Orange Digital Center engages youth in entrepreneurial dev’t with Orange Fab.

Orange Digital Center is the branch of the company offering set of training, coaching, acceleration and investment programs for local start-ups with high potential.

It is within this logic that Orange Digital Center Cameroun, Tuesday January 31, hosted the first edition of Demo Day, a closing event of the Orange Fab startup acceleration programme.

The event created the opportunity for startup owners selected by Orange Cameroun to present their final projects to the business community, convince partners and potential investors of its usefulness and solutions approach, promote entrepreneurial spirit amongst Cameroonians and innovation.

The first season of the Orange Fab start-up acceleration programme was launched after a call for applications from October to November 2022.

The six-month program from July to December 2022 was created with the ambition of helping innovative companies emerge and promote local entrepreneurship.

Thus, the three selected start-ups benefited free of charge from the Orange Digital Center in financing of their operational activities up to five million FCFA each, business audit followed by personalised coaching and mentoring.

It also offered them the possibility of partnerships with Orange Cameroun, connections with potential partners and investors and communication on their operational activities.

The three selected start-ups used the Demo Day to present the final solutions of their Start-ups.  

Yvon Fanfe, CEO of the start-up, SmartCode Group, impressed and attracted partners with his Safe Move app.

The app specialises on road safety as it is designed to make urban and inter-urban transport safer and easier for individuals.

The app allows users to inform and be informed of road accidents that may hinder movements. It also does a better job in giving road directives, than Google map since it masters the territory better.

The CEO of ClinicAgro start-up, Pyrrus Koudjou, presented an amazing project for the farmers: an agro-technical solution through a connected offline and online soil analysis kit which helps them make better choices of which crops or fertilizer to use. ClinicAgro, it should be said, is supported by big data technology, user-friendly, mobile, digital, affordable with results instantly available 24/7.

On his part, Thierry Tayou, OuiCare start-up co-founder, shared with the investors and partners his innovative solution, a digital health record with a secure patient data archiving system.

OuiCare allows users to get their data and/or a doctor 24/7. It brings patients and doctors together to facilitate access to health services through its network of partners (pharmacies, specialists, hospitals and laboratories).

Appreciating Orange Cameroun for valourising entrepreneurship and Small and Medium Sized Enterprises, SMEs, the Littoral Regional Delegate of Small and Medium Size Enterprises, Social Economy and Handicraft, Marie Balla, in a roundtable discussion ahead of the presentations, told the audience that her ministry was supportive of any initiative that assists young persons. She indicated that the doors of her ministry were open to the young creators.

This roundtable discussion on the theme: “The importance of technological entrepreneurship in Cameroon” was led by the Secretary General for Orange Cameroun, Olga Soumahoro.

Saluting experiences from successful start-uppers like Jean Lobe, the CEO of Waspito, Soumahoro, noted that the project was a way for Orange Cameroun in its corporate social responsibility role to create a link between them (operator) and consumers.

“We believe in Startups. Startups are at the centre of innovations, their creativity, and what they have, creates an impact on our economy. In the past 30 years, the digital space modified our manner of living, communication, work and health. Startups that choose these fields are the pillars,” she said.

After the roundtable, the three startup founders of the Orange Fab program had the chance to network and have one-to-one discussions with investors, partners, and other business owners. They also had the opportunity to showcase the scope of their work.

Orange Cameroon thus reaffirms its dedication to Cameroonian digital entrepreneurship and economy. As stated by Olga Soumahoro.

“Digital économy is the future. We want to be an actor because we understood that digital economy is the future. Digital economy is the pillar on which development is guaranteed,” Soumahoro concluded.