In an African context where small businesses are struggling to adapt to the digital economy, this Moroccan entrepreneur has designed a solution to simplify their daily management. His innovation aims to provide merchants with the necessary tools to remain competitive.

Moncef Chlouchi, a Moroccan engineer and entrepreneur, is the founder and CEO of Inyad, a startup helping small merchants and self-employed workers in the Maghreb and the Middle East embrace digital transformation.

Founded in 2018, Inyad offers a unified digital platform for professionals in retail, hospitality, and services, enabling users to manage sales, payments, and operations from a single interface. The platform targets “those who keep the economy running every day,” the company says.

Its tools include invoicing and quotation management, payment processing, payroll tracking, and inventory control. Restaurant owners can use the system to handle orders, payments, and staff schedules, while retailers can digitize daily operations such as timekeeping and real-time stock monitoring.

Inyad also provides a digital credit ledger that allows small businesses to record customer debts, track repayments, and simplify collection. The company has developed a mobile point-of-sale terminal designed for flexible use. To date, Inyad has raised $14 million in funding.

Chlouchi holds a master’s degree in applied mathematics from École Polytechnique in France (2012) and a master’s in mining engineering from Mines Paris -PSL (2013). He began his career in 2013 as a supply and commercial strategy analyst at Total Oil Asia Pacific Marketing & Services in Singapore before joining McKinsey & Company as a project manager from 2014 to 2017.

Melchior Koba