In the presence of Yacine El-Mahdi Oualid, Minister Delegate to the Prime Minister responsible for the knowledge economy and startups, Algeria’s national startup accelerator “Algeria Venture” officially launched a startup acceleration program in partnership with the “Google for startups MENA” network on Tuesday in Algiers.
Minister for Startups, Yacine Oualid
This program, dubbed “Boost Competencies Entrepreneurship (BCEP),” which has already promoted 14 startups from seven provinces across the country, aims to accelerate the growth of these startups by training and assisting them in acquiring and developing necessary skills through courses and workshops.
Oualid highlighted during a press conference held on the sidelines of the ceremony that this program enables startups to benefit from training provided by Google executives with the goal of increasing managerial and technological abilities.
According to Sid Ali Zerrouki, Managing Director of Algeria Venture, this program, in collaboration with the Google network for MENA startups, enables the provision of “quality training and effective acceleration with the support of pioneering international skills and expertise in the formation of world-leading ecosystems.”
“Today marks the launch of the inaugural campaign, which brings together 14 entrepreneurs operating in a dozen distinct sectors. New promotions will begin shortly with the goal of achieving 100 accelerated startups before the end of the year,’’ Zerrouki stated.
Salim Abid, the representative of Google responsible for the growth of the startup ecosystem in the MENA area, emphasized the computer giant’s support for Algerian startups “for several years.”
“At the moment, we’re interested in assisting all startups, project leaders, and students. We’ve trained approximately 100,000 project leaders and Algerian students over the last two years on the most cutting-edge technologies, from artificial intelligence to clouds (virtual storage), using the Android platform, in order to transfer the Google experience to these entrepreneurs,” Abid explained.
It’s worth noting that the program’s first promotion will focus on entrepreneurs operating in ICT, biotechnology, artificial intelligence, e-commerce, logistics, and education.
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. You can book a session and speak with him using the link: https://insightsbyexperts.com/view_expert/charles-rapulu-udoh
An official mobile app to combat and limit the spread of the coronavirus in Algeria has been developed by the ministry responsible for startups. The application (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.covid19_algeria), the result of collaboration with the Ministry of Health and the private incubator incubator, will ‘‘alert authorities if a person has symptoms of the coronavirus, and this will allow them to do the screening without the person having to travel to avoid infecting other people.’’
Minister for Startups, Yacine Oualid
Here Is All You Need To Know
In a statement to National Radio, Algeria ‘s Minister responsible for Startups, Yacine Oualid said all Algerian startups are mobilized against the coronavirus to help both the government and Algerian citizens in their quest to fight against this pandemic.
For example, he said, as part of the fight against the spread of Coronavirus, “Jumia”, a pan-African startup specialized in e-commerce, is distributing voluntarily, hydroalcoholic solutions. On its part, E-madrassa is voluntarily providing free online tutoring on the coronavirus disease. Mag-assistance, another startup has made available 10 medical ambulances for samples from home, the minister further said..
He also revealed that Algeria has asked Google to provide it with everything related to the pandemic, stressing that “a budget has been allocated to meet this demand”.
In addition, the minister reassured that the delay in the generalization of e-payment “will be made up in the next three or four months” adding that the problem is more “administrative than technical”.
Earlier this week, his counterpart in the Ministery of Micro-enterprise, Startups and the Knowledge Economy, Yassine Djeridene announced that his sector was working to establish a favourable business climate and a specific legal framework for micro-companies and startups, with a view to strengthening innovation and technological transition.
Expected in July, 2020, the legal framework for startups will provide greater effectiveness and efficiency in the creation of innovative businesses, the minister said.
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.
He could be contacted at udohrapulu@gmail.com
Yacine Oualid is one of the biggest surprises of Algeria’s new national government. On January 02, 2020, aged only 26, Yacine Oualid became Algeria’s new Minister of Startups — a new newly created ministry under the newly elected President Abdelmadjid Tebboune’s administration.
President Abdelmadjid Tebboune
Yacine Oualid studied at the Faculty of Medicine of University of Sidi Bel Abbès.
Prior to becoming Algeria’s Minister of Startups, in June 2016, Yacine Oualid created SSH, a company specializing in cloud solutions for businesses, which would later become the first private web host in Algeria. In September 2019, he and his partner founded Smart Ways3, a startup in the field of logistics and geolocation. In December of the same year, he founded Bright Solutions, a leading IT company providing IT solutions and services, headquartered in England.
In this interview with Muriel Edjo of the Ecofin Agency, he reveals the major projects that will be his priorities and the new ambitions of Algeria as it concerns startups and Algeria’s digital economy.
As Minister of Startups, a department specially created in the context of the fourth industrial revolution, what exactly are your responsibilities?
If I have to sum it up, I would say that the New World Economy is taking shape, and that Algeria wishes, and will, become a major player. My goal, with all the players in the sector, is to participate in this transformation of the largest country in Africa.
In a more practical way, my role is first of all to set up a legal framework which is favorable to startups. Once set up, this legal framework will facilitate the creation of startups and their financing. The goal is to see it materialise in a few months’ time, Algerian champions, who will be able to offer their services all over the world. Algeria is determined to become an African pillar of innovation and we want to offer our entrepreneurs the best framework for entrepreneurship and innovation.
In addition, my mission touching on many other ministries, I also have the role of ensuring that all the other institutions adhere to this new vision, of an economy whose spearhead will be innovation and startups.
Being in this ministry is a big privilege, especially since we have the full support of the President of the Republic and the Prime Minister. This is very encouraging because, for the first time, in Algeria we have a government that has placed its trust in young people.
What actions are planned by your ministry to boost the local Startup industry?
One of the first steps will be to identify startups using a label. This label will allow access to a certain number of facilities, fiscal and non-fiscal advantages, bank accounts in foreign currency and facilities to export services. Labeled companies will also be able to benefit from the assumption by the State of the patent registration whether at national or international level.
We are also in the process of developing a new legal form for companies that is more suited to startups. It will make it possible to raise funds and make an IPO more simple and possible. We will also develop a legal framework for crowdfunding.
Finally, we are engaging with other departments on certain penalties startups in Algeria are exposed to, such as access to online payment; the quality of internet connection; the difficulties in obtaining certain authorizations; and the absence of Datacenter with international standards.
As such, I would like to emphasize that we are currently enjoying great collaboration from the other ministerial departments and that we have already obtained successes in a few weeks. For instance, the Ministry of Labor has just created an appropriate framework for the status of freelancers which will allow our startups to pool scarce resources in specific areas of development; the Ministry of Commerce has equally taken into consideration our recommendations to facilitate the export of services; and the Ministry of Housing has called on startups to digitize its services .
Can we qualify a new SME as a Startup? What criteria will prevail to identify a Startup?
A startup is above all a company that offers an innovative service or product, with strong growth potential and even if the criteria to define the startup differ from one country to another, the concepts of innovation and ” scalability” (the anglicism which translates to the fact of having a reproducible business model on large markets) are universal.
In order to award the “startup” labels, we will concern ourselves with 4 criteria: innovation, scalability, age of the startup which must not exceed 8 years, and size (turnover and number of employees)
Image for: Yacine Oualid, minister of startups, showing African startup funding by countries for the year-ended 2017
In announcing a startup ministry, the Head of State also announced a dedicated bank. Digital players like LegalPlace believe that a reliable banking system and advantageous taxation are more necessary than a dedicated bank which risks becoming a National Youth Employment Support Agency (ANSEJ) bis. What do you think ?
To begin with, there will be a fund for startups, the latter being financed more by opening capital than by debt. This fund will make it easier for startups to find financing.
In addition, our action plan provides for favorable taxation, whether for startups or investors. Our goal is not for Algeria to mass-produce startups, but rather to see the birth of Algerian champions who will conquer markets all over the world and which will lead entire sectors (developers, logistics for e- trade…).
What is the transformative potential of the Startup ecosystem on the Algerian economy?
Startups can become the spearhead of the Algerian economy, an economy which for many years has been dependent on the hydrocarbon sector and which seeks to renew itself. In the digital sector, they can quickly create jobs and wealth.
The digital economy now accounts for more than 30% of global economic growth, so we are at an important turning point in our history that should not be missed. The government’s interest in startups and the creation of a ministry dedicated to their promotion testify to the importance of this subject for the Algerian economy.
In 2019, the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research announced the establishment of seven ICT incubators in 2020. What role will your ministry play in achieving the objectives of these strategic structures?
Creating solid bridges between the academic and entrepreneurial world is a great challenge for us and we are working in close collaboration with the Ministry of Higher Education so that the Algerian university facilitates entrepreneurship. These support structures within the university will allow students to acquire soft skills. Our ministry also aims to encourage the learning of programming languages in all sectors. The incubators will allow young students to get started in entrepreneurship by relieving them of many administrative and practical aspects. Through all of this, we hope to make the university an important player in the startup ecosystem in Algeria.
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.
He could be contacted at udohrapulu@gmail.com
