Held in both English and French, the Orange Cohort was taken through critical topics of business planning and fundraising, such as market segmentation, business model design, and metric/KPI management tools for developing traction and each participant looked at both their financing needs and how to structure their campaigns for fundraising.
Some of the trainers included Alina Vinogradova, Head of Partnerships at VC4Africa, Michiel Hillen, Director of EMSA Emerging Markets Africa, Business Development expert Nicolas Dalmasse, CTIC Dakar Catalyst Yann le Beux, Trainer & Senior Consultant Agbe Julien Achille, Jokkolabs Founder & Chief Catalyst Karim Sy, and FMO Senior Investment Officer Ben Zwinkels.
Here is the total list:
AByster Mobile Money (Cameroon)
Abyster is a young and very successful ICT company that has introduced an innovative tool for mobile money traffic. Based on the mobile money API of Orange it helps ecommerce businesses in their collection of payments. AByster has introduced it’s own Android mobile money app. In just 2 years after the start it already has 1,000 users. Next step is to get the expansion to other West- and Central African countries started.
Modisar (Botswana)
Modisar (the winner of the 2014 Orange African Social Venture Prize) has developed a business management application (desktop, web & mobile) for livestock farmers. The concept makes precision farming possible in a market that today still suffers from diseases, lack of supplies and spills. The business model envisages both subscription and advertising fees. Already in the start-up stage Modisar has committed 500 users. The official launch of the commercial version is scheduled in July 2015.
Pass Docteur / Bouquet Pass Santé (Senegal)
This venture solves an important issue that refrains African consumers from using e-commerce: the online payment issue. On this basis the company has built a successful series of online B2C businesses for healthcare, education, groceries etcetera. The interaction between the diaspora and the African mother continent plays an important role. The Pass Courses team, led by the energetic and ambitious Moussa Traoré wishes to expand in both Senegal and other Western-African countries and to improve its platforms.
Pubcell (Côte d’Ivoire)
This unique initiative of the brilliant and hyperactive entrepreneur Patrice Diaho will turn online advertising and social media in Western Africa upside down. It allows users of basic mobile phones (not smart phones) to participate in social networking and it allows advertisers to reach them and to target them. Most remarkable feature of Pubcell is that it allows users to have a share in advertising benefits. Already 87,000 users and 250 advertisers have joined. In this first round of fundraising Pubcell wishes to acquire sufficient funds for a further roll-out, an improvement of the platform and preparations for international expansion. See their VC4Africa venture profile.
Station Energy (Côte d’Ivoire)
Station Energy has developed an innovative retail concept of energy services that enables affordable energy access for all, especially in rural areas where there’s no grid. Apart from solar power the retail concept offers various other shared services like cold storage, lighting and internet access. What sets Station Energy apart is the fact that it not just developed an easy to implement solution for rural African communities, but also a sound business and investment model, making the chances of getting it off the ground realistic and highly promising.
Twinklebox (Egypt/Kenya)
Twinklebox can give a boost to the market of pay-as-you-go products and services. Twinklebox has developed a pay as you go solar lamp for East-African households, combining mobile technology with solar technology. Part of their concept is a highly effective backoffice system for it. Based on their experiences during the start-up stage the Twinklebox team decided to focus more on the development and roll-out of their backoffice system and sell this at the B2B market to business that sell pay-as-you-go products and services. Their fund raising round will be geared at this latest development.
Mewanko Farm (Cameroon)
Mewanko farm will introduce B2B-ecommerce at the base of the pyramid to help local farmers reach wholesalers, hotels and restaurants in the urban markets near them. Mewanko will make supply and demand more transparent by introducing a digital community ecommerce platform. Marketing skills meet social targets! With the newly acquired knowledge Mewanko is well positioned to have a successful fundraising round.
Senemar+ (Cameroon)
SENEMAR+ focuses primarily on reinventing practices of the African agricultural value chain, from sourcing and production to sales, distribution, transport and packaging. The business concept consists of several modules, like a web app based online market, a mobile payment tool and a business management application.
Agzakhana (Egypt)
Agzakhana makes pharmacy products as well as medical information available to anyone at any time, using an ecommerce platform accessible through web and mobile. One of the secrets behind Agzakhana’s success is the extensive database of products, medicine and accurate medical information. Agzakhana’s plans include regional expansion and enhanced accessibility.