TECH STARS (775)
He works in the technology and logistics industries. Through his company Ezee Market, he seeks to transform e-commerce and assist small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in optimizing their efforts for increased profitability
Eric Hage (photo) is a seasoned Liberian entrepreneur with extensive experience in business development. He is the co-founder and CEO of Ezee Market, a tech-driven retail startup that supports small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
Founded in 2019, Ezee Market is an online platform that brings together various local retailers, supermarkets, shopping centers, restaurants, bars, pizzerias, ice cream shops, and small entrepreneurs. Users can purchase a wide range of products, including electronics, smartphones, food items, computers, fashion accessories, jewelry, and much more.
The startup facilitates easy shopping and home delivery, enabling users to communicate with friends and sellers, make smooth payments via credit card or mobile payment services, and track their orders in real time.
Before launching Ezee Market, Eric Hage founded United Logistic Company in 2016, a transport solutions provider where he served as CEO until 2022. He holds a Master’s degree in Business Administration from Cuttington University, Liberia, obtained in 2011.
His career began in 2003 at Acres of Hope, a non-profit organization dedicated to helping vulnerable people in Liberia, where he held positions as Program Manager and National Director. In 2009, he became Logistics Procurement Manager at Liberia Commodities and Logistics, an organization specializing in the trade of basic commodities. From 2012 to 2016, he worked as a Development Specialist for the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).
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From humble beginnings as a clothing salesperson, he has risen to become the head of his own company. Today, he helps e-commerce entrepreneurs create and manage online stores, saving them from the complexities of the process.
Thato Garekoe is a South African entrepreneur and digital marketing expert. He is the founder and CEO of Rekisa eCommerce Solutions, a technology platform dedicated to e-commerce businesses.
Founded in 2020, Rekisa eCommerce Solutions helps e-commerce merchants create websites using simple and customizable design tools, or add an online store to an existing website. It also facilitates the sale of products on Facebook and Instagram, allowing buyers to browse and make purchases directly through their preferred social networks.
Rekisa eCommerce Solutions also offers the integration of the Codisto app to stores. This synchronizes product details, prices and stocks in real-time between online stores and their various sales channels.
Thato Garekoe is also CEO of Algorithmics Midrand, an international programming school for children aged 6 to 18. Before founding Rekisa eCommerce Solutions, he co-founded Tribe Activations in 2012, a marketing agency where he was CEO until 2019. In 2020, he co-founded Blink Digital, an AI-powered web creation platform.
He holds a degree in business administration obtained in 2008 from Eduvos, a South African higher education institution. Since 2023, he has been studying at Henley Business School where he is pursuing a Master of Business Administration. His professional career began in 2007 at Platinum Group, a fashion company owning several brands such as Urban Degree, Aca Joe, Hilton Weiner, Jenni Button and Vertigo, where he was a clothing retailer.
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Using his IT expertise, he develops solutions that help companies enhance their performance. One of his innovations enables professional fleet monitoring and management through GPS technology
Tumaini Maligana (Photo), a Tanzanian computer scientist and tech entrepreneur, is the founder of Alpha Track, a fleet management and asset tracking platform offering various solutions to meet business needs.
Founded in 2020, Alpha Track provides several services aimed at optimizing fleet management and asset tracking, including GPS tracking, fuel control, temperature monitoring, and security. With these solutions, companies can manage their resources more efficiently and improve their operational performance.
In addition to Alpha Track, Maligana founded Alpha Digital Support, also in 2020. This company specializes in customer support for various businesses, helping to increase retention, loyalty, upselling, and brand awareness through quality customer service.
Maligana is also the national director of Neo Group in Tanzania. Neo Group encompasses companies offering B2B services in marketing, technology, data analysis, customer support, human resources, and compliance.
Holding a degree in computer science from Mbeya University of Science and Technology, which he obtained in 2013, Maligana began his career in 2012 as an IT intern at LafargeHolcim before becoming an IT assistant in 2013. He then held executive positions in several betting companies, including 22Bet Africa as operations director for East Africa, and Betika as national director.
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A medical doctor by training, he has developed a passion for technology. He creates technological solutions to improve patient care in hospitals.
Gracien Kibala Katanga (photo) is a trained medical doctor and a passionate tech entrepreneur from the Democratic Republic of Congo. He is the founder and CEO of the healthtech startup Mavimpy Care.
Established in 2020, Mavimpy Care develops web and mobile applications to digitalize medical practices. It enhances emergency medical services, geolocates nearby hospitals, facilitates appointment scheduling, and offers online consultations throughout the DRC.
At the forefront of technology, the startup integrates artificial intelligence into its solutions. "With the connected bracelet that digitizes medical records, we personalize our health forms. Our connected bracelets provide information about your health; just scan a QR code to access your medical history," reveals Kibala Katanga in February 2024.
In addition to Mavimpy Care, Gracien Kibala Katanga serves as an administrator at Cortex Corporate, a tech solutions company. Their main application, Yangela App, assists merchants in managing stock, monitoring transactions, controlling inventory movements, and identifying sources of losses. The app also enables the management of multiple sales points and inventory control.
Before founding Mavimpy Care, he established Kibal’s and Mak Business in 2018, a telecommunication and mobile money transfer company, where he served as CEO until 2022. He is also a co-founder of Lubumbashi Trading, an academy for forex trading training.
Gracien Kibala Katanga graduated from the University of Lubumbashi with a degree in medicine. His career began in 2016 at the same university, where he was a mobile security coordinator. From 2018 to 2019, he worked as a marketing and sales agent at Kwakoo Group, an organization developing tech solutions for e-commerce businesses.
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Through his pre-incubation, incubation, and acceleration programs for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), he supports young entrepreneurs in creating and developing their projects.
Fabrice Ntchango (photo) is a Gabonese serial entrepreneur and the founder and general coordinator of Akewa Accélérateur, an innovation hub supporting businesses, entrepreneurs, organizations, and project leaders in developing innovative initiatives.
Founded in 2013, Akewa Accélérateur is an incubator for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) that promotes innovative entrepreneurship in Gabon. As a member of the Afric’innov network, it offers a wide range of support programs. "Akewa Accélérateur provides services ranging from ideation and incubation to the growth acceleration of startups and other organizations. Additionally, our hub offers tailored advice, open innovation, seed funding services, and training for young entrepreneurs and startups," Ntchango stated in May 2024.
Akewa Accélérateur's services primarily focus on sectors such as cultural industries, renewable energy, agri-food, information and communication technologies (ICT), and the environment. Since its inception, Akewa Accélérateur has supported around 100 projects. In 2022, it won the "Tech Company" award from the Alpha Blue Foundation and the African Digital Conference & Awards, recognizing it as Africa's best tech company of the year.
Fabrice Ntchango is also the co-founder and general manager of Iboundji Technologie, a company providing IT and technological engineering services. He serves as the permanent secretary of the One Forest Youth Initiative (OFYI), an international NGO for youth, and the national coordinator for Gabon programs within the Pan African Climate Justice Alliance.
Ntchango holds a bachelor's degree in accounting and finance, obtained in 2009 from Groupe SupDeco Dakar, a business school in Senegal. He also graduated from Alioune Diop University of Bambey (UADB) in 2012 with a master's degree in legal engineering and project management, with a focus on economics.
Before founding Akewa Accélérateur, Ntchango worked as an accounting assistant at Tradecorp International, a Spanish company specializing in crop biostimulation and sustainable nutrition, in Senegal from 2008 to 2009. Concurrently, he interned as a technical sales representative at Africaine de l’Automobile du Sénégal. In 2010, he was appointed executive director of Gabon Ecologie, where he worked until 2013.
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In an effort to help her mother, who had become blind, continue enjoying African books and novels, she came up with a brilliant idea. She developed a digital platform that provides all reading enthusiasts with access to a vast collection of African audiobooks.
Ama Dadson (photo) is a Ghanaian computer scientist and tech innovator. She is the founder and CEO of AkooBooks Audio, a digital streaming platform dedicated to African audiobooks.
Established in 2018, AkooBooks Audio uses machine learning to connect African authors and voice talents with new readers and listeners. The platform offers audiobooks in several African languages, making literature accessible to both literate and non-literate Africans, as well as the global African diaspora.
The idea for AkooBooks Audio was born from Ama Dadson's desire to entertain her mother, a children's book author who had become blind. While searching for audiobooks for her mother, she quickly realized that most of them were foreign and not suited to her mother's tastes.
"All the book titles I found for my mother had nothing to do with Africa. Yet, she wanted to immerse herself back in the atmosphere and imagination of our continent. So, I realized that there was a lack of essential content, adapted to our needs. This is how AkooBooks was born in 2018. Our continent is immense, we have so many talented authors and publishers. The field is vast and I took the plunge," explains Ama Dadson in 2023.
Ama Dadson graduated from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology with a bachelor's degree in computer science in 1986. She was also certified as an IT business manager in 2014 by the IT Manager Institute, created by the IT management training company, MDE Enterprises.
Following her studies, she worked as a regional computer trainer for the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) from 1991 to 1996. Between 2005 and 2022, she held various positions at the University of Ghana, including Deputy Director of IT Services and Head of IT Service Delivery.
In 2018, Ama Dadson received the African Entrepreneurship Award in the "High Potential" category from BMCE Bank of Africa. In 2021, her startup won the Startup of the Year award at the Women in Tech Africa Awards. In 2023, she won the AFD Digital Challenge Africa, organized by the French Development Agency.
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A seasoned tech entrepreneur, he specializes in creating innovative solutions to help businesses smoothly complet their digital transformation. He has already worked on hundreds of projects, consistently delivering satisfaction to numerous clients.
Mohamed Sounkere (photo) is an Ivorian tech entrepreneur and an expert in cybersecurity, cloud, and open source technologies, and an Ivorian tech entrepreneur. He is the co-founder and CEO of Veone, a startup that aims to make open source technologies and solutions accessible to businesses.
Founded in 2010, Veone is committed to providing innovative and high-quality IT solutions, leveraging its expertise in software development, integration of open source technologies, and cloud services. The company's stated mission is "to become the trusted partner for businesses, helping them navigate an ever-evolving digital landscape while optimizing their performance and efficiency.”
Veone's expertise spans various technological domains, including application development, big data, enterprise management, artificial intelligence, and automation. Its areas of operation include healthcare, telecommunications, transport and logistics, education, infrastructure, the public sector, and banking and insurance.
To date, the startup has completed over 1,500 projects and mastered more than 500 technologies. Among its flagship innovations are AssurLink and CentralBill. AssurLink is an all-in-one solution designed to optimize all business processes for insurance firms. CentralBill, on the other hand, is designed to modernize and simplify payment and collection processes for large companies and public institutions. This solution received the award for Best Digital Innovation at the 2024 Digital Transformation Awards.
Mohamed Sounkere graduated from Groupe Loko in 2002 with a Higher Technical Certificate (BTS) in Mathematics and Computer Science. In 2005, he earned a degree in Computer Science from Agitel Formation.
His professional career began in 2005 at CIMARKET, an electronic payment startup, where he was an IT security specialist and IT manager. In 2008, he joined Talentys SA, a company specializing in IT security and networks, as a senior technical project manager, working there until 2011.
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He aims to bring businesses closer to their customers and improve their performance. To achieve this, he is developing a series of technological tools designed to optimize these interactions between the two parties.
Achraf Gabsi (photo) is the founder and CEO of Go Mybiz, a technology startup specializing in providing IT solutions. Originally from Tunisia, Gabsi created this company to strengthen the relationships between businesses and their clients.
Founded in 2020, Go Mybiz offers a suite of customer relationship management (CRM) software, enabling businesses to fully digitize their customer journey. The startup has already developed three key software solutions: Go Voice, Go Contact, and Go Sales.
Go Voice is an advanced business telephony solution offering a wide range of essential features, including an interactive voice response (IVR) system, personalized messages for business hours and queues, detailed statistics, and computer-telephony integration (CTI).
Go Contact is designed for commercial and marketing departments. It helps manage customer service, conduct prospecting campaigns and appointment setting, perform satisfaction surveys, and handle debt collection.
Go Sales is a sales force management tool that provides detailed tracking of opportunities, quotes, and tasks through a configurable sales cycle tailored to the company's internal processes.
In addition to leading Go Mybiz, Achraf Gabsi is a member and secretary-general of TunisianStartups. He also serves as vice-president of the Confederation of Tunisian Citizen Enterprises (CONECT), an innovative organization representing businesses of all sizes across the country.
Achraf Gabsi graduated from the Institute of Higher Commercial Studies of Carthage with a specialized graduate diploma (DESS) in Information Technology and E-commerce in 2002. His career began the same year at Tunisie Voyages, where he was responsible for new information and communication technologies (ICT).
In 2007, he joined Satec, a digital solutions integrator, as a senior account manager for government projects. From 2012 to 2020, he worked at Smarthost, a technology company providing cloud services for SMEs, large enterprises, and government organizations, where he held positions as sales director and CEO.
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He gained extensive experience in digital marketing by working for several companies in Canada. As an entrepreneur over the past few years, he has simplified the process of exchanging second-hand clothing between buyers and sellers.
Salim Ammara (photo is an Algerian tech entrepreneur. He is the founder and CEO of Dirideal, an e-commerce platform specializing in second-hand clothing. Launched in 2022, Dirideal makes buying and selling clothes from home easy.
The platform created a true circular community with a paperless door-to-door delivery service and an integrated digital wallet. Acting as an intermediary between sellers and buyers, a courier picks up packages from sellers and delivers them to buyers across Algeria. It already boasts 150,000 active users nationwide, offers 17,000 items, and registers 700 new members daily.
In addition to his role at Dirideal, Salim Ammara is also a part-time marketing director for startup companies. His expertise includes analyzing buying behaviors, developing brand images, and optimizing sales promotions to improve profitability and market position.
He holds a marketing degree from the University of Sherbrooke, Quebec, where he earned a bachelor's degree in marketing in 2014. His professional career began in 2013 at Ludis Media in Sherbrooke as a digital marketing strategist. In 2015, he joined SherWeb, a Quebec-based cloud distributor, as a marketing strategist.
In 2018, Salim joined Datavalet Technologies, a Canadian software company, as digital marketing director. The following year, he became a marketing automation consultant at Incloud Business Solutions. Concurrently, he taught digital marketing at the Montreal College of Information Technology. From 2020 to 2021, he served as marketing manager at Bopper, a company helping artists obtain licenses.
With his rich and diverse background, Salim Ammara continues to make significant contributions to technological innovation and the development of e-commerce in Algeria.
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A finance expert, she leverages technology to create solutions tailored to the financial needs of SMEs and rural populations. Her commitment to combating financial exclusion has earned her numerous awards and distinctions.
Ethel Mupambwa (photo) is the founder and CEO of fintech startup MoneyMart Finance. Born in Zimbabwe, she is driven by the ambition to ensure financial inclusion for all her fellow citizens through her startup.
Founded in 2014, MoneyMart Finance is dedicated to fostering universal positive transformation by providing access to digital financial services. The company offers loans tailored to the activities of informal businesses and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). It also provides micro-insurance solutions for individuals, including funeral financing plans.
MoneyMart Finance tackles various forms of exclusion that contribute to poverty, including energy exclusion. The company is also a distributor of off-grid solar systems, serving families and small businesses needing reliable, sustainable, and clean energy.
Since its inception, MoneyMart Finance has served over 6,000 microenterprises and disbursed more than $5 million in loans. Additionally, it has financed over 1,300 solar systems. Reflecting a development policy focused on empowering women and youth, 70% of its clients are women and 50% are young people.
Ethel Mupambwa serves on the board of directors of the Zimbabwe Association of Microfinance Institutions (ZAMFI). She is also a founding trustee of the Digital Finance Practitioners Association of Zimbabwe (DFPAZ). She holds a bachelor's degree in finance from the National University of Science and Technology of Zimbabwe, earned in 2008. Her professional career began in 2006 as an intern at EY. From 2009 to 2011, she was the financial director of Rockshade Car Rentals and Tours, a luxury car and coach rental service provider.
In 2020, she won the WIA54 (Women in Africa) award in the fintech category and was named among Africa’s Business Heroes. The following year, she was recognized as Businesswoman of the Year by the Zimbabwe National Business & Leadership Awards. The same year, she received an honorary doctorate in human letters from the Women’s Institute of Philanthropy (WIP) and another in business leadership and entrepreneurship from the International Women’s University (IWU).
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He wants make healthcare affordable for everyone in The Gambia. To achieve this goal, he offers a comprehensive range of services, including telemedicine, pharmaceutical sales, and healthcare facility management.
Ismail D. Badjie (photo) is a trained pharmacist and Gambian entrepreneur. He is the founder and CEO of Innovarx Global Health (IGH), a company that combines technology and healthcare to provide innovative services to both businesses (B2B) and consumers (B2C).
Founded in 2014, Innovarx Global Health is a healthtech startup that aims to bridge the gap between modern healthcare solutions and their economic accessibility at the local level. This allows all Gambians, and eventually, other West African countries, to benefit from quality healthcare at affordable prices.
"Innovarx Global Health (IGH) was born out of the founder’s vision for a Gambia where access to quality healthcare was not a privilege but a right for all. A Gambia where people continuously invest in their health through regular screening and increased awareness for it is our most valuable form of wealth," the startup explains on its website.
IGH offers a wide selection of services, including medication and therapy management for diseases, on-site testing for non-communicable diseases, telemedicine, medical tourism, physiotherapy, and online pharmaceutical sales. Additionally, it provides consultancy for improving healthcare system processes.
Ismail D. Badjie holds a bachelor's in chemistry from Tennessee State University, obtained in 2008. He also graduated from Purdue University in the United States, earning a Doctor of Pharmacy degree in 2013. Following his doctorate, he worked at Walgreens, a pharmacy, health, and beauty company. Between 2013 and 2019, he held various positions, including staff pharmacist and pharmacy manager.
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With over 23 years of professional experience, she develops innovative strategies and solutions to help service providers overcome their financial challenges.
Elly Roimen Mathenge (photo) is a trained computer scientist and Kenyan entrepreneur. She is the co-founder and CEO of m-tip, a startup on a mission "to transform the financial landscape for service providers, ensuring they have the tools and resources to thrive in an ever-changing world."
Founded in 2021, m-tip aims to empower service providers by revolutionizing their revenue management. The startup offers accessible financial solutions that ensure financial stability, access to micro-financing, and insurance, paving the way for a better future.
Through its dashboard, users can access their transaction flows in real-time. Additionally, m-tip allows for tipping and cash withdrawals directly on M-Pesa, the mobile money service by Safaricom in Kenya. The m-tip services are accessible on any mobile device via the USSD application by dialing *682#.
Elly Roimen Mathenge also mentors at GERMAN X, an organization helping German businesses and startups to scale globally within dynamic innovation ecosystems. She freelances as a corporate master of ceremonies and serves on the board of Presta, a Kenyan fintech company.
The entrepreneur completed her higher education and began her professional career in the United States. She graduated from Metro State University with a bachelor's in business administration. She also holds a master's in information technology administration and management from Capella University. Her professional career began in 2002 at Fairview Health Services, where she was a business analyst.
In 2005, she joined Allina Hospitals & Clinics, where she successively held positions as a senior IT help desk analyst and business analyst. In 2009, she became the program and IT operations manager at the energy company Xcel Energy. In Kenya, she worked for several major companies, including Oracle, where she was responsible for strategic development from 2018 to 2022.
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At just 19 years old, she launched her first startup and contributed to the fight against unemployment through innovative training programs. Her company has achieved immense success, earning her numerous awards and distinctions.
Matina Razafimahefa (photo) is a renowned entrepreneur in Madagascar's tech industry. She is best known for founding the educational technology startup Sayna, alongside her mother, Nirina Rahoeliarivahy. As CEO, Matina aims to make education accessible to Africans through gamified online training programs.
Founded in 2018, Sayna is an edtech and crowdsourcing platform that allows users to acquire technological skills. Students who complete these courses can then access paid micro-tasks offered by companies, helping to reduce unemployment.
Beyond Sayna, Matina co-founded and co-chairs French Tech Antananarivo, a community launched in 2019. This initiative brings together startup founders, investors, institutions, and other key players in Madagascar's tech ecosystem. French Tech Antananarivo serves as a hub for innovation, technological experimentation, and talent support.
Born in Côte d’Ivoire and raised in Madagascar, Matina pursued her studies at the University of Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne in France, where she earned a degree in political science in 2020. Between 2018 and 2019, she was the Head of Solidarity Engagements at Maltem Consulting Group. In 2023, she served on the scientific committee of the Assises de la Transformation Digitale en Afrique.
Matina's achievements have been widely recognized. In 2020, she was a finalist in The Anzisha Prize, which honors the best young entrepreneurs in Africa. In 2022, she was named one of Forbes Africa's 30 under 30 shaping the future of the continent. Additionally, at Vivatech 2022, Sayna won the "Making Work Flexible" challenge organized by ManpowerGroup, a company specializing in recruitment solutions.
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Founded in 2009, Akendewa aims to invigorate the internet and mobile industry by supporting startups, amateurs, enthusiasts, freelancers, and entrepreneurs. The organization brings together technology enthusiasts and professionals dedicated to advancing information and communication technologies (ICT).
One of Akendewa's notable initiatives is AllDevCamp, an intensive program designed to train prolific application developers. This program provides an ideal framework for the design, development, and distribution of web and mobile applications in Africa.
Jean-Patrick Ehouman is also the co-founder and director of SheIsTheCode, a program launched in 2015 that trains and supports African women in technology and entrepreneurship. This program equips them with computing skills, fosters professional leadership, and helps digitalize businesses, NGOs, and administrations.
Before Akendewa, Jean-Patrick founded AllDenY in 2008, a startup specializing in web and mobile technologies. AllDenY assists businesses in identifying suitable technologies and strategies, developing technological solutions, and providing expert-led training. He served as CEO of the company until 2016.
Jean-Patrick Ehouman holds a university degree in electronic engineering and industrial computing from the University of Poitiers, obtained in 2004. He also has a professional bachelor's degree in computer systems and software from Aix-Marseille University, earned in 2005. In 2014, he completed a business and entrepreneurship program at the University of Texas.
He began his career as a software developer in 2006 and became co-director of Founder Institute, a global startup accelerator, in Côte d'Ivoire in 2015.
In 2013, he won the first UNESCO Prize for Youth Entrepreneurship and Culture of Peace in Africa. In 2014, he was selected among the 500 young leaders of the Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI).
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