Madagascar

Created in 2018 by a talented young Malagasy entrepreneur, Sayna is a startup specialized in digital training and outsourcing of IT projects, carried out by African developers via a micro-tasking platform.

Sayna intends to address a twofold problem: the lack of training in the digital sector in Africa, and the gap between the supply of digital talent and the growing demand of companies in the context of their digital transformation.

Sayna offers digital skills training and provides solutions that allow the students to enter the job market. To date, Sayna has trained nearly 200 students.

Today, Sayna aims to develop a tech startup model based on two pillars:

⇒ A paying online training platform for learners that allows them to follow, evaluate and validate their learning, but also to have access to company IT projects corresponding to the learning they have validated during their training.

⇒ A "microtasking" platform that allows companies to outsource their IT projects more efficiently, which are divided into distributed micro-tasks and assigned to freelance developers registered on the platform.

THE ENTREPRENEUR

The promoter of the project, Matina Razafimahefa, is a young Malagasy entrepreneur of 23 years old, winner of several awards. At 20 years old, she decided to stop her studies to devote herself fully to the deployment of the project and has surrounded herself with advisors and experienced business angels.

PARTNERSHIP WITH I&P ACCELERATION TECHNOLOGIES AND MIARAKAP

Sayna is financed and supported by I&P Acceleration Technologies, a €2.5 million program aimed at financing and supporting fifteen digital start-ups in Sub-Saharan Africa, supported by the French Development Agency (AFD) through the Digital Africa initiative.

As such, Sayna benefits from a €100,000 repayable advance from the I&P Acceleration Technologies program to :

⇒— Finalize and launch the micro tasking platform

—⇒ Roll out the training programs in partnership with a leading player in Bootcamp training, Holberton (Silicon Valley)

⇒ Train 200 students by the end of 2021

NEXT STEPS AND EXPECTED IMPACTS

Sayna's ambition is to :

—• Enable 8,000 people in Africa to enter the digital industry through its training and have more than 3,500 people working on its micro task platform.

•— Meet the IT needs of 300 SMEs and start-ups in the French-speaking world.

—• Complete a Series A fundraising of approximately €3 million in 2022 to accelerate growth and finance a pan-African expansion in West Africa.

Jiro-Ve is a pioneering company in rural electrification in Madagascar, launched in 2014.

Jiro-Ve has come up with an innovative, inclusive micro franchise model to provide affordable and healthy lighting for marginalized communities. Its business model allows the company to rent out a rechargeable LED light for a price that is cheaper than candles or kerosene. For 250 Ariary per day (≈ 0,06 €) people get a fully charged light delivered to their doorstep, both incities and remote rural areas of Madagascar.

Jiro-Ve hires local entrepreneurs and uses existing networks, supporting and developing entrepreneurship.

THE ENTREPRENEUR

Jiro Ve is managed by Rik Stamhuis, an entrepreneur of Dutch origin located in Madagascar since 2012.  He holds 48% of the company's capital.

Rik is a driven and energetic leader with years of experience working for social enterprises. Before founding Jiro-Ve, Rik worked in Kenya trying to find innovative ways of distributing renewable energy.

PARTNERSHIP WITH I&P

Thanks to funding from the program I&P Acceleration Technologies, Jiro-Ve plans to expand its activity, initially in Madagascar by distributing the new kits in larger quantities and targeting more regions.

The company aims to extend its offer to other regions of Africa later on.

EXPECTED IMPACTS

⇒ Jiro-Ve aims to eliminate poverty by helping local entrepreneurs to have a better income.

⇒ Jiro-Ve's model allows the most disadvantaged consumers to access a source of energy that is less polluting, less dangerous and less expensive than petroleum lamps.

⇒ According to the studies carried out by the company, each lamp used would avoid the emission of 0.37 tons of CO2 per year.

⇒ This energy source also has a positive impact on the health and well-being of users, by reducing the toxic fumes emitted by the candles and kerosene lamps that most target customers currently use.

About I&P Acceleration Technologies

Launched in 2019 with the support of the French Development Agency through its iniative Digital Africa, I&P Acceleration Technologies is a €2.5 million program that aims to finance and support some fifteen digital startups in Sub-Saharan Africa, with a focus on Western Africa, Central Africa and Madagascar. Click here to read more →

About Miarakap

Miarakap is the first impact fund dedicated to the financing and support SMEs and start-ups in Madagascar. Managed by Emmanuel Cotsoyannis, Miarakap is the fourth African fund sponsored by Investisseurs & Partenaires as part of its program I&P Development 2. The network currently includes impact funds specialized in SME-financing in Niger (Sinergi Niger), Burkina Faso (Sinergi Burkina), in Senegal (Teranga Capital) and Côte d'Ivoire (Comoé Capital). Click here to visit Miarakap's website →

SmartPredict is a SaaS platform using artificial intelligence for predictive analytics that helps companies in the deployment of their projects. There are multiple uses in all sectors: consumer forecasts (industry), product recommendations (marketing), default predictions (banking and insurance), etc. With their latest tool, RetailForecastor, the company enables retail companies to predict their sales and optimize their activities by avoiding over- or underproduction.

SmartPredict has been developed since 2018 by Malagasy developers and data scientists and has required one million lines of code to date.

THE ENTREPRENEUR

SmartPredict is led by Ranto ANDRIAMBOLOLONA, a Malagasy entrepreneur in his 40s with a passion for artificial intelligence since his studies.

Graduated from ISPM (Institut Supérieur Polytechnique de Madagascar) and the University of Marne La Vallée, he has more than 10 years of experience in the ICT sector in Paris (Axway, PriceMinister, etc.). He came back to Madagascar to launch HaiRun and SmartPredict, driven by the conviction that Malagasy developers and datascientists have the skills to match those of European companies.

He quickly demonstrated his ability to lead young, ambitious and growing companies. His first company HaiRun grew from 6 to 100 employees in the space of two years and raised €250,000 through its partnership with the impact investing fund Miarakap.

Partnership with I&P and Miarakap

Miarakap has committed itself alongside the promoter in the structuring of the young company, the launch of SmartPredict and the future fundraising efforts it aims to achieve.

Thanks to the partnership between the French Development Agency (AFD), Investisseurs et Partenaires (I&P), and Miarakap within the framework of the program I&P Accélération Technologies, SmartPredict benefits from a funding notably dedicated to Research & Development, as well as commercialization.

Expected Impacts

⇒ Promoting a Malagasy company that performs in the technological and innovative sector of artificial intelligence

⇒ Creation of qualified and well-paid jobs for Malagasy developers and "data scientists", whose retention in Madagascar is a challenge.

About I&P Acceleration Technologies

Launched in 2019 with the support of the French Development Agency through its iniative Digital Africa, I&P Acceleration Technologies is a €2.5 million program that aims to finance and support some fifteen digital startups in Sub-Saharan Africa, with a focus on Western Africa, Central Africa and Madagascar. Cick here to read more →

About Miarakap

Miarakap is the first impact fund dedicated to the financing and support SMEs and start-ups in Madagascar. Managed by Emmanuel Cotsoyannis, Miarakap is the fourth African fund sponsored by Investisseurs & Partenaires as part of its program I&P Development 2. The network currently includes impact funds specialized in SME-financing in Niger (Sinergi Niger), Burkina Faso (Sinergi Burkina), in Senegal (Teranga Capital) and Côte d'Ivoire (Comoé Capital). Click here to visit Miarakap's website →

Founded in 2006 by the Malagasy promoter Malala Rabenoro, SOAFIARY is specialized in the sourcing, processing and commercialization of cereals (maize, rice) and leguminous plants (beans, cape peas, lentils, soybeans) on local and international markets. The company employs nearly 200 people, including 88% women.

Backed by a good reputation in this sector, the company begins to diversify its activities in 2017. SOAFIARY has set up a feed mill unit and has also launched the SOADIO project, a contract farming project run in collaboration with the diocese of the Vakinankaratra region, located in the highlands of Madagascar. The company trains the farmers and provides them with the agricultural equipment and inputs needed to operate the 4,100 hectares of land owned by the Diocese, and then buys the entire production. This project is a response to the challenges of traceability and product quality.

THE ENTREPRENEUR

The company was founded by Malala Rabenoro. With a background in marketing, Malala previously worked for an Microfinance Institution (MFI) where she gained more than 15 years of experience in administrative and personnel management. She left her position in 2011 to dedicate herself fully to SOAFIARY, where she manages the marketing, procurement and investor relations aspects of the business.

PARTNERSHIP WITH I&P

Soafiary is supported by the fund I&P Afrique Entrepreneurs 2 (IPAE 2). The partnership aims to:

⇒ Reviving the company's historical activity

⇒ Improving the quality management system

⇒ Supporting the company in the certification and standardization process (HACCP and Bio)

⇒ Developing the feed mill unit

⇒ Developing the SOADIO project

⇒ Strengthening corporate governance, Participating in management capacity building

⇒ Advising and supporting the company in its relations with investors and strategic third parties

EXPECTED IMPACTS

⇒ Promoting a committed female promoter

⇒ Creating jobs for a disadvantaged population with low education levels

⇒ Providing support to employees on literacy and hygiene-related issues

⇒ Supporting farmers through the SOADIO project

• Inclusion of small producers in the value chain
• Improving the living conditions of small producers

Created in 2017, HaiRun Technology, is a DSC (Digital Services Company) based in Madagascar, specialized in the conception and development of specific high-level projects, and currently operating on the international market.

The digital company today has a solid foundation with more than 60 employees (Management, Technical, Sales and Marketing) and more than 20 projects carried out for large companies such as Share.Place, Ewattch, Laza-Adina, Super U. In addition, HaiRun has set up an artificial intelligence platform « SmartPredict » which will be accessible to the general public in 2020. Moreover, HaiRun was a winner of the « AI for Good 2018 » Artificial Intelligence Competition organized by France AI and the French Red Cross.

THE ENTREPRENEUR

Ranto ANDRIAMBOLOLONA studied in Madagascar. First at the EPP (Public Primary School) of Antsiranana, then at the Zafy Albert High School of Diégo-Suarez before obtaining his BACC in 1997 and starting his engineering cycle in 1998 at the ISPM (Institut Supérieur Polytechnique de Madagascar). After immigrating to France, where he finished his studies, he worked in IT for 15 years (Priceminister, Boursorama, etc.), notably in the ideation and design of innovative products for French software publishers. In 2017, he created HaiRun Technology with only 5 employees at the start.

Interview with Ranto ANDRIAMBOLOLONA and Chantal RAZAFIMAHATRATRA

PARTNERSHIP WITH MIARAKAP

Miarakap's investment in HaiRun Technology aims to:

• Provide strategic and operational support

•  Support HaiRun in its hyper-growth at the international level

•  Finalize and market the SmartPredict platform

EXPECTED IMPACTS 

• Creation of well-paying jobs for qualified Malagasy IT developers, whose retention in the country is an issue

• Increasing the competence of the development teams

• Madagascar's visibility on the global IT development scene

• Strengthening the supply of quality digital services in Madagascar (an opening to the local market is planned)

• Full formalization of the company, both at the tax level and in terms of company management (organization of steering communities, board of directors, implementation of reporting to manage the company

• Integration of ecological considerations (CO2 cost control) into product design

APEM PAIQ is a microfinance institution for small urban entrepreneurs, mainly located in Antananarivo and the surrounding area. It offers loans, with an average amount of MGA 1.2 million (EUR 300), as well as complementary non-financial services such as health insurance and training.

With Miarakap's funding and support, APEM PAIQ aims to triple its level of activity between 2019 and 2023 by opening a dozen additional offices in Antananarivo and adjacent municipalities.

THE ENTREPRENEUR

The Projet d'Appui aux Initiatives de Quartier (PAIQ - Neighbourhood Initiatives Support Project) is a project initiated by the French Cooperation in 1998. The project was carried out in Antananarivo by the Association pour la Promotion de l'Entreprise à Madagascar (APEM - Association for Entreprise Promotion in Madagascar) as a project manager. At the end of the French Cooperation funding, the APEM continued the project by financing it from its own funds and transforming it into a public limited company in 2010.

The institution is now directed by Rihatiana Rasonarivo, a 40-year-old Malagasy woman. The Executive Director of APEM PAIQ is a graduate of INSCAE in Accounting and Control and holds a Master's degree in Management from the University of Antananarivo. She held positions as internal controller and then administrative and financial manager before joining APEM PAIQ in 2011.

PARTNERSHIP WITH MIARAKAP

Miarakap has committed to APEM PAIQ to:

• Enable the opening of new neighbourhood offices and their computerization

• Strengthen corporate governance by actively participating in strategic decisions

• Strengthen the capacities of managerial and operational staff through technical assistance missions

MAIN IMPACTS

The development plan includes:

• More than 50 formal jobs created or maintained

• Access to financial services for more than 5,000 small urban entrepreneurs in Antananarivo by 2023

• The training of more than 100 entrepreneurs per year

• The development of a social performance policy

VATEL is a higher education school of Tourism and Hotel Management, a subsidiary of the Vatel group, created in 2014 by Falihery Ramakavelo and his wife Hanitra Ramakavelo. Vatel provides a Bachelor's level training in 3 years, and since 2018 a Master's level training (Bac+5) in 2 years, including a final year of specialization in Ecotourism, which will be launched in October 2019. Today, it counts 67 graduates (from the 2014 and 2015 classes) and 167 students in training. The main site is located in Ambatoroka, Antananarivo, and a new campus will be opened in October 2019 in Morondava to welcome the students of the Master Ecotourism.

With Miarakap funding, the promoters want to make Vatel a leading higher education group in the field of hotel and tourism in Madagascar, through:

- The strengthening and consolidation of the existing structure,

- The opening of a campus in Morondava to welcome students in the Ecotourism Master's degree, students from the local population in vocational training (partnership with UNESCO), and eventually an application ecolodge.

THE ENTREPRENEUR

Vatel is run by a couple: Falihery Ramakavelo, a graduate of ENA and the Special Military School of Saint-Cyr (France), he has several years of experience in Malagasy and French civil administration and as a senior manager of several Malagasy companies (BFV-SG, MAERSK, SIPROMAD); and his wife Hanitra Ramakavelo, graduate from the University of Angers (France) in Economic and Social Administration.

PARTNERSHIP WITH MIARAKAP

Miarakap's support mainly concerns:

• Funding for the renovation of the site in Morondava to accommodate the Master's degree in ecotourism,

• The financing of a technical assistance mission on project management for the construction works

• Support for the establishment of partnerships with NGOs specialized in Tourism and biodiversity conservation

MAIN IMPACTS

• Awareness and education on environmental issues, particularly biodiversity conservation,

• Strengthening the training offer on a priority sector in Madagascar

• Access to quality training for isolated rural populations (Morondava) through partnerships with international organizations such as UNESCO

• Environmental footprint management: solar installation on site

• Establishment of partnerships with professionals in tourism, education, crafts, etc.

• Establishment of socio-educational partnerships with funders

Chicky is a fast food company specializing in chicken. It aims to become a major player in the sector in Madagascar. Chicky was launched in 2017 by Yohann Cattiau, a French entrepreneur based in Madagascar, who is now in charge of its management. The company now has 3 restaurants: the first restaurant opened in June 2017 in the busy Behoririka district, the second in January 2018 in the heart of the city in Analakely, and the third in October 2018 in the Urbania Gallery in Analakely.

With Miarakap's financing and support, Chicky aims to become a reference in the field of fast food, meeting international quality standards, while remaining accessible to the greatest number of people.

THE ENTREPRENEUR

Chicky is led by Yohann Cattiau, who graduated in 2004 from Kedge Business School. He moves to Madagascar in 2016. Yohann worked for 10 years in investment fund management companies in Luxembourg and then held a position as a financial analyst in the Finance Department of the Axian Group in Madagascar from July 2017 to June 2018, in parallel with Chicky's management.

PARTNERSHIP WITH MIARAKAP

Miarakap's support for Chicky is materialized by:

• The financing of technical assistance missions allowing the skills development of the operational teams

• The structuring and formalization of the company: declared employees and company subject to VAT

• Assistance in setting up accounting and control procedures

MAIN IMPACTS

• Complete formalization of the company and all jobs

• Support for the formalization of small chicken suppliers

The group Pêcheries du Sud gathers key actors of the seafood sector in Madagascar. Its activities are mainly based in Madagascar, but the Group is also a partner and reference shareholder of Groupe Réunimer, based in La Réunion.

Pêcheries du Sud is present in the main links of the seafood value chain through its various subsidiaries, from production (fishing, aquaculture) to processing and packaging in factories and marketing on local and international markets.

The group notably includes:

• Indian Ocean Trepang (IOT), a company specialized in the breeding and export of sea cucumbers that I&P has been supporting since 2012. IOT associates isolated fishing villages with its activity, generating additional income and thus fighting against overfishing and the extinction of marine fauna.

• COPEFRITO: Established in Tuléar since 1995, the COmpagnie de PEche FRIgorifique de TUléar, or COPEFRITO, is a Malagasy limited company specialising in the collection and processing of cephalopods (octopus, squid) and other products such as lobster, crabs and certain fish.

• SPSM: The Société de Pêche de Sainte-Marie (SPSM) was created in 1999 around a triple activity: fishing, collection and processing

• Madagascar Alive Seafood (MAS) was formally created in October 2015 and specializes in mangrove crab aquaculture

Entrepreneurs

Olivier Méraud has worked with Copefrito since 2004, where he has held several operational positions. He is a Merchant Navy Captain by training and has worked in the fishing and seafood trade for 12 years. In parallel to his duties at Copefrito, he co-founded Madagascar Seafood (MSF) in 2005 and is now one of its main shareholders and Chairman.

Jaco Chan Kit Waye is the current Managing Director of IOT, and and experienced entrepreneur. After having created and directed Copefrito, he founded in 2008 the company Madagascar Holothurie, now IOT, in association with a local partner and a team of university researchers. His environmental and social commitment led him to work as early as 2003 for the first natural resource management site with a fishing community and several NGOs to develop a protected marine area while improving the living conditions of fishermen. In 2006, Jaco was named "Malagasy SME Manager of the Year" (prize awarded by the BNI Madagascar of the Crédit Agricole group).

Partnership with I&P

I&P is committed alongside Pêcheries du Sud to:

• Support the launch of a new seafood processing plant in Diego

• Expand the group's activities in other regions of Madagascar, particularly in the north of the island

• Supporting the group at managerial and financial levels

Impacts

• The group strongly contributes to the development of the seafood sector in Madagascar

• Implementation of a rational management of marine resources

• Involvement in several rural development projects in Madagascar, in partnership with NGOs directly linked to the group's aquaculture activities.

• Implementation of a CSR policy at group level

Created in 1998, Ultramaille is a textile factory specialized in mid- and high-end fashion knit wear.

The factory produces on average 400 000 sweaters per year. Its customers include brands such as Sandro, Ekyog, Woolworth, Armor Lux…

THE ENTREPRENEUR

ULTRAMAILLE was created by Frédéric Wybo, Managing Director of the company. Frederic lives in Madagascar for more than 20 years and benefits from an extensive experience in the textile industry.

Frédéric Wybo is also Chairman of the board of Solidis Garantie, a surety company based in Madagascar, and associate member of Malagasy Association of Private-Equity Investors.

Frederic is deeply involved on environmental and social issues, which is reflected in the management of the company.

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PARTNERSHIP WITH I&P 

I&P committed alongside with Ultramaille to:  

• Reinforce the working capital of the company to finance the purchase of raw materials

• Support the company to expand its range of products

• Work on the launch of a new brand of tailor-made cashmere sweaters sold online

IMPACTS 

• Creation of many qualified jobs, mostly for women

• Develop the work with local producers