Cameroon

STM is a Cameroonian company founded in 2016, specialized in the semi-industrial processing of cassava into industrial-grade starch. Based in Cameroon, the company aims to become a leading local producer of starch to meet the needs of agri-food industries and cardboard manufacturers, both nationally and across the CEMAC region. STM currently processes cassava into dry starch and sediment starch and has a strong local footprint, with direct impact on more than one hundred smallholder farmers. 

The Entrepreneurs 

STM was founded in 2016 by three active shareholders: 

• MAPO KAM TCHOUPE Chiara Lucia, Founder and General Manager, holds a Master’s degree in Information Systems Management. Passionate about agriculture since her studies, she developed the STM project during university before receiving technical training in Nigeria. She is recognized for her leadership, active listening skills, and resilience. 
• Alex Pascal Tajo, Head of the Agricultural Department, is an agricultural engineer specialized in rural engineering. He provides technical expertise on the cassava value chain (high-yield varieties, tuber quality testing) and oversees supply management as well as equipment maintenance. 
• Aurélio Tchoupe, Member of the Management Committee, is a trained nurse with international experience. He is responsible for strategic and business development, including market monitoring and defining growth priorities. 

Partnership with I&P 

STM is supported by the I&P Acceleration FARM program. This partnership aims to strengthen the company across several key areas: 

• Quality and productivity improvement: through the acquisition of new equipment (industrial drying systems, borehole for clean water supply) and the implementation of a QHSE quality plan 
• Capacity building: via technical assistance missions in accounting, cash flow management, and production 
• Legal structuring and governance: including plans to transition to a new legal status to facilitate future fundraising 
• Social and environmental impact: by formalizing relationships with smallholder farmers and creating approximately nine 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). 

CHOCOLATERIE NOHI is a Cameroonian company specialized in the artisanal production of chocolate and related products. It promotes local cocoa by offering natural and healthy products, ranging from chocolate bars to confectionery, spreads, and semi-finished products. Following a logic of local development and value creation, the company contributes to supporting rural communities and aims to become a key player in the chocolate sector in Cameroon and Central Africa.

Entrepreneurs

Founded in 2017, CHOCOLATERIE NOHI was created by two young Cameroonians, Nozawo Tchoffo Hippolyte and Boyoguino Yambena Pierre. Hippolyte, an engineer in industrial chemistry and environmental engineering, worked for several years in the industry before dedicating himself to his company while training small producers in good post-harvest practices and organic cocoa cultivation. Pierre, an engineer in the same field, managed his family’s plantations before joining the company as Operations Director. He oversees the company’s plantations and also contributes to training more than fifty small cocoa farmers grouped within a cooperative.

Partenariat avec I&P et Fako Capital

Chocolaterie Nohi is supported by I&P FARM, a €40 million program aimed at financing and supporting 28 start-ups and SMEs in Sub-Saharan Africa, with a particular focus on the Francophone countries of West, Central, and East Africa, in the agricultural sector, supported by PROPARCO. In Cameroon, the implementation of this program is managed by Fako Capital. This partnership will enable the SME to:

• Purchase raw materials: acquisition of cocoa beans and other local ingredients to support increased production volumes;
• Enter the market through commercial actions to be deployed: recruitment of a sales team and implementation of a targeted campaign to strengthen brand awareness and sales.

ECLIPSE ER Cameroun SAS is a Cameroonian company created in September 2020, specializing in the supply, design, installation, and maintenance of solar power plants and commercial solar energy systems in Cameroon. The company focuses on EPC (Engineering, Procurement, Construction) services as well as O&M (Operation and Maintenance) services for the residential, commercial, and mini-grid segments.

To ensure the efficient execution of each project it undertakes, the company uses platforms (equipment suppliers) to remotely monitor the installed solar plants. This enables real-time tracking of solar system performance. Through dedicated sensors and software, Eclipse can monitor energy production, the condition of solar panels, inverter performance, and even the site’s energy consumption.

The entrepreneur

Ismael Touani, an EPC specialist with over 15 years of experience in the field, most of it acquired in Canada, is the founder behind this project, which he describes as the project of his life. His goal is to facilitate access to reliable and green electricity while demonstrating that renewable energy power plant installations in Cameroon can meet the same quality standards found elsewhere in the world.

Partnership with I&P and Gaia Impact

Eclipse ER Cameroun is supported by I&P Digital Energy, a €4.8 million program designed to finance and support around a dozen start-ups and SMEs in Sub-Saharan Africa that offer digital solutions for access to affordable energy. The program is backed by AFD and the EU. In Cameroon, it is implemented by I&P Cameroun/Fako Capital.

This partnership will enable the start-up to finance:

• The purchase of equipment for project implementation;
• The acquisition of new vehicles for staff and material transport;
• The purchase of software allowing the company to increase its digitalized operational processes from 50% to nearly 80%, marking a significant step in its digital transformation;
• The creation of a safety stock to ensure the timely execution of ongoing and upcoming projects;
• The strengthening of its team through the recruitment of new profiles.

CHEZBIO is a young Cameroonian company operating in the agri-food sector. It stands out for its artisanal production of agri-food processing equipment and ground spices. By adopting an import substitution approach, the company actively contributes to reducing dependence on imports, while providing concrete solutions to post-harvest losses. CHEZBIO thus facilitates access for agricultural and agri-food entrepreneurs to suitable and affordable equipment, promoting the creation of sustainable local value.

The entrepreneur

CHEZBIO, formally established in 2021 but active since 2019, was founded by Brice KENE TAKALA, a 30-year-old Cameroonian web application developer. Following facial paralysis in 2018 caused by intense work-related stress, he adopted a diet based on natural products. Faced with the unavailability of processing equipment on the local market, he retrained as a manufacturer of agri-food processing equipment, putting his technical skills to use in developing tailored and accessible solutions.

Partnership with I&P

CHEZBIO is supported by I&P FARM, a €4 million program aimed at financing and supporting 28 start-ups and SMEs in Sub-Saharan Africa, with a particular focus on French-speaking countries in West, Central, and East Africa, in the agricultural sector supported by PROPARCO. In Cameroon, the program is being implemented by Fako Capital.

This partnership will enable this SME to:

• Finance the establishment of an R&D design office with a view to offering equipment for a more professional clientele;
• Develop production sites with a view to optimizing productivity and improving working conditions for employees;
• Strengthen its team, mainly in production, but also in administration and sales.

Nkwa Tech Ltd is a Cameroonian company that has developed an application that encourages its users to save: users can set savings targets in terms of either amounts or dates. Withdrawal before reaching the target leads to penalties (set by the users), while achieving the target on time leads to rewards in the form of interest generated on the amount saved.

Nkwa Tech Ltd has a platform whose transactions are based on mobile payment technology. The platform incorporates an interface dedicated to end users, the operators' customers.

The entrepreneurs

Nkwa Tech Ltd was founded in 2021 by Akwo ASHANGNDOWAH, a Cameroonian entrepreneur with experience in creating technological applications.

Partenariat avec I&P et Fako Capital

Nkwa Tech Ltd is supported by I&P Accélération Technologies, a €2.5 million programme to finance and support around fifteen digital start-ups in Sub-Saharan Africa, backed by AFD through  Digital Africa. In Cameroon, this programme is being implemented by Fako Capital.

This partnership will enable this start-up to carry out :

• Bring the company into legal compliance (recasting of articles of association, acquisition of microfinance approvals, etc)
• Strengthen the company's governance by setting up an advisory committee to assist with strategic decisions
• Supporting the company in its structuring by setting up a robust accounting and financial system, an operations management system, and in the development of its human resources
• Strengthening the company's marketing efforts to increase its visibility and the number of users
• Support in launching microfinance activities

Founded in 2016, Solarly is a Cameroonian company supplying off-grid solar energy solutions (not connected to the traditional electricity grid): it offers its solutions in rural and urban areas with a focus on energy needs for productive use (health centers, schools, small industries) but also for basic household electrical needs.

Its leading products are :

-The SolarlyBox, a stand-alone off-grid solar system that supplies continuous energy by connecting solar panels, batteries and various equipment (fridge, television, telephone charging cable). The SolarlyBox is a connected object (Internet of Things), enabling :

• Performance monitoring, to anticipate and solve problems
• Data collection on usage
• Remote control and activation based on user payments

-AC Kits, combinations of components, integrated and marketed in a standardized way to meet the most frequent needs, such as :

• Powering the most popular basic appliances: lamps, cell phones, radios and TVs
• Powering a water pump for irrigation and/or a water tower
• Powering a fridge or freezer for food preservation
• Power an incubator for chick rearing

Today, it is estimated that more than 20,000 people are impacted by the Solarly product, either directly (households) or indirectly (hotels, health centers and schools).

The entrepreneur

Julien Riat is 31 years old and originally from Belgium. After graduating in Economics and Business Administration from the Université Catholique de Louvain (2012) and in International Business from EPHEC (2014) in Belgium, he joined an association that assists disabled children. He then joined Travis and Lloyd as a Business Developer. At a very young age, he embarked on the Solarly adventure with two of his friends. The three of them formed the basis of the project, later joined by other partners.

Partnership with I&P

Solarly is supported by I&P through I&P Digital Energy. The aim of the funding is to :

• Support the implementation of the company's new commercial and operational strategy to accelerate growth 
• Roll out the new research and development phase 
• Contribute to the opening and development of new hubs
• Strengthen WCR

Expected impacts

• Access to energy for vulnerable populations
• Improving the provision of health and education services through the electrification of health centers and schools that have benefited from Solarly's solar installations.
• Improving the agricultural and craft production capacities of small rural and informal production units 
• Improving the quality of service for small and medium-sized businesses in urban areas, thanks to a continuous supply of energy.

Lamana is a Cameroonian agri-food company producing baby foods marketed under Blesolac brand. The brand's products are a local alternative to imported infant foods, which are mainly sourced from foreign imports and have dominated the market in Cameroon for decades. The company, made up of 13 employees, has worked to build a brand that is now present in almost 45 sales outlets spread over 4 towns. The company has won a number of entrepreneurial awards to date, including the prestigious Castel Foundation's top prize for Cameroon's most promising entrepreneurs. 

The entrepreneur

Lamana was created in 2017 by Pascaline Nenda, a young Cameroonian woman who began her entrepreneurial career after the birth of her daughter. Graduating in 2008 with a BTS in marketing and communications from the Institut Supérieur de Management (ISMA) in 2009 she secured her first job as an archivist at Yaoundé's Agence de Régulation des Marchés Publics. It was during this gap year and a visit to her home village that she was struck by the recipes based on local tropical fruits and tubers, which her grandmother used for her child's meals. On her return to the city, she decided to adopt this way of eating completely.

Partnership with I&P

Lamana is supported by I&P through I&P Acceleration in Sahel. The aim of this partnership is to help the company increase its production capacity and expand into a new market segment through : 

• acquiring more efficient production machinery
• relaunching the marketing of mini-formats (50g) of products
• restructuring the company by strengthening the management system

Jamalia Group is a Cameroonian agro-industrial company specialized in the production and commercialization of sweets and snack products such as caramelized peanuts (Caramélo) and roasted and salted peanuts (Peanuts) under the brand Natura.

The entrepreneur

Jamalia Group was created in 2015 by Mathias Dessu to offer snack that correspond to Cameroonian culinary habits. After his studies and experiences in Germany and with a strong desire to promote products made in Cameroon and reconvert to agro-industrial, a field he is passionate about, this entrepreneur decided to return to Cameroon after 15 years outside the country to launch Jamalia Group.

Partnership with I&P and Zira Capital

Jamalia Group est is supported by I&P and Zira Capital through I&P Acceleration in Sahel.

This funding will allow the company to :

• acquire the machines necessary for the semi-industrialized production of the new product (spicy plantain chips)
• set up premises more conducive to the development of the activity in terms of quality
• improve commercial actions and build a brand identity

Swyft is a young company operating in delivery in Cameroon and constitutes the missing chain in the logistics sector by positioning itself as the only last mile delivery solution. Swyft offers pick-up services from the customer's location for shipment with the support of a call center to manage the communication between the customer and the deliverers.

The entrepreneur

Swyft was founded by Franck BATCHADJI. He started his professional career in 2012 as Operations Manager at Atlantic Coast Cotton, one of the largest apparel distributors on the East Coast of the United States. He held for three years before being recruited as Sales Manager at All Star Executive, a manufacturer of office supplies, where he spent two years. He later became a logistics specialist by joining Eagle Service (a delivery service for Michelin) as a dispatcher for a year before deciding to return to Cameroon permanently. He started then farming and then took over the responsibility of the family orphanage which he managed for one year. During this period, he carried out many shipping and receiving operations for the orphanage and faced difficulties such as: long waiting lines in the agency, the impossibility of having a follow-up of the shipping status of the packages, etc. It is from these negative experiences that he got the idea to create a more accessible, flexible and less stressful parcel delivery service for his users.

Partnership with I&P

Swyft is supported by I&P through I&P Acceleration in Sahel. This partnership will enable the company to improve in quantity and quality its delivery activity in order to meet the increasing flows of the current demand. 

The funding will allow in particular to : 

• Realize of a communication campaign
• Develop a tracking and dispatching software
• Finance the purchase of material and equipment and the fitting out of the agency
• Recruite personnel