In this article from Le Figaro, Anne Cheyvialle describes the rise of the Burkinabe agricultural processing company Agroserv, now the leading player in the maize value chain in Burkina Faso and on its way to becoming one of the most important players in West Africa, and how I&P, through its various financing and support vehicles, has contributed to this growth.
As I&P celebrates its 20th year of activity, the team is pleased to present its "Manifesto for the financing and support of entrepreneurship in Africa.
Based on 20 years of learning, entrepreneurial adventures, successes as well as failures and challenges, this manifesto aims to share with you the five best practices or core approaches that we believe are essential if we want to accomplish our mission to serve African entrepreneurs.
Sutura (also know as 2AD) is a company producing and marketing sanitary pads in Bamako, Mali. The main mission of Sutura is to reduce the taboo around menstruation and to help teenagers and young girls to blossom during their menstrual cycle by offering them adapted and environmentally friendly sanitary pads.
The entrepreneurs
The company was created by Awa and Adam Drabo, two twin sisters who both completed internships at the National Laboratory of Mali and the Institute of Rural Economy of Mali (IER) before launching into entrepreneurship in 2019. Awa manages the production and the purchase of raw materials, the storage and the management of the relationship with the different suppliers. Adam handles the sales and marketing side and manages the brand's communication on the various social networks.
Partnership with I&P and Zira Capital
2AD Company is supported by Zira Capital through I&P Acceleration program in Sahel. This partnership has mainly for objective to :
⇒ Improve the production tool and the quality of finished products
⇒ Increase sales to middle class customers through the implementation of an adapted commercial strategy
⇒ Support the company in strengthening the technical skills of human capital
⇒ Structure the organization and cost management through the implementation of internal procedures
Video report
In 2024, I&P produced a video report on the company and its impact:
Read more
An article on Sutura produced by the GIIN
Fa Confection by Naty is a young company specialized in traditional and professional clothes and articles in Senegal.
The entrepreneur
Fa Confection was founded by Aminata Ka, a Senegalese entrepreneur with a passion for fashion design. She holds a master's degree in International Business from the American Business School in Paris and has a strong experience in the banking sector in France and in Senegal.
Partnership with I&P and Teranga Capital
This young company is supported by I&P and Teranga Capital through I&P Acceleration in Sahel. This partnership aims at :
The Central Chaare-Tsedek University (UCC) is a university offering courses in law, economics, literature and humanities in Daloa, in west-central Côte d'Ivoire. This year, the university welcomed more than 137 students enrolled in 3 university faculties.
The entrepreneur
The university was founded by Franck Emmanuel Bleu in 2020.
With a Master's degree in Finance from the University of Bouaké, this entrepreneur worked as a financial engineer in SMEs in Côte d'Ivoire for 6 years before switching to teaching. He is a teacher-researcher in finance and risk management at private higher education institutions in the country and is also actively involved in several projects to create universities and grandes écoles. He has a solid experience and proven skills in the higher education sector.
Partnership with I&P
UCC is supported by I&P through the education and employment component of I&P Acceleration in Sahel program.
The funding and support provided to UCC aims at :
Supagro is a school based in Yamoussoukro, Ivory Coast, training in agriculture and management. The school was created to face the difficulties of recruitment in agriculture.
The entrepreneur
Supagro was created by Ange PETE, an entrepreneur in the agricultural field and started its activities in 2021.
Aged 40 and of Ivorian nationality, Ange PETE has more than 15 years of experience in France and in Ivory Coast both in banking (Deputy Financial Director of Groupama Bank in France) and in the startup environment (Country Head of Jumia Market and Commercial Director of Jumia Ivory Coast). He holds a Master of Science in Management (Entrepreneurship option) from HEC Paris and a DEA in Remote Sensing from the University of Cocody.
Partnership with I&P :
Supagro is supported by I&P through the education and employment component of I&P Acceleration in Sahel.
The funding and support provided to Supagro aims at :
As part of I&P Acceleration in Sahel, funded by the European Union, I&P is launching a new call for applications for the second edition of Investment Readiness training. The second cohort, which will be selected in mid-September, will benefit from structuring training to better support SMEs and start-ups in Sahel sub-region.
On Tuesday, July 5, I&P and Sinergi Burkina organized a new conference in Ouagadougou (Burkina Faso) entitled "Making a success of your business start-up". At this occasion, a first report of I&P Acceleration in Sahel program dedicated to start-ups and young companies in the start-up phase was presented.
The Agence Française de Développement (AFD) and Investisseurs & Partenaires (I&P), in partnership with Gaia Impact Fund, are announcing the launch of I&P Digital Energy, a program designed to support the growth and development of a dozen start-ups and SMEs that offer solutions combining new digital technologies and access to energy in Sub-Saharan Africa.
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