Ivory Coast

MG Lab is a technical training center based in Côte d'Ivoire specialized in learning and capacity building in telecommunications and advanced technologies (fiber optics). The school provides short-term training (5 days to 6 months) targeting young graduates and professionals.

The entrepreneur

MG Lab was created in 2013 by Guy Monney, CEO of MG TELECOM & SERVICES, a company operating in the field of telecommunications since 2011 and represented in 8 African countries (Côte d'Ivoire, Mali, Burkina Faso, DRC, Congo Brazzaville, Gabon, Guinea, Togo, Benin). After having noticed a need for training for individuals and companies, he decided to create MG Lab.

Partnership with I&P

MG Lab is supported by I&P through I&P Acceleration in Sahel program dedicated to education and employment (IP2E).

The funding and support MG Lab receives aims at : 

• The expansion of the company through the establishment of an annex in the town of Yopougon SIPOREX in Abidjan (Côte d'Ivoire). MGLab's ambition is to settle in Yopougon at the request of prospects and customers who find the current location of the center out of place in relation to their place of residence and/or workplace.
• The reinforcement of the car park by the acquisition of a 9-seater vehicle for the outings on site of the students (Ivory Coast) and of 2 vehicles of prospecting (Ivory Coast and Congo).

Created in 2012, Go Africa Online (GAO) aims to support African professionals in their digitalization, their communication and the development of their clientele, thanks to a range of digital tools allowing a better visibility on the internet. GAO offers an online business book, referencing packages offering increased visibility on the internet through their promotion on the GAO website, as well as a range of digital marketing tools. Go Africa Online operates in Togo, Guinea, Ivory Coast and Benin.  

THE ENTREPRENEURS

David Encel is the founder and CEO of GAO. He was notably Sales Director and Director of Development for the 2H group (publisher of the paper phone book present in 14 African countries). He also has experience in advertising sales in France.  

Michael Bettach is a digital entrepreneur who has founded and/or co-founded 4 digital companies since 2006. He is an expert in search engine optimization. 

PARTNERSHIP WITH I&P

I&P has committed to work with Go Africa Online to: 

• Develop and improve existing technological tools and create a new digital platform to strengthen interactions between companies  
• Support the company in its geographical expansion 
• Strengthen the Finance function, the structuring and the governance of the group 

EXPECTED IMPACTS

I&P and Go Africa Online have a common vision on the development of entrepreneurship in Africa. This will include :   

⇒ Raising awareness among African companies and professionals on the challenges of digitalization 
⇒ Supporting African companies in their digitalization process with the appropriate tools   
⇒ Create qualified jobs in the digital sector 

 La Fontaine bleue is an Ivorian company specialized in the production and distribution of purified water in large formats. Known under the name Océane, the company offers ultra pure water in reusable 18.9 liter carboys, but also the sale and maintenance of water fountains.

THE ENTREPRENEUR

La Fontaine bleue was created in 2017 by M. Ehui Alain Serge Protay, graduated from the Ecole des Hautes Etudes Commerciales (EDHEC) with a degree in business management and a diploma in business engineering.  After his studies, Mr. Ehui joins in 2007 the Comium group as Sales Manager for companies for 3 years and then Key Account Manager until 2013. In 2014, he was recruited by a local company in the same industry as La Fontaine Bleue as Corporate Sales Manager for 2 years. From 2016 to 2017, he joined the pharmaceutical industrial group Propharmed International, where he worked as Sales Manager. With 11 years of experience in B2B sales and strong interpersonal skills, Mr. Ehui was able to gain the trust of several large organizations such as the African Bank of Development, Orange Ci, Lafarge Holcim, etc.

PARTNERSHIP WITH COMOÉ CAPITAL

La Fontaine bleue is supported by the I&P Acceleration in Sahel program, set up by Comoé Capital in Côte d'Ivoire, which will enable to increase its fleet of delivery vehicles. La Fontaine bleue will also benefit from the support of several consultants who will reinforce the Océane brand and revitalize the company's accounting and finance.

About Comoé Capital

Comoé Capital is the first impact investment fund dedicated to the financing and support of Ivorian SMEs and start-ups. Headed by Issa Sidibé, Comoé Capital is the fifth African fund sponsored by Investisseurs & Partenaires as part of the I&P Développement 2 fund. The fund network currently includes a fund in Niger (Sinergi Niger), Burkina Faso (Sinergi Burkina), Senegal (Teranga Capital) and Madagascar (Miarakap). → Site of Comoé Capital.

Since its creation in 2016, the online platform Afrikrea has been promoting African-inspired fashion and crafts (clothing, accessories, decoration, etc.)  

Afrikrea offers customers the chance to buy African creations online under the best conditions. However the originality and added value of its approach lies above all in the support and the provision of sales management tools to designers.    

Since 2020, this service offer is accessible on a second platform, ANKA, and works on a subscription basis. ANKA is an all-in-one solution that allows any African seller (and not only fashion designers) to sell and ship their products worldwide and get paid quickly through international and local payment systems. 

Currently, Afrikrea federates a community of 7,400 sellers present in 47 African countries and offers a wide range of products with more than 120,000 available references to more than 200,000 users and 60,000 buyers in over 150 countries. 

The entrepreneurs

Afrikrea is led by a team of 4 promoters: Moulaye Tabouré (CEO), Kadry Diallo (CMO), Luc Perussault Diallo (CTO) and Guillaume Darnaudet (CFO), all with complementary profiles in auditing, IT, project management and finance.  

Having grown up in Bamako (Mali) before moving to France for their studies, co-founders Moulaye Tabouré and Kadry Diallo realized that African handmade products were as rare as highly prized and valuable.  

As for Luc Perussault Diallo, the company's CTO, he has over 20 years of experience in marketplaces and e-commerce. Guillaume Darnaudet joined the Afrikrea adventure in 2018 as CFO and shareholder, after a position as financial manager in a construction company in Ivory Coast. 

Partnership with I&P

I&P is committed to working with Afrikrea to support the company in: 

• Strengthening its technological and marketing team in order to ensure a better offer of tools and services and to offer the best possible support to sellers  

• Expanding its geographical scope

Expected Impacts

• Creation of economic opportunities for African creators by reducing barriers to accessing large markets 

• Job creation: over 50% job growth during the investment period 

• Strong impact on gender equality: 80% of the marketplace's sellers are women 

Medivas is a company specialized in medical evacuations (air and road), on-site medical assistance, emergency medical coverage during events and medical training in Côte d'Ivoire. It is the first company in this sector that is managed by Ivorians.

THE ENTREPRENEUR

Medivas (Medical Vehicle Aircraft Assistance Services) was created in 2014 by Mr. Herbert Kouamé Bi, a dynamic promoter, who has more than 20 years of experience in emergency medical assistance.Holder of an MBA in Management and Marketing and a National First Aid Certificate - National First Aid Training from the Red Cross Ivory Coast, Mr. Herbert Kouamé Bi has accumulated his professional experiences mainly as Manager and Coordinator of operations of international and local companies in the same sector, before creating the company.

PURPOSE OF THE FUNDING

Medivas benefits from I&P Acceleration in Sahel program, which is implemented in Côte d'Ivoire by Comoé Capital sponsored by I&P. The support will allow the company to acquire a new ambulance for medical evacuations by land. Medivas will also benefit from the support of several consultants who will improve the governance of the company, revitalize the accounting and finance function and put in place a complete procedure manual for the management of operational risks including the aspects of patient safety, ambulance drivers and risk prevention.

About Comoé Capital

Comoé Capital is the first impact investment fund dedicated to the financing and support of Ivorian SMEs and start-ups. Headed by Issa Sidibé, Comoé Capital is the fifth African fund sponsored by Investisseurs & Partenaires as part of the I&P Développement 2 fund. The fund network currently includes a fund in Niger (Sinergi Niger), Burkina Faso (Sinergi Burkina), Senegal (Teranga Capital) and Madagascar (Miarakap). Site of Comoé Capital →

Keiwa is a simplified app dedicated to accounting, financial, and reserve management created by three young Ivorians, Fabrice KOFFI, Bertrand DAGO, and Terrence KONDOU.

The app is for African SMEs with a monitoring need for their day-to-day operations, structures with several sites, and partners providing services to these SMEs (suppliers, financial institutions, and telecom operators). 

With this app, the user can save its daily operations, manage its stocks and access a clear activity report in real-time. Keiwa also allows one to monitor its activities remotely and share selective information with selected partners. 

Keiwa platform is available on Apple and Google Stores and the web.

The entrepreneurs

Keiwa was co-founded by three young Ivorians, Fabrice KOFFI, Bertrand DAGO, and Terrence Kondou. 

Fabrice Koffi is Keiwa's CEO. He has a Bachelor's Degree in Accounting. He accumulates several years of experience in various consulting firms (Administrative and Financial Manager of Agritecno West Africa, Partner and co-manager of Urim Thummim Conseil).

Bertrand Dago is co-founder and CTO of KEiwa. He has a Diploma of Higher Technician in Electronic and Computer Systems (2013).

Terrence Kondou is a co-founder and Programmer. He holds a Master's degree in Computer Engineering (2017) and a Bachelor's degree in Computer Methods Applied to Business Management. 

Partnership with I&P

Keiwa is financed and supported by I&P Acceleration Technologies, a €2,5 million program aiming at financing and supporting some fifteen digital start-ups in sub-Saharian Africa. This program is supported by the Digital Africa initiative (AFD).

The partnership notably aims at;

• Reinforcing commercial and marketing teams

• Supporting the pan-African development of the app

Expected impacts

• Support for the financial inclusion of the informal sector

• Evolution of teams' working conditions

Launched in December 2019 with the support of the AFD through the Digital Africa initiative, I&P Acceleration Technologies is a €2.5 million program aiming to finance and support around 15 digital start-ups in Sub-Saharan Africa, with a focus on the West Africa, Central Africa, and Madagascar zones.

Click here to learn more →

About Comoé Capital

Comoé Capital is the first impact investment fund dedicated to financing and supporting Ivorian SMEs and start-ups.

Headed by Issa Sidibé, Comoé Capital is the fifth African fund sponsored by Investisseurs & Partenaires as part of the I&P Development 2 fund. Up to date, the network of funds includes a fund in Niger (Sinergi Niger), Burkina Faso (Sinergi Burkina), Senegal (Teranga Capital), and Madagascar (Miarakap).

Comoé Capital's website

Based in Côte d'Ivoire, Onloutou is a company providing household appliances on a rental basis with a technological component that allows to geolocate the equipment and deactivate it remotely.

THE ENTREPRENEUR

Adams Ousmane Diaby is the founder of Onloutou. Trained as a nurse, he has had several experiences in entrepreneurship with a first adventure as an audiovisual content producer between 1987 and 2007. After detecting an opportunity, he replicated the Kiloutou model in Africa, but dedicated to consumer goods equipment.

CONTRIBUTION OF COMOE CAPITAL

Onloutou is supported by Comoé Capital and the French Development Agency (AFD) since 2019.

EXPECTED IMPACTS

The partnership between Onloutou and Comoé Capital aims to : 

• Promote access to household appliances to a larger population

About Comoé Capital

Comoé Capital is the first impact investment fund dedicated to the financing and support of Ivorian SMEs and start-ups. Headed by Issa Sidibé, Comoé Capital is the fifth African fund sponsored by Investisseurs & Partenaires as part of the I&P Développement 2 fund. The fund network currently includes a fund in Niger (Sinergi Niger), Burkina Faso (Sinergi Burkina), Senegal (Teranga Capital) and Madagascar (Miarakap). →Site of Comoé Capital

Ivoire Bio Fruits is a company in Ivory Coast producing fresh and dried fruits certified organic in Europe (EOS) and United States (NOP). The company relies on a network of producers based in the main fruit production areas in the south and north of Ivory Coast.

THE ENTREPRENEUR

Ivoire Bio Fruits was founded by Mr. Mehoua René YEO, who, after several trainings, started his career in market gardening cooperatives.  He also held the position of General Secretary of the Wopinin-Wognon cooperative society of mango producers in the Tchologo region until 2018.

CONTRIBUTION OF COMOE CAPITAL

Ivoire Bio Fruits has been accompanied since 2021 by Comoé Capital.

EXPECTED IMPACTS

The objectives of the partnership are : 

• Strengthen the company's capacities
• Contribute to improving the incomes of small mango producers and cooperatives in northern Côte d'Ivoire and reducing agricultural losses
• Strengthening governance

About Comoé Capital

Comoé Capital is the first impact investment fund dedicated to the financing and support of Ivorian SMEs and start-ups. Headed by Issa Sidibé, Comoé Capital is the fifth African fund sponsored by Investisseurs & Partenaires as part of the I&P Développement 2 fund. The fund network currently includes a fund in Niger (Sinergi Niger), Burkina Faso (Sinergi Burkina), Senegal (Teranga Capital) and Madagascar (Miarakap). →Site of Comoé Capital.

Created in 2015, Naïmadolls is a company producing toys (dolls) in Côte d'Ivoire. Today, Naïmadolls products are present in most of local stores (Prosuma, Super U, Casino, Carrefour, Librairie de France, La Grande Récré and Chico).

THE ENTREPRENEUR

Holder of a Bachelor's degree in Real Estate Management in 2010 at the Ecole Supérieure des Professions de l'Immobilier de Nantes, Mrs. Sara Coulibaly  is starting studies in entrepreneurship. In 2013, she graduated at the top of her class from the University of Cergy Pontoise with a master's degree in business creation. Serial entrepreneur, Mrs. Coulibaly has 10 years of experience in business creation and management. She began with the creation of "my miry", a line of ethically inspired luxury shoes in 2009 before launching a chain of children's hairdressing salons "Kidsconcept", followed by the creation of Naimadolls in 2015. The originality of the Naimadolls concept earned it a 24th place in FORBES magazine's 30 Under 30 ranking.

CONTRIBUTIONS OF COMOE CAPITAL

Naïmadolls has been supported by Comoé Capital and the Agence Francaise de Développement (AFD) since 2020.

This support will contribute to the : 

• Reinforcement of the management team and internalization of the activity 
• Reinforcement of the logistics component (warehousing, delivery)
• Strengthening governance

About Comoé Capital

Comoé Capital is the first impact investment fund dedicated to the financing and support of Ivorian SMEs and start-ups. Headed by Issa Sidibé, Comoé Capital is the fifth African fund sponsored by Investisseurs & Partenaires as part of the I&P Développement 2 fund. The fund network currently includes a fund in Niger (Sinergi Niger), Burkina Faso (Sinergi Burkina), Senegal (Teranga Capital) and Madagascar (Miarakap). →Site of Comoé Capital