Agro-food

KANEL Pâtisserie is a Senegalese company specializing in the bakery and pastry sector, particularly in the production and sale of sweet and savory treats inspired by both local culinary traditions and Western classics. Founded in 2019, the company offers a wide range of products, including fine pastries, Viennese pastries, personalized cakes, desserts, as well as breads and savory snacks. It stands out for its use of local fruits and ingredients such as bouye, ditakh, bissap, and madd, to revisit recipes with an authentic Senegalese touch.

KANEL focuses on high-quality artisanal production, meticulous product design, and a refined customer experience, whether in-store or via online ordering.

Entrepreneurs

Founded in 2019 by Marguerite DIOH, Daniel SARR, and Rouguiatou DIAW, KANEL is a Senegalese company that promotes local expertise through a range of artisanal sweet and savory pastries featuring local flavors. Coming from the public sector, Marguerite passionately retrained as a pastry chef, building up a small business with 20 employees. Rouguiatou brings her expertise in marketing and business development, while Daniel supports strategy and governance. Together, they are positioning KANEL as an innovative player in Senegal's agri-food sector.

Partnership with I&P and Teranga Gestion

KANEL benefits from the support of the I&P Acceleration FARM program, a €4 million initiative designed to finance and support 28 African companies operating in the agricultural sector. This program is supported by the French Development Agency (AFD) through its subsidiary dedicated to the private sector, Proparco.

This strategic partnership will enable KANEL to:

• Finance its working capital requirements in order to support the increase in its production capacity;
• Strengthen its production equipment, increase its storage capacity for seasonal raw materials, and expand its product range;
• Deploy a structured marketing and sales strategy to better address its target markets and support its growth.

CHEZBIO is a young Cameroonian company operating in the agri-food sector. It stands out for its artisanal production of agri-food processing equipment and ground spices. By adopting an import substitution approach, the company actively contributes to reducing dependence on imports, while providing concrete solutions to post-harvest losses. CHEZBIO thus facilitates access for agricultural and agri-food entrepreneurs to suitable and affordable equipment, promoting the creation of sustainable local value.

The entrepreneur

CHEZBIO, formally established in 2021 but active since 2019, was founded by Brice KENE TAKALA, a 30-year-old Cameroonian web application developer. Following facial paralysis in 2018 caused by intense work-related stress, he adopted a diet based on natural products. Faced with the unavailability of processing equipment on the local market, he retrained as a manufacturer of agri-food processing equipment, putting his technical skills to use in developing tailored and accessible solutions.

Partnership with I&P

CHEZBIO is supported by I&P FARM, a €4 million program aimed at financing and supporting 28 start-ups and SMEs in Sub-Saharan Africa, with a particular focus on French-speaking countries in West, Central, and East Africa, in the agricultural sector supported by PROPARCO. In Cameroon, the program is being implemented by Fako Capital.

This partnership will enable this SME to:

• Finance the establishment of an R&D design office with a view to offering equipment for a more professional clientele;
• Develop production sites with a view to optimizing productivity and improving working conditions for employees;
• Strengthen its team, mainly in production, but also in administration and sales.

Founded in 2005, Baobab Des Saveurs generates its revenue primarily through the wholesale of processed products made from leaves, seeds, fruits, flowers, etc. The company specializes in the promotion, production, and marketing of natural, ethical, diverse, and innovative ingredients derived from West African plants. Its flagship products include oils, powders, and leaves, with baobab as its signature product.

The company has demonstrated its resilience in the face of challenges over the years and has distinguished itself through its commitment to producing high-quality products while promoting fair trade and local development.

The entrepreneur

Pierre-Gilles COMMEAT, a tropical agronomist by training, is the founder and manager of Baobab Des Saveurs.

Thanks to his expertise in the agricultural field, he has conducted several training courses, feasibility studies, surveys, diagnostics, and implementations for prestigious organizations such as the FAO, CIRAD, and GRET between 2001 and 2016.

He has more than 19 years of professional/entrepreneurial experience in the agricultural sector.

Partnership with I&P and Gaia Impact

Baobab Des Saveurs benefits from the support of the I&P Acceleration FARM program, a €4 million initiative designed to finance and support 28 African companies operating in the agricultural sector. This program is supported by the French Development Agency (AFD) through its subsidiary dedicated to the private sector, Proparco.

This strategic partnership will enable the company to:

• Improve the availability of its products throughout the year;
• Achieve better international positioning and strengthen its position in the local market;
• Reduce its dependence on fossil fuels;
• Improve working conditions for its employees and product quality.

ETS KAO is an Ivorian company founded in 2018, specializing in the processing and marketing of food products. It manufactures and distributes powders and spices, oilseed pastes (peanut, pistachio, cashew, etc.), as well as flours and pulps. Its products are intended for the local market, particularly large and medium-sized supermarkets, wholesalers, convenience stores, and individuals. Processing and packaging activities are carried out at its production site located in Abobo, a district of Abidjan.

The entrepreneur

Odette KASSI is the founder of ETS KAO. With a high school diploma, she has over 10 years of experience in the food products sector in Côte d'Ivoire. After a career in primary education, she launched her food products business in 2011. Faced with issues related to expiration dates, she shifted her focus to the processing of oilseeds and dried food products. In 2013, she created the sole proprietorship ETS KAO, which became a limited liability company in 2018.

Partnership with I&P and Proparco

ETS KAO benefits from the support of I&P Accélération FARM, a €4 million program backed by proparco and designed to finance around 20 SMEs in sub-Saharan Africa active across the entire agricultural value chain (product processing, primary agriculture, livestock farming, fish farming, distribution, equipment and input sales, agritech, etc.). In Côte d'Ivoire, this program is implemented by Comoé Capital.

This partnership will enable the SME to finance:

• The purchase of a delivery vehicle;
• The acquisition of additional equipment (bagging machines, labeling machines);
• Communication activities for new products;
• Renovation work to install new equipment;
• Working capital requirements.

AGRO-AQUACULTURE is an innovative company operating in the aquaculture sector, specifically in fish farming. Based in Kindia (Guinea), it specializes in the production and marketing of fingerlings, the sale of fish feed, the distribution of fish farming equipment (above-ground tanks, pH meters, nets, scales, etc.), as well as practical and theoretical training in above-ground fish farming.

Entrepreneurs

AGRO-AQUACULTURE, founded in 2022 by Aguibou BARRY and Amadou Oury BARRY, is led by two young entrepreneurs who complement each other well.

• Aguibou BARRY, co-founder and principal manager, holds a bachelor's degree in public law and has over six years of experience in fish farming and geotechnics in Côte d'Ivoire and Mali. Formerly head of the fish farm at Koudjis Mali, he has solid expertise in hatchery development and fish farming training, as well as a sustainable strategic vision.
• Amadou Oury BARRY, co-founder and co-manager, has a degree in journalism and switched to fish farming in 2019. He brings his skills in administrative management, communication, and business development, supporting the internal structure and growth of the company through his network and commitment.

Partnership with I&P

AGRO-AQUACULTURE is supported by I&P Acceleration FARM. This partnership will enable the company to:

• Increase its production capacity by creating a semi-modern hatchery capable of producing between 20,000 and 25,000 fry every 75 days;
• Set up a fish feed production unit;
• Strengthen its financial and commercial management capabilities;
• Contribute to the promotion of the fish farming sector at the national level.

Forna Health Foods is a female-founded and female-led social business that manufactures Aunt Porridge and Instapo!, healthy, nutritious (and delicious!) porridges that are targeted at helping weaning infants, children, breastfeeding mothers, immune-compromised patients (and even the entire family) access essential nutrition to thrive when they need it the most! 

Forna Health Foods are the makers of Aunt Porridge and its instant porridge version (Instapo!) – this essential breakfast staple and its 10+ ingredients are all-natural (no added preservatives), homegrown in Uganda (providing a market for 1,000s of smallholder Ugandan farmers) and are jam-packed with protein, vitamins and fibre (unlike single grain porridges made from millet or maize) to boost infant and child nutrition.

Partnership with Inua Capital

Inua Impact Fund has invested equity and mezzanine financing into Forna Health Foods to scale its reach nationwide and expand its ability to source farm produce from smallholder farmers across Uganda. 

Together with Inua Capital, Forna Health Foods will scale its product reach across the country and beyond, increase and improve its product offerings, further mechanize its production processes and make an indelible imprint on the health and nutrition of Africa’s children and families for years to come!

Equator Chocolate is a paragon of artisanal mastery and distinction within Uganda’s chocolate landscape. Established in 2018, Equator Chocolate is a pioneer in adding value to Uganda’s cocoa (in place of exporting the raw commodity), buying cocoa from smallholder farmers in Uganda to manufacture dark, milk and white craft chocolate loved by local consumers and corporate kitchens alike, and customized for special occasions and premium brands across East Africa.

Equator Chocolate manufactures white, milk and dark craft chocolate from organic and sustainably-grown Ugandan cocoa. Equator’s chocolate is internationally award-winning, winning a bronze medal at the 2023 Agency for the Valorization of Agricultural Products (AVPA) International Gourmet competition in Paris.

Equator serves a wide range of customers: from hotels, lodges and high-end brands seeking to give their discerning clients a delectable taste of Uganda; to ethical consumers in export markets (predominantly Europe) where it retails with high demand; to bakers, chocolatiers, cafes and other corporate kitchens across East Africa whose products require high-quality chocolate; to local individual consumers that pick up an Equator Chocolate off the shelf to satisfy a craving or celebrate a special occasion. 

Partnership with Inua Capital

Inua Impact Fund has invested equity and mezzanine financing into Equator Chocolate to scale its production by over 3x and expand its ability to source cocoa from local smallholder farmers at a premium price. 

Inua’s investment in Equator Chocolate intends to put Ugandan chocolate on the map! (no pun intended)

Founded in 2019 by Karim Ghammache, Mali Shi is Mali's first industrial shea butter processor. The company produces high-quality shea butter for the international market as a sustainable and environmentally friendly substitute for cocoa butter.

Mali Shi uses two different supply chains: in the traditional supply chain, the company buys shea from local suppliers and partners. It also buys directly from women collectors, thereby improving the incomes of rural women.  Mali Shi prioritizes direct purchases from women collectors through its own network, which is the main source of supply.

The entrepreneur

A Lebanese-Malian entrepreneur, Karim Ghammache grew up in Mali, and moved to France to complete his secondary education. He pursued his studies in finance in Canada, at HEC Montréal and McGill University, before joining the family business in Mali after completing his degree.

He joined the management of two startups launched by his family: Diago Mineral Water and Omnium, and took part in their restructuring and turnaround after difficult beginnings. In 2019, he acquired Omnium Mali, turning it into one of the most technically advanced factories in Africa.

Building on this successful experience with Omnium Mali, in 2011 he launched Omnium Invest, an investment company that creates and deploys startups run by autonomous management teams. Through this structure, he steers Mali Shi.

Partnership with I&P

Mali Shi is supported by I&P through the I&P Afrique Entrepreneurs 2 (IPAE 2) fund. The funds raised will be used to :

• Strengthen the company's WCR ;
• Strengthen its capacity to raise seasonal credit;
• Increase the production capacity of the facility.

Expected Impact

• Local processing of shea kernels, creating value and limiting exports of raw materials;
• Improved conditions for women in rural areas;
• Strong job creation and skills transfer in the shea kernel processing industry;
• Structuring the shea kernel industry and improving the income of women's kernel-collecting cooperatives.

Mali Shi website : Click here

Oui Lait & Dêguê is an Ivorian company that operates in the agri-food sector, more specifically in the production of yogurt (or curdled milk) and dêguê (a mixture of yogurt and millet semolina or couscous). Its products are marketed through two distribution channels: direct sales (distribution of products directly to customers via sales outlets) and online sales (home delivery).

The entrepreneur

Oui Lait & Dêguê was founded by Mrs Saran Fadiga.  Autodidact, she grew up in an entrepreneurial and sales environment. With a A-Levels in literature, she undertook various activities (selling yogurt, jewelry, shoes, etc.) for five years before starting Oui Lait & Dêguê in 2017.

Partnership with I&P and Comoé Capital

The company is supported by I&P and Comoé Capital through I&P Acceleration in Sahel. The aim of the funding is to :

• increase and optimize the company's production capacity
• contribute to the opening of new stands
• contribute to the digitization of business monitoring

Oui Lait & Dêguê will also benefit from a number of technical aids to improve production, accounting and financial processes.

Ivoire Garba, commonly known as I-Garba, is a company that markets and promotes an Ivorian dish called garba. The company's ambition is to create a fast-food chain in Côte d'Ivoire, and in the future to export its model to the interior of the country and to neighboring countries.

The entrepreneur

Ivoire Garba was created by Mamadou Sidibé, an entrepreneur from Côte d'Ivoire. Holder of a BTS in business management, he worked as a security professional, launching several activities including the export of Abidjan's piqué chicken to the interior of the country.  He had to abandon this activity following the various crises that Côte d'Ivoire has experienced. In 2018, he led an attempt to open a McDonald's franchise.

Partnership with Comoé Capital and I&P

Ivoire Garba is financed by Comoé Capital, a partner of I&P, through an equity investment.

Expected impact

• Enhancement of a local specialty contributes to the promotion of Ivorian culture 
• Creation of over 40 sustainable jobs