Focus on two startups that will move Africa in the next decade

Africa is a promising continent for investors. Not only because of its growing population but also its enormous natural resources. Added to this is that many fields of activity saturated in Europe, Asia, and America, are still at an embryonic stage of development in Africa. On top of all that, African youth are waking up and showing their creativity through inspiring projects. More and more initiatives are emerging, and many innovative startups are discovered every year through competitions of young entrepreneurs or startup incubators. We will discuss two companies that will move Africa in the coming years, either by the innovative nature of their project, their economic impact, or their sector expansion.

The first company we have chosen to highlight is African Global Recycling (AGR), a Togolese company specializing in the treatment and recovery of industrial waste. Founded in January 2013, AGR is the first company in West Africa that offers communities and businesses a global offer of innovative solutions combining economic and environmental performance. It is at the forefront of protecting the environment and biodiversity, a significant challenge for the continent and the whole world. When we see how developed countries sometimes struggle to process their industrial waste, we can easily guess that the increasing industrialization in Africa will give rise to the same needs. In such a context, AGR is positioning itself as an essential link in the chain in the next decade.

In a few years, it will be quite impossible to imagine the world economy without necessarily linking it with the ideas of Blockchain and Big Data. The young Tunisian company Barac was created in 2016 and Established in 2017 as a member of the Barclays Techstars. Barac has specialized in data processing thanks to a real-time big data analysis program. 

In the words of Mahdi Ben Hamden, co-founder of Barac, reported by the magazine Jeune Afrique, "It's a new world that is starting, it's a visionary concept". 

The evidence from the tests seems to prove him right. According to its creators, Barac and its solutions would have detected the recent WannaCry cyber-attack and neutralized it in less than a second. Barac is also one of the 100 Arab startups selected by the World Economic Forum for its ability to "define the future in the context of the fourth industrial revolution". If all the promises are kept, this company will shine not only in Africa but also around the world. 

The list is not exhaustive as the continent is full of potential. Several annual competitions help to reveal and develop these potentials, such as the My African Start-Up competition or the CGECI Academy in Côte d'Ivoire. The perspectives are exciting.

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