand into online markets. In 2017, she launched PADShare Uganda, a tech startup focused on improving access to essential menstrual hygiene products.
Sandra Awilli holds a certification in social media training from Kyambogo College School, earned in 2012. Her career began in 2013 as a digital marketing manager for beverage brands Bell Lager and Smirnoff, as well as for Centenary Bank. From 2021 to 2022, she worked as a project manager for Africa 118 in Uganda, a Canadian company specializing in digital marketing, website design, and data services.
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