Orange, through its Orange Ventures arm, is significantly expanding its support for African tech start-ups, helping them navigate and thrive in a rapidly evolving digital landscape. This strategic move underscores Orange’s commitment to fostering innovation and entrepreneurship across the continent.
In a recent collaboration with Digital Africa, Orange has launched an investment initiative under the Fuzé scheme. Fuzé, a €6.5 million facility established by African entrepreneurs, targets start-ups at the ideation and minimum viable product stages. This initiative is entirely owned by Digital Africa and aims to provide critical early-stage funding.
The partnership was unveiled at Vivatech in Paris and follows the successful 2023 collaboration between Orange and Digital Africa. This alliance has been instrumental in funding and supporting start-ups from the Orange Digital Centre (ODC) network. The ODC network spans 17 countries in Africa and the Middle East and 8 countries in Europe, creating a robust ecosystem for start-up incubation, acceleration, and project support.
Faycal Adlouni, managing partner at Orange Ventures, emphasized the group’s dedication to promoting tech entrepreneurship in Africa. “The Orange Group is fully committed to nurturing the future champions of the technology scene in Africa and the Middle East. This arrangement will enable us to concentrate our resources to create an environment conducive to the success of start-ups.”
In its first year, the Fuzé program provided $54,200 each to five promising tech start-ups within the ODC network. This substantial financial support is designed to accelerate their growth and innovation, positioning them for future success in the tech industry.
Grégoire de Padirac, CEO of Digital Africa, highlighted that this new initiative strengthens the strategic partnership established last year. Together, Orange and Digital Africa are paving the way for a dynamic and innovative tech ecosystem in Africa, ensuring that start-ups have the resources and support they need to succeed.
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