DIGITAL ECONOMY Top 20 Cameroonian Start-ups - Business In Cameroon

BUSINESS IN CAMEROONFOCUSCameroon,the start-ups saga Since the Cameroonian Head ofState repeated its importance andinvited both the government and itsyoung fellow countrymen to grabthe opportunities it affords, digitaleconomy is everywhere in the country. Within six months, Cameroonhosted no less than four forums andother exhibitions on digital development in the country.To implement the directives of theHead of State on this topic, the Ministry of Posts and Telecoms evenawarded to a consortium formed bytwo local firms, a contract for thecreation of a national digital economy development plan. To achievethis, Capgemini Consulting and In-Within six months,Cameroon hosted noless than four forumsand other exhibitions ondigital development in thecountry.terface have, since March, launcheda call for papers via internet.The goal is, through this collaborative approach, involve the highestnumber of players who gravitatearound the digital economy environment in the draft of this document which, we learn, will helpin “establishing solid bases for theemergence and development of adigital society”. The chain of actorsincludes entities such as the telecom-8-regulatory agency, mobile operators and ICT, internet service providers, start-ups and IT applicationdevelopers, etc.tiveness, which was deployed evenbefore the digital economy becamea refrain in the country, but whichoften times remained hidden away.At least, for the most part.It is this last category which is highlighted as part of the current feature. Indeed, since the digital economy concept took a leading role inthe discourse of the president, thedifferent initiatives which followedthe entreaty of the Cameroonianpresident to turn the digital economy into a leverage essential forthe development of the country, revealed several inventions by younglocal start-up sponsors. Such inven-In this view, Invest in Cameroonsheds some light on these littlerevolutionaries who, despite thedifficulties in accessing to fundingto which they are confronted, alldream of a Steve Jobs kind of destiny. By transforming Cameroon, acountry whose energy, mining andlogging potential have not led to theresults envisaged for the local economy, into a real digital hub.Brice R. MbodiamJuly-August 2016 / N 41-42

BUSINESS IN CAMEROONFOCUSSukuloo, the platform which guarantees toparents the monitoring of studentsAn online platform and a mobileapplication enabling parents tohave, in real time via internet, thedifferent grades of their wards inschool; the learning curve of thestudent in the different subjects;the number of hours of absencefrom class; details on all homework; instant alerts for new grades;late arrivals in class, absences andtests; or direct exchange with theschool management on the student’s behaviour, etc.These are some of the features ofSukuloo (which means school inseveral local Cameroonian languages), an educational monitoring platform developed by theCameroonian start-up InfosysGroup. According to its sponsors,the academic community andparents now have a tool throughwhich they can interact to fight“failure and dropping out of school”.A finalist in the first edition of theChallenge Startupper organisedby Total Cameroun with the platform Sukuloo, Infosys Group takecharge of the roll-out of this toolin schools as well as training thepersonnel on its use. It is then theduty of the schools, high schoolsand other partner universities tomarket this service to the parentsand feed in the different necessaryinformation.In areas where there is no internet connection, the informationcan be sent to the parents throughtext messages (SMS), just like theycan be called in case of emergency,through the call centre set up bythe sponsors of Sukuloo.Maviance puts all the stakes on instant billpaymentA start-up specialised in the development of payment applicationslaunched by Cameroonian JerryCheambe, Maviance plans to putJuly-August 2016 / N 41-42an end to the troubles linked to thepayment of bills. Only three yearsafter the launch of its Smobilpay inthe country, this firm already has anetwork of 400 collection points inCameroon, we officially learned.This quick deployment was madepossible through a partnership withEneo, the public electricity serviceconcessionaire, for whom this startup with a workforce of about tenpeople is facilitating collections.Through the 40% in bill paymentfees it pays back as commission tothe managers of the microfinanceestablishments which act as its collection points, Maviance helps toboost the revenues of its partners.After the payment of electricitybills, the sponsors of Maviance announce that this start-up, whichis currently in negotiations with amobile telephone company, is getting ready to launch an applicationto facilitate the purchase of airtimeand internet credit.-9-

BUSINESS IN CAMEROONFOCUSGiftedMom uses ICT for the benefit of motherand child healthtancy firms”. Additionally, AlainNteff and GiftedMom have beenbenefiting for several weeks nowfrom a major communication campaign to give more visibility to thisproject, which revealed this youngCameroonian IT specialist to theworld in 2014.How a young IT engineer seizedthe opportunity of mobile penetration in Cameroonian customs,to become an icon in social entrepreneurship.The Cameroonian subsidiary of theoil company Total awarded, on 1stApril 2016 in Douala, the economiccapital of the country, the prizes forthe first edition of the Total Challenge Startupper. The first prizeof this competition dedicated toyoung entrepreneurs, handed overby André Siaka, patron of Challenger Startupper 2016 and formerHead of the Cameroonian employers’ association, went to Alain Nteff,founder of GiftedMom.This start-up developed an applica-tion through which text messagesare sent to pregnant women in ruralareas, to remind them of the datesof their appointments for antenatalcheck-ups at the hospital. Thanksto this service, we learn, the number of deaths after delivery considerably decreased in the areas wherethe project has been implementedand the partner health centres haveregistered an increase of 35% in 2years in the rate of antenatal appointments.The winner, whom the MD of Total Cameroun, Imrane Barry, calleda true “serial winner”, due to thenumber of awards he has alreadywon internationally; will moreoverbenefit from “tailored support fromsome Grandes Ecoles and consul-This start-up developed an applicationthrough which text messages are sent topregnant women in rural areas, to remindthem of the dates of their appointmentsfor antenatal check-ups at the hospital.-10-Theingenuity ofthis youngCameroonian,but evenmore sothe socialimpact ofhis initiative, haveattractedadmirationto him.TRANSFORMING AFRICAIndeed, that year, Alain Nteff wasamong the laureates of the AnzishaPrize, an international competitionat the end of which prizes are given to young African entrepreneursaged 22 or younger, and who havedeveloped or implemented innovative solutions against socialchallenges, or who have startedsuccessful companies within theircommunities.The win at the Anzisha Prize enabled the young sponsor of the startup GiftedMom to take part, in 2014,in the World Economic Forum(WEF), the ultimate gathering ofeconomic operators from the worldover. During this meeting, he wasable to establish a partnership withthe food industry firm Nestlé, whobecame the “first client” of his startup, he specified.The ingenuity of this young Cameroonian, but even more so thesocial impact of his initiative, haveattracted admiration to him. Including from personalities in thebusiness world. “Despite all I havegone through in my life, I am stillvery impressed with a genius likeAlain Nteff. I am sure that you willbe one of the players in the transformation of Africa”, André Siakadeclared while congratulating theyoung IT engineer, for whom thevictory in the Total Challenge Startupper in April 2016 had a specialmeaning. “This is the first directfinancing I receive in my country”,he specified.BRMJuly-August 2016 / N 41-42

BUSINESS IN CAMEROONFOCUSWilliam Elong’s Will & Brothers makes moreaccessible the use of civilian dronesIn the early evening of 17th May2016, contortionists are showing offtheir skills on the esplanade of theNational Museum, which has beenhosting since the day before an exhibition on digital economy. Abovethe heads of the spirited dancers, atechnological marvel is hovering: alittle bird made of iron, equippedwith a camera, which is filming thescene in a wide-angle shot. Uponviewing the images, the depictionis impeccable. One could easilybelieve that you are watching oneof these colourful scenes like canonly be found in films produced byAmerican studios.However, this technological prowess is very much of Cameroonianorigin, and the product of DroneAfrica, the name of an applicationdeveloped by the start-up Will &Brothers led by young WilliamElong. He explains: the iron bird isa drone which, through the DroneAfrica application, helps to offer thevery “first civilian drone service” inCameroon.According to its sponsors, far beyond the entertaining aspect itprovides at first, the Drone Africaconcept will radically transformmany things. This is the case for thepromotion of tourism, through thepossibility of taking new images;producing, at reduced cost, mapsof mining and urban developmentprojects; better coverage of majorevents such fairs, cultural events orfootball competitions; collectingimages in disaster zones or areasdifficult to access, etc.Thanks to this technological innovation, start-up owner WilliamElong is featured in the 2016 ranking of 30 most promising youngAfrican entrepreneurs, compiledevery year by the famous Americanmagazine Forbes. In the seventhposition in the list, he is even theonly Cameroonian and first Central African (with Gabonese MarkDoumba, co-founder of ClikafrikGroup) in this ranking dominated by Kenyans, South Africans andGhanaians.With a click, lalala.com allows farmers to findoutlets in the worldWhich Cameroonian does not knowabout the infrastructure difficultiesthat local farmers face in bringingtheir produce to the towns? Well, toremove this thorn from the foot ofCameroonian farmers, and in ordercently launched the platform lalala.com, created by the start-up withthe same name in the Camerooniancapital.Thanks to this digital platform, theproducer of tapioca of Ngouléma-lalala.com allows farmers and other craftsmen tofind outlets at the speed of a click.to promote products made in Cameroon two young entrepreneursArmel Djidjou and Guy Simo, re-July-August 2016 / N 41-42kong, in the south; the washer ofNdolé from Bomono, on the coast;the seller of foléré of Ngaoundéré,in the north; can, with an internetconnection, propose their productsto buyers throughout the world.In short, lalala.com, an expressionmeaning speed in Cameroonianslang, allows farmers and othercraftsmen to find outlets at thespeed of a click. In less than sixmonths since its launch, explainsone of the four employees in thecompany, more than 100 farmersand craftsmen have signed up tolalala.com, which offers them forfree, for the moment, outlets in theentire world.-11-

BUSINESS IN CAMEROONFOCUSHimore Medical has perfected Cardiopad, thefirst African medical tabletThis technology innovation hasreceived several internationalawards allowing its creator to startanother new pioneering project.It is certainly the most renownedCameroonian start-up in the world.Quite normal! Since it is throughHimore Medical that the youngCameroonian computer engineer,Arthur Zang, developed Cardiopad,Arthur Zangdeveloped theCardiopad,unanimouslypresented asthe first Africanmedical tablet.unanimously presented as the firstAfrican medical tablet. A revolutionin the field of cardiac examinationthat has an impact throughout theworld. To the point of being worthrewards in spades for the inventor.Arthur Zang received the latestaward to date on 26 May 2016 inthe Tanzanian capital. It is the goldmedal of the Africa Prize for Engineering Innovation, organised bythe UK Royal Academy. This medal includes a reward of GBP 5,000,about FCfa 23 million.The Cameroonian engineer waschosen among 900 nationals from 42African countries. “Very often, products conceived by Africans are ignoredat the expense of European products.I needed to prove to the entire worldthat Cameroonian engineers in par--12-Marketedsince thebeginningof the year2016, 300copiesof thismedicalequipmenthave already beenassembled.ticular, and African in general, have asmuch talent as those in the West”, heconfided after obtaining his medal.Before this, the inventor of Cardiopad had been acclaimed duringthe “2014 Rolex Prize for entrepreneurial spirit”, among 1,800 candidates; and at the Forum AfricaDevelopment held in Casablanca inMorocco in 2015, an event at whichthe trophy for entrepreneurship inthe category of “Innovation” wasawarded to Himore Medical.FOCUS ON PRODUCTION OFMAGNETIC CARDSHaving achieved this internationalacclaim, the Cardiopad, allows forthe running of a patient’s cardiacparameters and transmits them atdistance to a specialist for interpretation, thus redressing the shortageof cardiologists in hospitals; wasdisplayed at the Health Forum ofGeneva, in Switzerland, from 19 to21 April 2016.Marketed since the beginning ofthe year 2016, 300 copies of thismedical equipment have alreadybeen assembled. According to Arthur Zang, a graduate of the ÉcolePolytechnique of Yaoundé, 53 samples of this device that costs FCfa 2million per unit, have already beensold, of which 25 to Gabon andmore than 10 to Nepal. The proceeds of these first sales will permit, we learn, to set up a factoryto produce magnetic cards in theCameroonian capital.ZNG Smart Card Factory is thename of the company throughwhich the Cameroonian Polytechnique engineer will develop thisnew project. It will create 150 directjobs as soon as it is launched, it ishighlighted. But, in the meantime,Arthur Zang and his team are working to find funding to clear 600 tonsof equipment currently stocked atthe port of Douala, in the economiccapital of the country.BRMJuly-August 2016 / N 41-42

BUSINESS IN CAMEROONFOCUS“Djangui” allows subscribers scattered all overthe world, to manage tontines online“Djangui”. This local name for tontines in Cameroon is also the namechosen by Jules Guilain Kenfack,Cameroonian computer and telecommunications engineer, to designate the application that he has justdeveloped, and that allows tontinesto be managed online. Thanks tothis application, the designer explains, friends scattered all over theworld can fulfill all the conditionstied to a tontine.Definitely, through “Djangui”, it ispossible to pay all of one’s tontinedues in a secure manner via Paypal,Orange Money and MTN MobileMoney; have discussions with othermembers of the tontine thanks toan instant messaging service; haveautomated raffles; vote for Bureaumembers and have reports of previous meetings, take loans from thetontine account, compile reports ofmeetings that could be held by video-conference, etc.ent in African culture to be revolutionised. Indeed, these groupingsof friends or family within whichmembers make different transactions (cash deposits, loans, educational savings, etc.) have becomereal traditional financial institutions for years.According to Jules Guilain Kenfack,“Djangui” which is in the development phase with a view to integrating several other functions,is available in French and English.This application, its developer explains, has already been successfullytested in Germany, by four tontinesof Cameroonian nationals living inthe West.According to the Ministry of Finance, Cameroonian tontines areworth a total envelope of aroundFCfa 190 billion. The same sourcespecifies that 58% of Camerooniansprefer tontines because investmentsin them are very profitable and access to credit less restrictive than inbanks and micro-finance institutions.This technological innovation allows tontines which are very pres-Kwiizi develops Wikipedia made in CameroonCameroonian start-up Kwiizi hasjust achieved the feat of reducingthe world of literature and documentation to a box : the Kwiizi box.A digital encyclopedia recalling wellknown Wikipedia, the Kwiizi boxhas the special feature of allowingaccess to tons of documents andother information without internetconnection.A digitalencyclopedia recallingwell knownWikipedia,the Kwiizibox hasthe specialfeature ofallowingaccess totons ofdocumentsand ust 2016 / N 41-42It is set up in such a way that itscontent can be shared, exactly likea wifi connection. Thanks to thedocuments, books and videos itcontains, this box facilitates research for students and teachers,and significantly contribute to thereduction in budgets for documentation for individuals, universitiesand schools.With a search engine to ease access to the selected document,the Kwiizi box has been marketed since 2015, after two years ofdevelopment. This tool actuallyinterested giant Wikipedia, who,we learn, intends to develop itshighly African content and makeavailable for its own users, moredocumentation and informationon Africa.-13-

BUSINESS IN CAMEROONFOCUSNovazen develops first application for taxireservation in Central AfricaCarDispo. This is how, Bruno Soufo, young sponsor of the Cameroonian start-up Novazen, has calledhis discovery. It is an applicationthat allows users to book taxisbased on location, from a mobilephone or on the internet. It is, thedeveloper of Novazen specifies, thevery first application of this typein Cameroon and in the region ofCentral Africa overall.Fares charged by the Novazen taxinetwork are almost identical tothose approved by Cameroonianpublic authorities. That is to sayFCfa 3,000 and FCfa 5,000, depending on whether one hires or isdropped off by an ordinary taxi ora so-called VIP vehicle. Accordingto Bruno Soufo, CarDispo servicesofficially started at the end of 2015in the two main Cameroonian citiesof Yaoundé and Douala.According to Novazen, which aimsto extend services to the wholecountry of Cameroon and is eyeingall the Central African region, a newversion of the application is actually being developed. We learn that itwill provide information to users inreal time, about traffic in differenttowns in the country. This will allow them to avoid roads paralysedby traffic jams.Ease Travel Services launches applicationMyAirport Cameroon to disseminate flightschedules-14-Thanks to MyAirport Cameroon, a mobile phone application, that Cameroonian start-up Ease TravelServices has just launched,the general public has freeaccess in a simple click toflight schedules of airlinecompanies in all the airports in Cameroon.In short, thanks to EaseTravel Services’ discovery,family members and friendsof travellers can henceforthavoid hours of waiting inairports, as well as travellers themselves activatingan alert to be instantly informed about all changes inthe status of their flight.In addition to informingpassengers, about theirflight schedules, airlinecompanies can equally,through this applicationavailable for download onGoogle Play Store, advisechanges in flight times oreven ongoing promotionopportunities on airfares,send urgent messages etc.,the developers of MyAirport Cameroon explain.Ease Travel Services is aCameroonian start-up operating in the transport andtravel area. It is particularlyspecialised in booking carswith drivers in the cities ofDouala, Yaoundé, Paris andBrussels. In these 4 cities,Ease Travel Services webdeveloped application allows users, we learn, to havea fleet of 120 rental vehiclesof all categories at competitive prices at their disposal.July-August 2016 / N 41-42

BUSINESS IN CAMEROONFOCUSKiro’o Games put Cameroon on video gamehigh-tech marketSponsor, Olivier GuillaumeMadiba, aims to produce 200,000DVDs of the first game developedlo

Société de Développement du Coton (Sodecoton - Cotton Development Company) who then worked for the European Union, Bayero Bounou was promoted to the position of Man-aging Director of the flagship of the agro-industry in northern Cameroon. This was at the end of an extraordinary Board meeting held on 20 th June in the Cameroonian capital.