The Algeria Startup Challenge (ASC), an open innovation program creating opportunities for the country’s startup ecosystem, has announced the winners of its Impact Challenge, held in partnership with the major telecommunications operator, Djezzy. The challenge, which focused on innovative startups promoting digital inclusion, saw three ventures emerge victorious from a pool of 77 applicants. The day’s highlight was the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Djezzy and one of the winning startups, Tahwissa, to collaborate on pilot projects with significant social impact.
Startups Driving Digital Inclusion
Seventy-seven startups competed in the Impact Challenge, presenting solutions aimed at making digital services more accessible and inclusive across Algeria. The three winning startups—Tahwissa, Foniz, and Optima—each provide a unique approach to bridging the digital divide.
- Tahwissa: An inclusive e-tourism platform that supports tourist operators in digitizing their offerings to reach a wider base of travelers, promoting local tourism for all.
- Foniz: A self-service solution utilizing USSD and short codes. It is specifically designed to be simple and intuitive, ensuring digital services are accessible to populations less familiar with advanced digital platforms.
- Optima: A device that optimizes and mutualizes existing Internet sources to bring high-speed broadband to underserved territories, directly addressing digital inequality in remote areas.
Djezzy and Tahwissa Forge Strategic Partnership
A key outcome of the challenge was the formal agreement between Djezzy and Tahwissa. The signing of the MoU signals the start of a concrete collaboration, enabling the mobile operator and the e-tourism platform to experiment with pilot projects. This partnership is poised to leverage Djezzy’s extensive reach and infrastructure to enhance Tahwissa’s offerings and scale its impact, particularly for inclusive travel experiences in Algeria.
About Algeria Startup Challenge
The Algeria Startup Challenge (ASC) is the largest Algerian program creating opportunities for startups and ecosystem actors to build the innovations of tomorrow. Established in 2018, it federates a unique ecosystem involving institutions, economic players, innovators, and experts to generate impactful solutions through various open innovation challenges. ASC provides selected startups with necessary resources to boost their innovation and build strong partnerships with key economic actors across different industries.
Source: Algeria Startup Challenge
