With its coworking spaces, incubation and mentoring programs, as well as training and consulting services, DoniLab supports tech innovation and entrepreneurship in Mali.

DoniLab is a Mali-based business incubator founded in 2015. It is led by Tidiane Ball, a medical professional and entrepreneur. The incubator helps startups turn their ideas into minimum-viable products. It focuses on business sectors with high innovation potential such as information and communication technologies, health, and social innovation.

Through its coworking space equipped with state-of-the-art infrastructure, DoniLab offers entrepreneurs the opportunity to work in a comfortable space while benefiting from a range of services and high-speed Internet access. It also offers a digital fabrication lab -which serves as a learning space- and helps entrepreneurs, professionals, and established or yet-to-be-established companies get reliable information on their markets.

The incubator has initiated several programs, including Doni Green, an online climate change course for entrepreneurs, students, and professionals. The program aims to promote the development of the green economy through youth entrepreneurship in Mali.

DoniLab has supported other programs such as the Anwkathon Green Economy, a hackathon that aims to promote sustainable development by encouraging the youth to adopt green solutions. The incubator also supports Youth Connekt Mali, a program that aims to encourage youth entrepreneurship and involvement in development actions. 

To reach entrepreneurs in rural areas, the incubator has created three additional hubs apart from its Bamako headquarter. On Saturday, May 20, at its Sikasso hub, it organized a training session on the production of hydroponic green fodder for entrepreneurs in the agriculture and livestock sector.

To date, DoniLab has incubated and accelerated 298 companies. It has also helped create 292 jobs -thanks to supported companies- and organized 35 events. The companies incubated by DoniLab have raised more than CFAF830 million ($1.3 million).  

It is supported by several partners, including AfriLabs, the U.S. embassy in Mali, Afric'Innov, the World Bank, the International Organization of la Francophonie, and the French Development Agency (AFD).

Melchior Koba