Digital Africa, born five years ago under the presidential impetus of Emmanuel Macron during Vivatech, has emerged as a formidable force in supporting and financing early-stage digital entrepreneurs across the continent. With a renewed vision and a budget exceeding 30 million euros for the next three years, the organization, now a subsidiary of Proparco, is poised to become the leading catalyst for opportunities, funding, and visibility for startups driving technological solutions for Africa’s real economy and its people.
Isadora Bigourdan, the CEO of Digital Africa, reflected on the organization’s journey and its achievements thus far. The initial challenge was to transform a visionary presidential initiative into a sustainable structure that could effectively support and finance young African entrepreneurs. Digital Africa overcame this challenge by adapting its work methods and fostering collaborations with depoliticized entrepreneurs already shaping the post-digital world. Today, Digital Africa functions like a startup itself, embracing open access, transparency, and a performance-driven culture. Leveraging data, the organization ensures efficient allocation of funds and continuous impact assessment.
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Digital Africa’s diverse range of programs, including Bridge, Talents 4 Startups, and Fuzé, have already made significant impacts. The Talents 4 Startups program garnered an overwhelming response, with over 10,300 applications from African youth. In collaboration with nine partner training organizations across ten countries, Digital Africa successfully trained 294 students in its pilot version. The program has also established valuable partnerships with Make It and the German cooperation, expanding its scope and impact. Job fairs and speed pitching events have facilitated connections between trained talents and startups seeking their expertise, creating employment opportunities and fostering entrepreneurship. Encouraged by this success, Digital Africa is gearing up for the second edition of Talents 4 Startups, with plans to deploy 1,000 scholarships across Africa and enhance professional integration strategies with Edtech partners.
Digital Africa’s FUZE investment facility has been another pivotal achievement. By providing streamlined access to funding for early-stage startups in Francophone Africa, Digital Africa has empowered promising entrepreneurs. Through a network of 60 venture builders, including renowned actors, the organization identifies and supports startups, resulting in 14 final approvals out of 800 applications received. Collaboration and co-investment with partners on the ground have been prioritized, ensuring a stronger ecosystem. Notably, the success of Neolean, a Senegalese Edtech company funded by Fuzé, has led to additional funding from the General Delegation for Rapid Entrepreneurship of Women and Youth (DER/FJ) in Senegal.
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Digital Africa’s recent transition to a subsidiary of Proparco with its own dedicated budget of 30 million euros over three years signifies a new phase for the organization. By adopting a Europe-Africa approach and expanding its team to 20 individuals with diverse backgrounds and expertise, Digital Africa aims to maximize its impact. An extensive network of 15 connectors situated in different African countries further drives inspiration and collaboration. Despite the need for ongoing education regarding its unique approach in the institutional world, Digital Africa maintains flexibility to meet the evolving needs of startups. This adaptability was evident in the successful transformation of the Bridge program, initially created with a 5 million euro budget to address COVID-19-related challenges. Building on its achievements, Digital Africa increased the budget by an additional 2 million euros, ensuring continued support for startups.
Looking ahead, Digital Africa intends to establish a strategic committee of IT experts in collaboration with administrators from Proparco and Expertise France. This move is aimed at solidifying Digital Africa’s position as a reference actor in the industry. The organization also plans to expand the Talents 4 Startups program by offering 100 scholarships and has gained the trust of Orange, which entrusted Digital Africa with managing 500 million euros within the Fuzé framework.
Digital Africa firmly believes that fostering effective cooperation between institutions, funding sources, skill experts, research institutions, and startups is pivotal to the emergence of African tech champions. By creating an environment conducive to innovation and business growth, Digital Africa draws inspiration from the success of Silicon Valley, where substantial investments have propelled private initiatives and innovation. With a data-driven approach, Digital Africa supports startups that utilize technology for the real economy, with a focus on societal ambitions. The organization is actively developing a robust data infrastructure to measure the impact of its funded startups on improving people’s lives.
Digital Africa’s performance measures encompass financial and social perspectives, aligning with its core values. By tailoring its support to meet the specific needs of entrepreneurs, Digital Africa continues to foster sustainable development and unlock Africa’s digital potential.
As Digital Africa embarks on the next phase of its journey, it remains committed to transforming Africa through technology, working towards a brighter future for the continent and its people.
Charles Rapulu Udoh
Charles Rapulu Udoh is a Lagos-based lawyer, who has several years of experience working in Africa’s burgeoning tech startup industry. He has closed multi-million dollar deals bordering on venture capital, private equity, intellectual property (trademark, patent or design, etc.), mergers and acquisitions, in countries such as in the Delaware, New York, UK, Singapore, British Virgin Islands, South Africa, Nigeria etc. He’s also a corporate governance and cross-border data privacy and tax expert.
As an award-winning writer and researcher, he is passionate about telling the African startup story, and is one of the continent’s pioneers in this regard