• Kamal El Hardouzi co-founded Woliz in 2025 to help neighborhood retailers access digital tools and financial services.

• The platform connects merchants, consumers, consumer goods companies, banks, insurers, telecom operators, public institutions and service providers through a single ecosystem.

• Woliz aims to modernize traditional retail operations while preserving the customer relationships that underpin local commerce.

Moroccan serial entrepreneur Kamal El Hardouzi serves as co-founder and chief executive officer of Woliz, a startup that aims to fully integrate neighborhood merchants into the digital economy.

Founded in 2025 alongside Ismail Amri, Othman Jabrane and Karim Hamri, Woliz combines a range of business management tools within a single platform. The company aims to help small retailers compete more effectively with large retail chains while preserving the trust-based relationships that distinguish local commerce.

The platform operates as an integrated marketplace that connects merchants, consumers, consumer goods companies, banks, insurance firms, telecom operators, public institutions and service providers.

For shop owners, Woliz simplifies daily operations by enabling sales tracking, inventory optimization and access to financial services through strategic partners.

Meanwhile, consumers gain access to promotions and loyalty programs offered by their regular neighborhood stores.

Consumer goods companies also benefit from the platform. Woliz provides greater market visibility and deeper insights into traditional retail networks. In addition, the platform enables brands to engage more efficiently with local points of sale without increasing field operations.

An International Profile Shaped by Marketing and Consumer Goods

El Hardouzi has built several ventures before launching Woliz. He also founded and leads FMCGapps, a startup that uses technology to increase sales, optimize costs and strengthen brand visibility for fast-moving consumer goods companies across traditional distribution networks. His entrepreneurial profile reflects a strong academic background.

He earned a bachelor's degree in exchange studies, market research, international marketing and consumer behavior from the University of San Diego in the United States in 2011. He also graduated from Al Akhawayn University, where he earned a bachelor's degree in finance and marketing in 2013 and a master's degree in international business in 2016.

El Hardouzi began his professional career in 2013 as business development and sales manager at Derichebourg Multiservices, a company specializing in outsourcing services. He took his first major step into entrepreneurship in 2017 when he founded Fenris Agency, a company specializing in marketing, events and public relations.

In parallel, Samsung Electronics recruited him between 2016 and 2017 to lead online business development and sales activities across Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia. That combination of experience in consumer goods, technology, marketing and distribution ultimately led him to design digital solutions tailored to African market realities.

This article was initially published in French by Melchior Koba 

Adapted in English by Ange J.A de Berry Quenum