Industry

Zoé Industry is a company specialized in the transformation of local plant leaves, mainly moringa oleifera, into infusion tea in Burkina Faso. 4 flavors of tea mixed with moringa are currently on sale: moringa-hibiscus (bissap), moringa-kinkeliba, moringa-ginger and moringa-citronella.

The entrepreneurs

Zoe Industry was founded by Jacob and and Claudia Ouedraogo in 2016. 

Partnership with I&P and Sinergi Burkina

Zoé Industry is supported by Sinergi Burkina through the I&P Acceleration in Sahel.

The support provided to the company will allow it to :

• Strengthen its production capacity
• Improve the quality of its tea
• Improve its reputation
• Strengthen its structuring

About Sinergi Burkina

Created in 2014, Sinergi Burkina is the first impact investment fund dedicated to financing and supporting SMEs and start-ups in Burkina Faso. Headed by Job Zongo, Sinergi Burkina is the second investment 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), Côte d'Ivoire (Comoé Capital), Senegal (Teranga Capital) and Madagascar (Miarakap).  → To learn more about Sinergi Burkina​

IKALOOK, "your style" in Bambara, is a Malian company specialized in the confection of women's clothing and advocates ethical fashion.  It is the first Malian company to modernize the woven loincloth, a fabric obtained from the artisanal weaving of local cotton.

THE ENTREPRENEUR

IKALOOK was created in 2016 by Fatoumata Namissa Théra SOW, a young woman strongly committed to eco-responsible fashion. With several years of experience in design, this fashion enthusiast since her early childhood started her clothing business in 2013. She designs original models that she makes from wax, bazin and dampé fabrics, a traditional fabric popular in Mauritania, where her mother comes from.

PARTNERSHIP WITH I&P AND ZIRA CAPITAL

IKALOOK is supported by Zira Capital through I&P Acceleration program in Sahel.

The main objective of this partnership is to :

⇒ Increase the company's working capital by providing more raw materials and tools

⇒ Strengthen the team by hiring new staff and improving working conditions (formalization of employment, medical and social coverage)

⇒ Implementation of a communication and marketing strategy to boost sales

⇒ Technical assistance to formalize and structure the organization (e.g. implementation of internal procedures and internal accounting system)

⇒ Increase the supply capacity and quality of finished products

Karit'Or by Soreya is a Malian company created in 2020 and specialized in the production and marketing of cosmetic products made mainly from shea butter. This young company has one workshop and a warehouse located in Baco Djicoroni Golf, a district of Bamako.

THE ENTREPRENEUR

The company was founded by Adam Soreya Sylla, a young Malian lady of 36 years old who is passionate about cosmetics. She is a lawyer by training and has succeeded in her conversion thanks to the training she received in Tunisia and Mali. Initially, she had started the production of cosmetic products in 2016 in an artisanal way.

PARTNERSHIP WITH I&P

Karit'Or by Soreya is supported by I&P through I&P Acceleration in Sahel. 

 The support will allow the company to : 

• get a new warehouse
• set up production equipments
• buy raw materials and related supplies (vegetable oils, active cosmetics, packaging, labels)

Lakelle is a Cameroonian company that makes clothing to international standards. The company was born from the desire of its promoters to create a brand of ready-to-wear clothing at affordable prices, adapted to the cultural specificities of the African context with a strong modern accent. Today, the company employs a large majority of women, many of them refugees from the Anglophone zone.

THE ENTREPRENEURS

The company is managed by Sharon and Viola Welang, two sisters who have enjoyed training and work experience in United States. Sharon Welang, CEO of Lakelle, has also worked in Africa, notably at MTN Cameroon where she contributed to the deployment of mobile money and at MSF Africa, one of the most successful African fintechs. Viola Welang has spent most of her professional career in United States and has been running the management consulting firm Business Essentials for the past 9 years.

PARTNERSHIP WITH I&P

Lakelle is supported by Sinergi and I&P through I&P Acceleration in Sahel. The main objective of this project is to increase the company's production capacity, contribute to the improvement of its supply chain and implement a communication strategy.

Toiture Economique et Ecologique (TECO²) is a startup created in 2018 that aims to promote green growth in Burkina Faso and Africa through the recycling and valorization of plastic waste. The company produces and markets furniture, roofing and beacons made from recycled plastic waste.

THE ENTREPRENEUR

TECO² was created by Calvin Tiam, an engineer in Industrial Process Engineering and Renewable Energies, who graduated in 2012 from the International Institute of Water and Environmental Engineering (2iE) in Ouagadougou. Calvin Tiam is convinced that entrepreneurship is nowadays the right solution for the economic emergence of developing countries, and has set himself the mission of transforming used plastic bags.

Thanks to his commitment , his company has been able to distinguish  during multiple competitions. His rewards :   

• Winner of the 1st Prize (Diamond Prize) of the TREMPLIN START-UP UEMOA Competition and best start-up in the UEMOA Community space (December 2020)
• Winner of the SITRA Prize in the category of the most inspiring solutions of innovations in circular economy worldwide (September 2019)
• Winner of the Switch Africa Green - SEED Award 2017 organized by the UNEP program with the support of the European Union (July 2017)
• Winner of the 1st Prix Jeunesse de la Francophonie 35<35 in the Social Entrepreneurial category (October 2016)

PARTNERSHIP WITH I&P AND SINERGI BURKINA

TECO² benefits from I&P Acceleration in Sahel, which is implemented in Burkina Faso by Sinergi Burkina sponsored by I&P. The support will allow the company to : 

• Strengthen its production capacity
• Secure the supply of raw materials 
• Strengthen the sales and marketing function
• Strengthen the structure and the management system

EXPECTED IMPACTS

• Ecosystem preservation
• Creation and consolidation of jobs
• Contribution to cities  sanitation
• Establishment of good governance

About Sinergi Burkina

Created in 2014, Sinergi Burkina is the first impact investment fund dedicated to financing and supporting SMEs and start-ups in Burkina Faso. Headed by Job Zongo, Sinergi Burkina is the second investment 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), Côte d'Ivoire (Comoé Capital), Senegal (Teranga Capital) and Madagascar (Miarakap).  → To learn more about Sinergi Burkina​

Senexel is a laboratory specialized in physico-chemical and microbiological testing in Burkina Faso, offering analysis of mining waste and heavy metals in fertilizers and quality control of water in agrifood products.

THE ENTREPRENEUR

Senexel was created by Boubacar Senou, a chemical engineer by training. Mr. Senou holds a master's degree in food technology and a post-graduate diploma (DESS) in metallurgical engineering. He has more than 15 years of experience as a chemist in companies such as SGS Canada, 5N plus Inc, Norgold, etc. He is a member of prestigious institutions such as the Quebec Order of Chemists, the American Chemical Society and the Canadian Institute of Mining and Petroleum.

PARTNERSHIP WITH I&P AND SINERGI BURKINA

Senexel is supported by I&P and Sinergi Burkina through I&P Acceleration in Sahel. The support will allow the company to : 

• Strengthen the production capacity  
• Diversify the analysis offers
• Contribute to the reduction of the delivery time of the results
• Support the company in obtaining ISO 17025 certification
• Strengthen the accounting and management information system (MIS)

About Sinergi Burkina

Created in 2014, Sinergi Burkina is the first impact investment fund dedicated to financing and supporting SMEs and start-ups in Burkina Faso. Headed by Job Zongo, Sinergi Burkina is the second investment 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), Côte d'Ivoire (Comoé Capital), Senegal (Teranga Capital) and Madagascar (Miarakap).  → To learn more about Sinergi Burkina​

NJ Prestations is a company specialized in metal, aluminum and stainless steel constructions in Burkina Faso. It mainly produces doors, windows, bay windows and water towers, tanks, tables-benches, and cabinets for schools, institutions and companies.  

THE ENTREPRENEUR

NJ Prestations was created by Mr. Rodrigue NIKIEMA. Holder of a Brevet de Premier Cycle (BEPC) and a Certificat de Qualification Professionnel (CQP) in welding and metallic works, he followed training sessions in metallic construction, aluminium and stainless steel in Ghana and Nigeria, which allowed him to position his company as one of the welding companies mastering at the same time the three raw materials that are aluminium, iron and stainless steel.

I&P AND SINERGI BURKINA'S CONTRIBUTION

NJ Prestations is supported by Sinergi Burkina through I&P Acceleration in Sahel.

The objectives of the partnership are the following:

⇒ Strengthening the company's production capacity 

⇒ Strengthening its competitiveness and market positioning 

⇒ Strengthening its structuring and management system

About Sinergi Burkina

Created in 2014, Sinergi Burkina is the first impact investment fund dedicated to financing and supporting SMEs and start-ups in Burkina Faso. Headed by Job Zongo, Sinergi Burkina is the second investment 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), Côte d'Ivoire (Comoé Capital), Senegal (Teranga Capital) and Madagascar (Miarakap).  → To learn more about Sinergi Burkina​

Fisco is a Cameroonian company that markets household products (detergents, bleach, etc.) and para-pharmaceutical products (hydro-alcoholic gels, alcohol, etc.). The company has an artisanal production unit in Bonabéri, in Douala and has activities that now extend to 3 regions of the country (Littoral, Centre, North).

THE ENTREPRENEUR

Fisco was created by Joel Sikam, a Cameroonian with a degree in finance (Bachelor's degree from the University of North Texas). After starting his career in the United States in equity and wealth management with family offices, he returned and founded his own company. Joël Sikam is also very active in the GICAM which is the employers' association of Cameroon.

PURPOSE OF THE FUNDING

Fisco is supported by I&P through I&P Acceleration in Sahel. The funding granted will upgrade in safety and quality  by financing the facilities and the acquisition of the necessary equipment. The program will also allow the company to finance the acquisition of a new vehicle for distribution and to support the company in the execution of its communication strategy. 

Fulbe et Khem is a laboratory created in 2015 specialized in the transformation of local medicinal plants into food supplements and cosmetic products and the commercialization of these products in pharmacies, parapharmacies, mini-markets and organic store chains in Mali.

THE ENTREPRENEUR

Fulbe et Khem was created by Mamoudou Elimane HANNE, a French-Malian former top-level sportsman (European Champion and French record holder in 4x400m) with a Bachelor's degree in Economics/Management and a BTS in Negotiation and Customer Relations. Convinced by the benefits of natural plants, he decided to move to his country of origin to launch his company. 

PURPOSE OF THE FUNDING

Fulbe & Khem benefits from the I&P Acceleration in Sahel program, whose objectives are to : 

• Reinforce the company's supply capacity in raw materials and packaging
• Consolidation and development of the clientele
• Contribute to the formalization and structuring of F&K
• Strengthen the team through new hires and build employee loyalty through improved living conditions (more protection at work and implementation of a medical and social coverage policy)
• Implementation of an internal accounting system
• Implementation of a communication and marketing strategy

EXPECTED IMPACTS

Consolidation and formalization of 7 existing jobs, creation of 5 new formal jobs
Contribution to the economy through the payment of taxes to the tax authorities
Reduction in the importation of dietary supplements

La Maison Fenel produces and markets fashion accessories (fitted accessories, ordinary sewing accessories and leather goods accessories) from local fabrics woven in Burkina Faso (Faso Danfani). 

The Entrepreneur

Fenel was founded in 2019 by Angéline TRAORE YOUGBARE, who before creating the company, worked for 10 years as manager and main designer at Nagteedo Création, a company specialized in fashion and pearl jewelry. Passionate about fashion since 2007, it is in 2019 that she started to develop local woven loincloths such as the Faso Dan fani.

Discover our video report on Maison Fenel

Contribution of I&P Acceleration in Sahel and Sinergi Burkina

La Maison Fenel is supported by Sinergi Burkina as part of the I&P Acceleration program in Sahel.

The main objectives of this partnership are to :

• Increase production capacity and product quality
• Diversify the company's products by launching a range of ready-to-wear products made from Faso Danfani
• Set up an internal accounting system kept by a professional
• Strengthen the sales force and the visibility of the company 
• Restructuring the company and strengthening its management system

Expected Impacts

• Consolidation of 7 existing full-time jobs and creation of 6 new formal jobs for young people and full-time women
• Contribution to the national economy through the payment of taxes to the tax authorities
• Increased revenues for Faso Danfani loincloth weavers
• Creation of a strong added value through the valorization of local products
• Reducing imports of fashion accessories and strengthening exports

Read more

Company's website

About Sinergi Burkina

Created in 2014, Sinergi Burkina is the first impact investment fund dedicated to financing and supporting SMEs and start-ups in Burkina Faso. Headed by Job Zongo, Sinergi Burkina is the second investment 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), Côte d'Ivoire (Comoé Capital), Senegal (Teranga Capital) and Madagascar (Miarakap).  → To learn more about Sinergi Burkina​