Agro-food

Huilerie Royale TED is specialized in the production and sale of pure, virgin coconut-based table oil in Benin. Coconut oil is cold-extracted from coconuts. The finished product is used in the manufacture of food products, as well as a wide range of everyday products such as soaps, shampoos, cosmetics, detergents, paints and pharmaceutical products. 

The entrepreneur

The company was founded in 2017 by Towenan Armel Théodore AHIMAKIN, a Beninese entrepreneur with a degree in agronomy who grew up in a region traditionally producing coconut oil.

Partnership with I&P

Huilerie Royale TED is supported by I&P through the I&P Accélération au Sahel program:

• Obtaining organic certification, an essential element to develop the European market.
• Build up a stock of raw materials to support production growth
• financing various production-related expenses to ensure increased production capacity

Fatou & Kadija Entreprise is a Guinean company operating since 2014 in processing and drying fruit juices, mainly pineapple-based, marketed Jedengui.

The entrepreneur

Fatou & Kadija Entreprise was created by Fatoumata CISSOKO, a Guinean entrepreneur committed to the development and promotion of fruit (especially the pineapple sector). She holds a degree in accounting and management from the Consular University (UNIC) and a higher technical diploma in accounting and management from the Kofi Annan University of Guinea (UKAG), and has several years' experience in fruit processing.  

Partnership with I&P and MBM Capital

Fatou & Kadija Entreprise is supported by I&P and MBM Capital through I&P Acceleration in Sahel. This partnership will enable the company to :

• Increase its production capacity by installing a new 1000 L/day fruit juice production line
• Bring the production building up to the required hygiene and food safety standards 
• Diversify product ranges
• Secure supplies of raw materials and packaging

Expected impacts

• Promotion of local products and local agriculture
• Promotion of healthy eating (natural products with no artificial additives)
• Creation of 8 additional permanent jobs and dozens of temporary and indirect jobs along the value chain
• Expected sales growth of 374% in 2024 (compared with 2023) and 50% in 2025 (compared with 2024)

Based in Senegal, Fruitales is an SME specialized in the transformation and commercialization of fruit and vegetables, mainly fresh chillies.

The entrepreneur

Fruitales was founded by Ms. TALL, a Senegalese entrepreneur. She holds an MBA and has 21 years' experience in entrepreneurship, following a 14-year career in teaching Philosophy and Modern Literature. She is also deeply involved in the agri-processing industry ecosystem, where she is or has been a member of several organizations such as AAFEX, FARM, AWEP and the Enablis network.

Partnership with I&P

Fruitales is supported by Teranga Capital through a capital investment. This financing will enable the company to increase its production capacity. Fruitales will also benefit from technical support ranging from strategic thinking to improving organizational efficiency.

Lamana is a Cameroonian agri-food company producing baby foods marketed under Blesolac brand. The brand's products are a local alternative to imported infant foods, which are mainly sourced from foreign imports and have dominated the market in Cameroon for decades. The company, made up of 13 employees, has worked to build a brand that is now present in almost 45 sales outlets spread over 4 towns. The company has won a number of entrepreneurial awards to date, including the prestigious Castel Foundation's top prize for Cameroon's most promising entrepreneurs. 

The entrepreneur

Lamana was created in 2017 by Pascaline Nenda, a young Cameroonian woman who began her entrepreneurial career after the birth of her daughter. Graduating in 2008 with a BTS in marketing and communications from the Institut Supérieur de Management (ISMA) in 2009 she secured her first job as an archivist at Yaoundé's Agence de Régulation des Marchés Publics. It was during this gap year and a visit to her home village that she was struck by the recipes based on local tropical fruits and tubers, which her grandmother used for her child's meals. On her return to the city, she decided to adopt this way of eating completely.

Partnership with I&P

Lamana is supported by I&P through I&P Acceleration in Sahel. The aim of this partnership is to help the company increase its production capacity and expand into a new market segment through : 

• acquiring more efficient production machinery
• relaunching the marketing of mini-formats (50g) of products
• restructuring the company by strengthening the management system

Laiterie Maminiaina, based in Antsirabe since its creation in 2009, is run by Serge Randriamahefasoa, a Malagasy entrepreneur with strong roots in the dairy triangle, his native region.

Number 1 for cheese in Madagascar, Laiterie Maminiaina currently works with 750 breeders, employs around 50 people in its factory, and distributes its products through a network of 8 sales outlets in the capital and Antsirabe.

The entrepreneur's ambition is to raise his profile in the dairy products market and join forces with an international player in dairy or agri-food processing.

Partnership with Miarakap

The company is financed by Miarakap, I&P's partner in Madagascar.

The funds raised will enable the company to double its supply capacity, with the number of partner farmers rising to 3,000 (i.e. +15,000 people affected) by 2027. 

The partnership with Miarakap will also enable the dairy to acquire new machinery and set up infrastructure in line with international standards. Laiterie Maminiaina will be able to diversify its products to meet consumer demand.

Miarakap positions itself as the entrepreneur's strategic partner, not only in the field of finance, but also in other important aspects of the business (marketing, human resources, production, etc.), and provides the entrepreneur with a useful external vision to help him make the best decisions.

Visit Miarakap's website to read more

So Fresh is Nigeria’s pioneer and market leader in the healthy food Quick Service Restaurant space (serving notably salads, juices, smoothies, sandwiches, parfaits, etc.).

The company was founded in 2010, initially selling whole fruits and vegetables, and later evolved in 2013 with the introduction of healthy meals.

Today, So Fresh operates 15 outlets in Nigeria (Lagos and Abuja), and also offers delivery services to selected communities, through its website and social media channels.

The entrepreneurs

So Fresh was co-founded by Olagoke Balogun ("Goke") and Abimbola Balogun.

Olagoke Balogun is the CEO of So Fresh. He has accumulated a wealth of experience spanning some 20 years across several industries and functions including food & beverage, oil & gas, marketing, sales, production and operations. He is also a graduate of the Stanford SEED program.

Abimbola Balogun studied law and was called to the Nigerian bar in November 2006. She had a 5-year stint as a legal practitioner and now 10 years as an entrepreneur. She is a Human Resource professional, and an associate member of the Chartered Institute of Personnel Management (CIPM). She is a Goldman Sachs Scholar and has a Certificate in Entrepreneurial Management.

Partnership with I&P 

The partnership between SoFresh and I&P, through its fund I&P Afrique Entrepreneurs 2, aims to:

• Support with further expansion across Nigeria

• Enhance the ESG impact profile of the business

• Strengthen senior management

• Expand product offerings by introducing prepackaged meals sold through 3^rd party vendors

•Support with marketing and brand management

Expected Impacts

• Providing decent direct employment opportunities, especially for women, with each new outlet opened

• Sourcing over 90% of inputs from local suppliers

• Reinforcing the company’ ESG strategy, and notably providing health insurance, transport allowance and housing allowance for all staff

• Providing Nigerians with healthy, quality and fresh meals

Siallou Production Agricole & Animale (SPAA) is a company specialized in the transformation of coffee beans (green coffee) into ground coffee in Ivory Coast.

The entrepreneur

SPAA was founded by Armand Siallou Kouadio, a young entrepreneur with a DUT in Communication and Human Resources and a BTS in Business Communication. After spending 11 years with agricultural cooperatives in coffee and cocoa, he founded his own company.

Partnership with I&P and Comoé Capital

SPAA is supported by I&P and Comoé Capital through I&P Acceleration in Sahel. This partnership will enable to organize the production unit and to improve its production capacity. SPAA will also benefit from a technical support which will revitalize the accounting and commercial functions of the company and improve the production process as well as the quality of the products.

Jamalia Group is a Cameroonian agro-industrial company specialized in the production and commercialization of sweets and snack products such as caramelized peanuts (Caramélo) and roasted and salted peanuts (Peanuts) under the brand Natura.

The entrepreneur

Jamalia Group was created in 2015 by Mathias Dessu to offer snack that correspond to Cameroonian culinary habits. After his studies and experiences in Germany and with a strong desire to promote products made in Cameroon and reconvert to agro-industrial, a field he is passionate about, this entrepreneur decided to return to Cameroon after 15 years outside the country to launch Jamalia Group.

Partnership with I&P and Zira Capital

Jamalia Group est is supported by I&P and Zira Capital through I&P Acceleration in Sahel.

This funding will allow the company to :

• acquire the machines necessary for the semi-industrialized production of the new product (spicy plantain chips)
• set up premises more conducive to the development of the activity in terms of quality
• improve commercial actions and build a brand identity

Demal Expertises is a Guinean company that specializes in the transformation of cocoa into chocolate, cocoa powder, cocoa butter and roasted beans under the brand Zeïna Cacao. It was created to boost the cocoa sector from production to consumption.

The entrepreneure

Demal Expertises was created in 2020 by Djénabou Diallo, an agronomist and specialist in the coffee-cocoa sector. This young entrepreneur is recognized for her commitment to the cocoa sector and to female entrepreneurship. She has a strong knowledge of production techniques and masters the cocoa value chain in Guinea.

Partnership with I&P and MBM Capital

Demal Expertises is supported by MBM Capital through I&P Acceleration in Sahel. The main objective of this partnership is to :

• Upgrade the production line
• Setting up the company's new premises
• Support the company in strengthening the technical skills of its human capital
• Assure the supply of raw materials by establishing a network of suppliers

La cuisine de Nounou is a Cameroonian company specialized in food industry by producing cooking preparations such as spices, barbecue sauces, etc. Today, thanks to its know-how and the quality of its products, the company has included a variety of 100% natural products allowing it to position itself at several levels of the meal preparation chain with products such as chilli sauce, ketchup, mustard, etc.

The entrepreneur

La cuisine de Nounou was created in late 2018 by Manuela Njankouo with the objective for the "working mum" to save time in preparing different dishes to cook for her family.

Manuela Njankouo holds a degree in software engineering from the African Institute of Informatics (IAI) obtained in 2010. She worked for 2 years as a support executive in the information systems division at Crédit Foncier du Cameroun, before starting her own business. With the aim of perfecting her skills and improving the various products her brand, Manuela took a training course in entrepreneurship at the KEDGE Business School in Bordeaux in 2019 but also a training course in the production of vegetable preserves, cooking sauces and pasta at the Conserverie Alain Martin in Bordeaux, the leader in organic preserves in Aquitaine, France.

As her business develops and thanks to the dynamism of this young woman entrepreneur, who will be awarded the second prize in 2021 by the Pierre Castel Foundation in Cameroon, the company will gain visibility and expand its customer portfolio, which is mainly made up of large and medium-sized stores, in order to reach its main target, which until now has been middle-income households.

Partnership with I&P

La cuisine de Nounou is supported by I&P through I&P Acceleration in Sahel. The funding will allow the company to develop a new market segment, especially in local stores and popular markets (mass market) through the production of mini fomats of its flagship products, which are spices and barbecue sauces. This funding will be supported by technical assistance to improve the company's structuring, its quality processes and its marketing and sales actions.