• Three start-ups from Jordan, Madagascar and Tunisia won the 2025 international final held in Casablanca on February 4.
• Orange awarded a total of 50,000 euros and support through its Orange Digital Centers network.
• The 2025 edition trained 369 young innovators from 14 countries, and 56 Startup4Good projects emerged.

The international Orange Summer Challenge competition, which promotes responsible entrepreneurship in Africa and the Middle East, announced the winners of its third edition during a final held on February 4 in Casablanca, Morocco. The jury recognized three start-ups for their potential impact in occupational safety, sustainable energy and water resource management.

Jordan-based SafeGuard secured first prize with an intelligent workplace accident prevention device that uses risk detection technology. Madagascar-based GasNika ranked second with a biogas production solution that converts organic waste into biological fertilizer. Tunisia-based DripIn completed the podium with a connected solution that uses artificial intelligence to detect water leaks and optimize consumption.

Organizers granted the winners financial, technical and commercial support through the Orange Digital Centers network, and they allocated a total prize of 50,000 euros to accelerate project development.

For the 2025 edition, 369 young innovators from 14 countries completed an intensive support program that combined training, mentoring and coaching. Orange Afrique et Moyen-Orient deployed the program with support from technology and institutional partners, including Amazon Web Services, Meta, the United Nations Development Programme, The Hashgraph Association and Dar Blockchain. The program generated 56 projects under the Startup4Good theme across sectors such as environment, health, education and agriculture.

According to Ben Cheick Haidara, Deputy Chief Executive Officer and Chief Operating Officer of Orange Afrique et Moyen-Orient, the 2025 edition reflects the group’s ambition to position Orange Digital Centers as open innovation platforms focused on social and environmental impact. “Bien plus qu’une compétition, ce programme permet aux jeunes entrepreneurs de développer des solutions technologiques, notamment basées sur l’intelligence artificielle, pour répondre concrètement aux défis sociétaux et environnementaux. À travers les Orange Digital Centers, Orange s’engage durablement aux côtés de la jeunesse pour faire émerger une innovation à fort impact en Afrique et au Moyen-Orient,” he said.

Samira Njoya