In June 2020, the MEA Seed Challenge by Orange Ventures launched its call for applications from early stage technology start-ups in Cameroon, Ivory Coast, Egypt, Jordan, Morocco, Senegal and Tunisia. More than 500 applications received were carefully examined by the investment teams in conjunction with the local Orange teams.
670,000 euros will be invested at the end of a very competitive selection process (1), subject to the lifting of the conditions precedent, in the following seven start-ups:
7Keema in Egypt: e-health platform for making appointments with nurses
Chari.ma in Morocco: marketplace for neighborhood shops of everyday consumer goods
Dabchy in Tunisia: second-hand clothing and fashion accessories marketplace.
Moja Ride in Ivory Coast: digital solution to facilitate access, reservation and payment of means of transport from a single interface.
Waspito in Cameroon: e-health application that distributes telemedicine services.
Back Office For Business (BOB) in Jordan: digitalization solution for businesses to enable them to sell online through their own virtual store and a mobile application.
SudPay in Senegal: fintech which offers a solution for payment, ticketing and collection of local taxes.
“Congratulations to the 7 winners whom I am very happy to welcome to our community, at the start of our new seed activity,” said Jérôme Berger, CEO of Orange Ventures. “Their diversity in terms of geography and sector of activity (general public, e-health, BtoB, fintech) shows an abundance of quality initiatives that are very promising for the continent”.
Orange Ventures MEA Seed Initiative
Orange Ventures wants to expand this seed investment activity and is launching Orange Ventures MEA Seed. This initiative complements the historical activity of Orange Ventures on the continent and aims to finance 100 start-ups by 2025, mainly in the countries of Africa and the Middle East where Orange is present, and this from their early stages of development, with tickets of up to 200,000 euros.
“More than elsewhere, the difficulty of access to investment constitutes for entrepreneurs a brake on development in Africa, where investments are rarer and concentrated in a few geographies, while the continent is full of opportunities and opportunities everywhere. talents. Our initiative can help provide a solution to these talents and confirms our confidence in the innovation potential of local ecosystems in countries where Orange is present, ”explains Jérôme Berger.
“This initiative, which I welcome, is part of our strategy of openness and support for innovation players wherever we operate. It is essential for ecosystems to be able to rely on large groups capable of both investing and engaging with local entrepreneurs, especially in the current context. », Adds Alioune Ndiaye, Managing Director Orange Middle East and Africa.
The Orange Ventures MEA Seed initiative is open to start-ups in the new technology sector with a rapid growth profile, at the seed stage and operating mainly in one of the 18 countries of which Orange operates in Africa and the Middle East. Geographical proximity must maximize the impact of the support offered as well as the chances of collaboration with the entities of the Orange group.
Applications are now permanently open and can be submitted on the Orange Ventures website.
Charles Rapulu Udoh
Charles Rapulu Udoh is a Lagos-based lawyer who has advised startups across Africa on issues such as startup funding (Venture Capital, Debt financing, private equity, angel investing etc), taxation, strategies, etc. He also has special focus on the protection of business or brands’ intellectual property rights ( such as trademark, patent or design) across Africa and other foreign jurisdictions.
He is well versed on issues of ESG (sustainability), media and entertainment law, corporate finance and governance.
He is also an award-winning writer