• (Business in Cameroon) – France financed 100 startups in Cameroon with CFA655 million ($1.05 million) over two years through the “Start-up 237” program.
• Each company received €10,000 in equipment and support, boosting productivity and employment.
• The CFA1.3 billion initiative ends in November 2025 and targets youth and women entrepreneurs nationwide.
France invested CFA655 million ($1.05 million) to support 100 projects in Cameroon under the “Start-up 237: 100 Projects Made in Cameroon” initiative. Officials disclosed the figures on September 24 in Douala during a meeting between beneficiaries, the Agence Universitaire de la Francophonie (AUF), and the French embassy.
The program provides each startup with €10,000 worth of equipment and financing, plus mentoring. With the program scheduled to end in November, partners met entrepreneurs to assess its impact.
Equipment Boosts Productivity and Innovation
Ricardo Konlack, founder of fintech and geolocation startup Katika, said the program gave his company smartphones, laptops, screens, and printers. He said: “These tools allowed us to grow quickly while staying up to date with security systems.” Katika, which employs 10 people, launched a money transfer solution in April that already counts more than 600 users and CFA120 million in transactions.
Audrey Clarisse Ekollo Ndome, founder of aquaculture firm Acquaki, used the funds to add 16 grow-out tanks and build a hatchery. She said the investment “increased productivity by 30% to 30 tons of fish per month.” Acquaki now employs 20 full- and part-time workers.
Biscuit-maker Paulin Pedros Kuete Tchio acquired ovens, mixers, and packaging equipment. He said the support “improved the quality of products made from local flours such as koki beans, sweet potatoes, cassava, and sesame.”
A Lever for Youth and Women’s Entrepreneurship
Program backers welcomed the results. Jean-Charles Ledot, French consul in Douala, praised the “concrete results that contribute to value creation and job growth.” Alain Kiyindou, AUF’s regional director for Central Africa, said: “We are very satisfied with the outcomes. I hope these startups will become giants in their fields and drive Cameroon’s economic development.”
The CFA1.3 billion program is funded mainly by the Fonds Équipe France (FEF) and implemented by AUF. Launched in October 2023 for two years, the initiative aims to promote employability, youth entrepreneurship, and women’s economic empowerment.
A Nationwide Initiative
The program financed startups from both university incubators and the private sector across Cameroon. It improved service quality and strengthened production capacity in agri-food, digital technology, green economy, and cultural and creative industries.
This article was initially published in French by Fréderic Nonos
Adapted in English by Ange Jason Quenum
