Episode 99 with Tega Iortim, who is an impact-driven entrepreneur with a passion for using technology to solve major supply chain related challenges across developing countries.

Tega is the CEO and founder of Figorr, which is an IoT company that offers real-time monitoring and tracking for temperature-sensitive items.

Figorr aims to play a part in bridging the gaps in the healthcare cold chain in Sub-Saharan Africa. To this effect, Figorr was setup with primarily two (2) objectives:

1. To build innovative, affordable cold chain solutions for storage and transportation by embedding technology with already available social science solutions to enhance the efficiency of the solution.
2. To educate individuals in the relevant industries about modern and standardised cold chain practices.

What We Discuss With Tega

• Could you share some statistics or examples that highlight the scale of food and vaccine waste in sub-Saharan Africa? 
• How does Figorr's IoT technology work to monitor and prevent losses during the transportation and storage of perishable goods? 
• What challenges do businesses typically face in the transportation and storage of perishable goods in Africa? 
• Have you encountered specific cultural or social nuances that you had to take into account when implementing your solutions in different African regions?
• How can the use of IoT technology in Africa to reduce food and vaccine waste effect environmental and sustainability concerns?

Full show notes and resources can be found here: Unlocking Africa show notes

Did you miss my previous episode where I discuss How Chari is Transforming Traditional Retail in French-Speaking Africa with Ismael Belkhayat? Make sure to check it out!

Like this show? Please leave us a review here -- even one sentence helps!

Connect with Terser on LinkedIn at TerserAdamu, and Twitter @TerserAdamu

Connect with Tega on LinkedIn at Tega Iortim, and Twitter @iortimtega

Ready to tap into the exciting opportunities of African markets? Uncover a wealth of invaluable tips to elevate your success to new heights! There's no need to delay – venture over to the ETK Group website today. Explore how we can empower and guide you in seamlessly entering and thriving across diverse African markets and sectors.

Connect with us at www.etkgroup.co.uk or reach out via email at info@etkgroup.co.uk

Episode 39 of Hashing It Out features an interview with Harsh Rajat, founder and project lead of Push Protocol, who talks about the Ethereum ecosystem and the future of on-chain chat apps. In the episode, Rajat explains why Web3 messaging apps will lead the next wave of crypto adoption, and the need for Web3 communities to pivot from Web2 tools and become fully on-chain. 

Follow Cointelegraph on Twitter: @Cointelegraph
Follow the host on Twitter: @ghcryptoguy, or connect with him on LinkedIn: Elisha (GhCryptoGuy)
Cointelegraph’s website: cointelegraph.com

The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed in this podcast are its participants’ alone and do not necessarily reflect or represent the views and opinions of Cointelegraph. This podcast (and any related content) is for entertainment purposes only and does not constitute financial advice, nor should it be taken as such. Everyone must do their own research and make their own decisions. The podcast’s participants may or may not own any of the assets mentioned.

African Pre-seed Podcast S2 Ep8: Investing in Francophone Africa’s tech ecosystem

🎙️ In this month’s episode of the African Pre-seed Podcast, Lorraine Achar speaks to Benoit Delestre, Managing Partner at Saviu Ventures, a venture capital fund that invests in early-stage startups in Francophone Africa. Yep, you read that right… Francophone Africa, a region with 34 countries and 470 million people. 

Yet, most conversations about Africa’s startup ecosystem focus on the ‘Big 4’: Kenya, Nigeria, Egypt and South Africa, all of which are English-speaking countries. There’s not as much visibility for Francophone Africa’s tech ecosystem. Delestre shares how he thinks about the investment opportunity in Francophone Africa, the sectors he’s bullish on and how founders can think about expanding to the region.

Delestre is definitely someone you should listen to. He founded and sold two fintech startups in Europe and was the former CEO of 4G Secure, a software publisher. Today, Delestre is big on fintech, logistics and healthcare. His thesis on fintech is straightforward; in Africa, banks are dedicated to meeting the needs of large corporate players, leaving the retail customer underserved. “Any payment or lending platforms serving the large population is key for me,” said Delestre. 🌍

He’s also big on logistics, pointing out that some of the continent’s biggest e-commerce players still struggle to break even, partly because of inefficient logistics. 

💡 Beyond what sectors are hot and buzzy, Delestre answers the tough question of why Francophone Africa doesn’t get a ton of coverage. “There’s a big gap between Anglophone and Francophone regions. While one is very structured, the other is on the way,” he shared. “In terms of consumer markets, they are similar, but beyond that, there’s a gap.”

Some gaps are the relative absence of startup studios, incubators, or exits. Yet, there’s a sense that the region is now on the rise. How should founders think about expansion in the region? 

Through sheer experience, Delestre advises founders to start from Abidjan, which is “the hub”, and then work their way to Togo and Benin, which are smaller but easier markets. He admits that it’s tempting to make a beeline from Abidjan to Dakar, but experience has shown him that such a move is often expensive and fraught with complexity.

That’s enough spoilers. Here’s the episode in full! 🔥

What to look forward to in this episode:

• Exciting verticals and opportunities in the Francophone region [08:03]
• Market expansion within the Francophone region [10:13]
• Francophone startups that are raising significant amounts of capital [11:58]
• Challenges preventing startups from moving across the continent [13:29]
• Oversimplifications and assumptions about the region [16:20]
• Cultural differences and their effect on startup expansion strategies [17:58]
• Founder archetypes within Francophone Africa [20:41]
• Fundamental differences between the region's largest markets [23:11]
• The most active investors in the Francophone tech ecosystem [25:50]
• Market characteristics that make Côte d'Ivoire an attractive ecosystem to invest in [29:36]
• Francophone markets that are readily adopting new technology and innovation [33:22]
• The government's role in catalyzing the region's tech ecosystem [36:23]
• Signals to look out for when investing in a startup within the region [38:33]

CONNECT VIA SOCIAL MEDIA:

Connect with Benoit Delestre on LinkedIn
Connect with Loraine Achar-Ogada on LinkedIn
Connect with Hope Dithlakanyane on Twitter and Linkedin

Tell us...

• What was your favourite quote or lesson from this episode?
• What topic would you like for us to feature on a future podcast?

Let us know via the hashtag #AfricanPreseedPodcast

The Africa Climate Tech Summit Podcast Series

The Africa Climate Tech & Investment Summit podcast series from Africa Tech Summit, supported by Mercy Corps Ventures and Peercarbon, in partnership with the SixthD.

Insights from Mercy Corps Ventures, an investor catalysing venture-led solutions to increase the resilience of underserved individuals and communities across Africa.

Featuring:

Hetal Patel, Director, Investments

Toffene Kama, Principal Investor

Boko Inyundo, Founder The SixthD

Subscribe for updates and join our live Summits us in Nairobi and London! More details on www.Africatechsummit.com