“Bénin Start Up Week”
Aurelie Adam Soulé meets 7 digital innovations An initiative of Minister Aurelie Adam Soulé Zoumarou, the “Bénin Start Up Week” label aims to draw national and international attention to digital start-ups and the many innovations they generate. As part of the first round of “Benin Start Up Week”, the Minister made a series of visits, meetings and discussions with seven (07) Beninese start-ups in Cotonou.
Starting on 15 May 2018, Minister Aurelie Adam Soulé Zoumarou’s series of visits ended two days later, on 17 May 2018. Over three (03) days, this woman who thrives on challenges delved into the workings of seven (07) start-ups offering innovative solutions within Benin’s digital ecosystem: Open SI, ZE’XPRESS, KEA MedicalsPharmaceutics& Technologies, Exportunity, RightCom, Odjala and Bénin Fintech. The aim of the Minister’s visit was to gain a better understanding of their solutions, products and services and to learn about the real difficulties they face.
“No company grows without difficulties; that is why I paid particular attention to listing their needs, difficulties and wishes, so that in the coming weeks we can agree on a number of concrete, high-impact actions to be implemented to ensure the prosperity of these Beninese companies,” said Minister Aurelie Adam Soulé Zoumarou at the end of her first day of visits.
Spotlight on the start-ups Led by Gilles Kounou, Open SI is a start-up that supports organisations, small and medium-sized enterprises and large groups in their digital transformation by designing customised solutions consistent with their clients’ needs. Open SI developed the e-Council of Ministers platform, which the Beninese Government has been using for several months, as well as the goMediCAL solution, a service for managing patient–doctor relations in Benin.
Founded by Maxime Adanzounnon, ZE’XPRESS is a start-up offering a digital service that helps people plan and carry out their daily errands. It handles the payment of electricity and water bills, home delivery of meals, refilling of gas bottles, market shopping, Canal+ subscriptions and renewals, and other marketing services. According to Minister Aurelie Adam Soulé Zoumaroun, ZE’XPRESS is a solution of national value in Benin’s socio-economic context.
Exportunity, a start-up led by Vital Sounouvou, is an e-commerce platform in Benin. It allows all traders and all companies operating in Benin to send their mail and parcels by post. To guarantee the reliability of listings on the platform and rule out any possibility of fraud, only companies that are legally recognised and registered with Benin’s Investment and Export Promotion Agency are authorised to register on the Exportunity platform.
KEA MedicalsPharmaceutics& Technologies, led by Arielle Vèna Ahouansou, is a platform for managing patients’ electronic medical records through the Universal Medical Identity (IMU). This platform aims to interconnect African hospitals through a single database in order to make it easier to retrieve patients’ medical history. KEA MedicalsPharmaceutics& Technologies offers patients the possibility of creating their Universal Medical Identity.
RightCom Technologies is a cloud-based platform providing innovative solutions to companies seeking to improve their customer service. Led by Adétoyé Aguessy, RightCom Technologies also develops a range of other digital solutions for players in the finance, telecommunications, retail and health sectors.
Bénin Fintech, led by Amos Avocè, specialises in developing digital finance solutions (electronic payment and card payment solutions, IT services and digital security). Through its partnership with FECECAM Bénin, Benin Fintech has developed an innovative cross-network electronic payment solution called CLCAM SMART MONEY.
Odjala is a virtual shopping centre that allows people to buy online and have their purchases delivered to their homes through its digital platform. This e-commerce solution was created by Afiss Bileoma.
A note of hope from Minister Soulé Zoumarou According to the Minister of Digital Economy and Communication, visiting the start-ups enabled her to learn more about some of the realities facing our start-ups, to discover passionate entrepreneurs and seasoned managers, and also to confirm that Benin is firmly engaged in a new momentum in the digital economy. “I am firmly committed to working with all the stakeholders in our country’s digital transformation so that, together, we can consider how to put in place the right conditions for their prosperity,” she said.
All newsAurelie Adam Soulé meets 7 digital innovations An initiative of Minister Aurelie Adam Soulé Zoumarou, the “Bénin Start Up Week” label aims to draw national and international attention to digital start-ups and the many innovations they generate. As part of the first round of “Benin Start Up Week”, the Minister made a series of visits, meetings and discussions with seven (07) Beninese start-ups in Cotonou.
Starting on 15 May 2018, Minister Aurelie Adam Soulé Zoumarou’s series of visits ended two days later, on 17 May 2018. Over three (03) days, this woman who thrives on challenges delved into the workings of seven (07) start-ups offering innovative solutions within Benin’s digital ecosystem: Open SI, ZE’XPRESS, KEA MedicalsPharmaceutics& Technologies, Exportunity, RightCom, Odjala and Bénin Fintech. The aim of the Minister’s visit was to gain a better understanding of their solutions, products and services and to learn about the real difficulties they face.
“No company grows without difficulties; that is why I paid particular attention to listing their needs, difficulties and wishes, so that in the coming weeks we can agree on a number of concrete, high-impact actions to be implemented to ensure the prosperity of these Beninese companies,” said Minister Aurelie Adam Soulé Zoumarou at the end of her first day of visits.
Spotlight on the start-ups Led by Gilles Kounou, Open SI is a start-up that supports organisations, small and medium-sized enterprises and large groups in their digital transformation by designing customised solutions consistent with their clients’ needs. Open SI developed the e-Council of Ministers platform, which the Beninese Government has been using for several months, as well as the goMediCAL solution, a service for managing patient–doctor relations in Benin.
Founded by Maxime Adanzounnon, ZE’XPRESS is a start-up offering a digital service that helps people plan and carry out their daily errands. It handles the payment of electricity and water bills, home delivery of meals, refilling of gas bottles, market shopping, Canal+ subscriptions and renewals, and other marketing services. According to Minister Aurelie Adam Soulé Zoumaroun, ZE’XPRESS is a solution of national value in Benin’s socio-economic context.
Exportunity, a start-up led by Vital Sounouvou, is an e-commerce platform in Benin. It allows all traders and all companies operating in Benin to send their mail and parcels by post. To guarantee the reliability of listings on the platform and rule out any possibility of fraud, only companies that are legally recognised and registered with Benin’s Investment and Export Promotion Agency are authorised to register on the Exportunity platform.
KEA MedicalsPharmaceutics& Technologies, led by Arielle Vèna Ahouansou, is a platform for managing patients’ electronic medical records through the Universal Medical Identity (IMU). This platform aims to interconnect African hospitals through a single database in order to make it easier to retrieve patients’ medical history. KEA MedicalsPharmaceutics& Technologies offers patients the possibility of creating their Universal Medical Identity.
RightCom Technologies is a cloud-based platform providing innovative solutions to companies seeking to improve their customer service. Led by Adétoyé Aguessy, RightCom Technologies also develops a range of other digital solutions for players in the finance, telecommunications, retail and health sectors.
Bénin Fintech, led by Amos Avocè, specialises in developing digital finance solutions (electronic payment and card payment solutions, IT services and digital security). Through its partnership with FECECAM Bénin, Benin Fintech has developed an innovative cross-network electronic payment solution called CLCAM SMART MONEY.
Odjala is a virtual shopping centre that allows people to buy online and have their purchases delivered to their homes through its digital platform. This e-commerce solution was created by Afiss Bileoma.
A note of hope from Minister Soulé Zoumarou According to the Minister of Digital Economy and Communication, visiting the start-ups enabled her to learn more about some of the realities facing our start-ups, to discover passionate entrepreneurs and seasoned managers, and also to confirm that Benin is firmly engaged in a new momentum in the digital economy. “I am firmly committed to working with all the stakeholders in our country’s digital transformation so that, together, we can consider how to put in place the right conditions for their prosperity,” she said.