With her background, she has become a supportive mentor, dedicated to developing young talent and building an inclusive tech ecosystem.

Andréa Zafitody Li-Sai Chimento (photo) is a computer engineer who graduated from the National Institute of Applied Sciences in Lyon (INSA) in 1990. In 2019, she founded Zafy Tody, a tech startup incubator that stands out for its fully volunteer-based model.

Zafy Tody supports early-stage Malagasy startups without taking equity or ownership stakes, offering tailored guidance instead. Each year, the incubator selects between five and ten startups to join a six-month program known as the Seed Program. This initiative includes seed funding, access to workspace, hands-on workshops, and one-on-one mentorship.

The incubator has also built a training platform tailored to the needs of entrepreneurs and businesses undergoing digital transformation. Its modules cover UX/UI design, technological innovation, and entrepreneurship, with the aim of strengthening local capacity and fostering digital solutions adapted to Madagascar’s specific context.

Alongside her work at Zafy Tody, Zafitody Li-Sai Chimento plays a strategic advisory role within the African tech ecosystem. She serves as a senior advisor to the CEO of Axian Group—a leading digital player in Madagascar and across Africa—and sits on the advisory board of Novulis Consulting, a firm specializing in digital transformation.

She began as a solutions architect at IBM Global Services France, then joined Microsoft in 1997. Starting as a business services consultant in France, she moved on to managerial roles in Italy and later across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. She oversaw enterprise services, led the Microsoft 4Afrika Academy in the region, and served as managing director in the Gulf.

In 2013, she joined Oracle in the Middle East as head of consulting services. In 2019, she moved to Amazon Web Services, where she has worked, among other roles, as head of enterprise business acceleration for Europe, the Middle East, and Africa.

By Melchior Koba,

Editing by Sèna D. B. de Sodji