I&P Accélération

POCERAM is a Burkinabè company specialized in the production of fired clay bricks and improved cookstoves. It was founded in the 1980s by Mamoudou TRAORE, a pioneer in the development of the handicraft sector in Burkina Faso. In 2012, he handed over the management of the company to his children, with leadership ensured by Bintou TRAORE. She quickly made her mark and brought renewed momentum to the business: in less than five years, the company supplied over one million fired clay bricks for the construction of housing and buildings in Burkina Faso, raised more than USD 500,000, and generated more than one hundred direct and indirect jobs. 

The entrepreneur 

Bintou is an experienced manager with more than fifteen years of experience in management and commercial roles within companies such as AIRTEL Burkina, COLINA, and SENFA. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Management from CESAG and a Master’s degree in Marketing from ISPP. She joined the family business in 2012 as Sales Manager before becoming Managing Director in 2020. Her strategic vision and her ability to lead teams and mobilize partners are a central driver of POCERAM’s growth. 

Partnership with I&P and Néré Capital 

Through the CATAL1.5°T program, I&P has committed alongside POCERAM BRIQUETERIE to: 

• Increase the company’s production capacity to 10,800 bricks/day through the acquisition of a modern, environmentally friendly, high-performance kiln; 
• Expand its customer base and visibility; 
• Provide specialized technical support to improve accounting, financial management, and internal organization; 
• Support the company toward achieving an Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) certification. 

Key impacts 

• Annual reduction of more than 680 tons of CO2 equivalent by 2029 thanks to bioclimatic fired clay bricks; 
• Improved thermal comfort and energy efficiency of the homes and buildings constructed; 
• Formalization and long-term sustainability of 12 jobs within the company; 
• Strengthened worker health and safety through the formalization of an OHS management system. 

Pearl of Africa Cheese (POA) is a dairy processing company that produces a range of cheese products in Uganda. It started operations in 2012 and was registered in 2020 by the founding team Paul Ainebyona, Adrine Atuhaire and Peninah Ayebare. Starting as a cheese trader improting produce from Rwanda, the business today has its own production facility and processes over 300kgs of cheese a day with 9 SKUs. 

The entrepreneur 

Paul Ainebyona is the Managing Director and co-founder of Pearl of Africa Cheese. Having grown up in a cattle-keeping family in Western Uganda, he began selling cheese and dairy products for a friend importing produce from Rwanda in 2012. This gave Paul a strong understanding of the dairy market and ignited a lifelong passion for business.  Once he gained confidence in his ability to market, he raised funds from his older siblings Adrine and Peninah and began importing cheese from Rwanda and selling it locally. He later ventured into processing cheese locally once demand picked up considerably. 

Partnership with I&P and Inua Capital 

Pearl of Africa is supported by I&P FARM, a €4 million program aimed at financing and supporting startups and SMEs in Sub-Saharan Africa within the agricultural value chain. The program is backed by Proparco and is implemented and managed by Inua Capital in Uganda and Kenya. 

This partnership will enable the startup to: 

• Finance the purchase of a lactoscan milk analyser to enhance quality control 
• Purchase of a cheese vat to increase production capacity 
• Provide sufficient working capital to satisfy existing markets 
• Support business formalization efforts 

OVAVITECH is a Senegalese company specialized in the design and local manufacturing of automatic incubators for small-scale poultry farmers. It complements its offering by selling day-old chicks and small poultry equipment, providing an integrated and coherent range that meets all farmers’ needs. 

The entrepreneur 

OVAVITECH is a Senegalese company founded in 2021 by Serigne Abdou Khadre FALL, a young animal production engineer and committed entrepreneur. A graduate of ENSA Thiès, he initiated the Ovavitech project during his master’s degree. He has received several awards, including the 1st Innovation Prize from ENSA Thiès and the 1st EDF Pulse Africa Senegal Prize in 2021. That same year, OVAVITECH joined the Suqali program managed by Teranga Gestion, and later the E4Y program in 2024. Serigne Abdou Khadre FALL’s ambition is to modernize Senegalese poultry farming by making chick production more accessible, more efficient, and more profitable. 

Partnership with I&P 

OVAVITECH is supported by I&P Acceleration FARM. This partnership will enable the company to: 

• Increase its production capacity and industrialize incubator manufacturing by setting up a modern workshop equipped with high-performance tools and machinery; 
• Strengthen its financial and commercial management capabilities; 
• Actively contribute to promoting the poultry sector at the regional level. 

Green Agro Valley is an Ivorian company specialized in irrigation and water access solutions for agriculture. It was founded with the aim of addressing structural constraints in Côte d’Ivoire’s agricultural sector, notably dependence on climate variability and high energy costs. Its core expertise lies in solar-powered irrigation systems and solar drilling solutions, which help secure water supply while reducing the carbon footprint of agricultural operations. 

As part of its development, Green Agro Valley joined the CATAL1.5°T program, benefiting from repayable financing intended to strengthen its operational capacity. This support focuses in particular on building strategic inventories, acquiring heavy equipment for drilling activities, and strengthening financial structuring and reporting. In the long term, the company aims to consolidate its position in the Ivorian market for sustainable irrigation solutions and to contribute to the climate resilience of the agricultural sector. 

The entrepreneur 

Koffi Appessika Adanin Laurent is an engineer in Industrial Mechanics and Automation, trained at INP-HB, with a specialization in irrigation and solar pumping acquired in India. He began his career as a Project Manager at Bolloré Transport & Logistics, before contributing to a Lean Manufacturing project at SITAB. In 2018, he founded Green Agro Valley to address water access challenges in agriculture and now devotes himself full time to the company’s development. 

Partnership with I&P and Comoé Capital 

I&P has committed alongside Green Agro Valley under the CATAL1.5°T program, implemented in Côte d’Ivoire by Comoé Capital, through: 

• Repayable financing of FCFA 98,240,175, disbursed in three tranches subject to performance KPIs; 
• The provision of technical assistance in financial and organizational management; 
• Strengthening of reporting and financial structuring; 
• Strategic support to facilitate the company’s scale-up. 

Key impacts 

• Climate: deployment of solar irrigation solutions potentially contributing to a reduction of −1,256 tCO2e in 2026; 
• Social: creation and formalization of 16 jobs; 
• Agriculture: sustainable improvement in productivity and resilience of agricultural operations in the face of climate change. 

JOKALANTE is a Senegalese company specialized in delivering agricultural, climate, and financial information in rural areas through accessible digital channels (SMS, voice messages, USSD, and a voice chatbot). Its services are primarily aimed at smallholder farmers, cooperatives, NGOs, and public institutions. Its inclusive approach is based on multilingual content dissemination and interactive engagement with farmers, enabling two-way communication and improving service delivery.

The entrepreneur

Ms. Ndeye Amy KEBE is a Senegalese entrepreneur and instructional design engineer specialized in information and communication technologies (ICT) for development. She holds a Master’s degree in Adult Education and Training from the University of Lille 1 and has extensive, diverse professional experience spanning education, digital transformation, project evaluation, and finance. 

Thanks to her experience, she has developed strong skills in project management, supporting digital transformations, and innovating technological solutions—contributing to digital inclusion in rural areas, improved access to agricultural information, and the promotion of sustainable economic development in Africa. In 2016, she founded JOKALANTE, which she leads with a team of 19 people, and for which she received two consecutive awards in 2018 for social innovation. 

Partnership with I&P 

JOKALANTE receives support from the I&P Acceleration FARM program, whose main objectives are to: 

• Consolidate the company’s business model; 
• Diversify its customer base; 
• Strengthen the capacities of the leadership team; 
• Improve administrative and financial management; 
• Increase social impact and scalability. 

Founded in 2002, FAPEL GUINÉE is a pioneering company in Guinea, committed to developing innovative and environmentally friendly energy solutions tailored to local realities. The company has developed eco-friendly cookstoves powered by recycled used motor oil and/or biodiesel, incorporating advanced pyro-gasification technology. 

These systems make it possible to produce cleaner cooking energy, either by valorizing waste (used oils) or by using renewable biofuels. They therefore provide a sustainable cooking solution that contributes to reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, preserving forest resources, and improving household living conditions. 

To carry out its industrial activities, FAPEL GUINÉE operates a modern production site in Labé, about 400 km from Conakry, which brings together all its industrial operations. This site includes several specialized workshops, notably welding, carpentry, painting, and upholstery. 

The entrepreneur

Aguibou BARRY is a recognized inventor in the fields of energy and water management. He began his career in 1996 at GTZ (German Technical Cooperation), before dedicating himself in the early 2000s to researching solutions to water shortages and the recurring breakdowns of treadle pumps in Labé. In this context, he designed in 2004 the reciprocating piston water pump, patented by the African Intellectual Property Organization (OAPI). 

Aguibou BARRY is a founder with proven technical expertise and extensive experience. He has leveraged his inventions to offer practical solutions adapted to local needs, particularly in the water, energy, and agro-industry sectors

Partnership with I&P and Gola Capital

I&P has partnered with Gola Capital to: 

• Finance the production of 3,000 cookstoves and set up a dedicated cookstove production workshop; 
• Strengthen governance and financial management; 
• Revitalize the sales and marketing function; 
• Build staff capacity on climate-related issues. 

Key impacts

The expected impacts over a 3-year horizon (2029) are: 

• Production of 3,000 cookstoves; 
• Reduction of 41,421 tons of CO2e; 
• Creation of 20 new jobs. 

JOHINA CENTER is a Cameroonian company specialized in the processing and marketing of aromatic plants, spices, and natural seasonings. Officially established in 2021 (but active since 2018), the company offers a wide range of products (pepper, ginger, turmeric, dried herbs, etc.) in powder form or as ready-to-use blends. It stands out for its “natural” approach, with no chemical additives, and for its strong presence in modern distribution networks and local trade fairs. 

The entrepreneur 

JOHINA CENTER was created in 2021 by: 

• Akuah Ndefuh : Founder and Managing Director. She has a strong academic background (Master’s in Environmental and Natural Resource Management). Before becoming an entrepreneur, she gained significant professional experience in project management and community development. She is described as a passionate leader who successfully grew JOHINA from a small-scale artisanal activity into a recognized semi-industrial business in Cameroon. 

Partnership with I&P 

This partnership aims to: 

• Improve production capacity: through the acquisition of higher-performance equipment (industrial grinders, dryers, packaging machines) to meet growing demand; 
• Optimize the supply chain: by strengthening relationships with local smallholder producers of aromatic plants to ensure consistent raw material quality; 
• Strengthen internal management: through technical assistance to improve accounting and financial management and deploy a more ambitious marketing strategy; 
• Social impact and compliance: support the company in job creation (especially for women) and in improving working and hygiene conditions (QHSE standards).