Entrepreneur prize for Africa & Middle East: Orange Cameroun unveils four outstanding start-ups to represent country.

They start-ups were unveiled during national grand finale held recently at the Orange Digital Center in Douala. They were selected after impressing a distinguished jury with innovative digital solutions.

The selected projects address challenges in healthcare, agriculture, entrepreneurship and sustainable development.

The four laureates were chosen from a record 578 project submissions. Officials of telecoms giant, Orange Cameroun said it the highest ever registered in Cameroon since the competition was introduced ten years ago. 

Following months of coaching, mentoring and rigorous evaluation, 12 finalists pitched their innovations before a 12-member Grand Jury that comprised renowned entrepreneurs, investors and business leaders.

The winners are: Juvis Anzia, whose health innovation INTELLIBRA clinched the overall first prize; Isaac Touza, founder of NDERMII, which secured the second prize; Olive Pelagie Tagne Youbi, whose FARMEASE platform claimed the third prize; and Murielle Kombou Komga, whose GAIACORE solution won the Women's Special Prize. 

The four startups will now represent Cameroon at the international competition bringing together winners from Orange affiliates across Africa and the Middle East.

Orange Cameroun, Managing Director and President of the Grand Jury, Patrick Benon, said the event reflects Orange's conviction that innovation can sustainably transform societies when driven by bold and committed entrepreneurs.

He said digital technology remains a powerful catalyst for creating opportunities, generating employment and providing practical solutions to everyday challenges.

Benon recalled that POESAM, created by the Orange Group 16 years ago, has evolved into a genuine startup acceleration programme operating across the company's 17 subsidiaries in Africa and the Middle East. 

Powering businesses to create value

Beyond the competition itself, he said, entrepreneurs benefit from incubation, mentoring, free digital skills training, networking opportunities and access to potential investors through the Orange Digital Center.

"Our ambition is clear: to help build strong businesses capable of creating value, generating employment and developing solutions that respond to the challenges facing our communities," he stated.

Benon said 34 startups have been rewarded in Cameroon since the competition was launched locally.  25 other startups, he stated, have grown into structured and sustainable businesses. 

Several former winners, he added, have gone on to win international POESAM awards, participate in prestigious technology exhibitions such as VivaTech and GITEX, and secure funding to expand across Africa.

"This competition is no longer simply about rewarding ideas. It is about transforming innovative ideas into successful businesses," Benon stressed.

Winners Bag millions as Prizes

This year's winners received financial rewards viz; FCFA 8 million for the first prize, FCFA 4.5 million for the second prize and FCFA 3.5 million for the third prize, while the Women's Special Prize carried a reward of FCFA 3 million.

The initiative also attracted renewed support from the private sector. The Managing Director, MD, of BGFI Bank Cameroun, Albaka Mohamad, expressed admiration for the quality of innovations presented by the young entrepreneurs.

He announced an increase in the prize envelope by raising the first prize from FCFA 8 million to FCFA 10 million, the second prize from FCFA 4.5 million to FCFA 5.5 million, and 3.5 million FCFA to 4.5 FCFA alongside increases for the other categories. 

Dashaco Holdings equally reaffirmed its commitment to supporting innovation and entrepreneurship in Cameroon.

AI projects carried the day

An emotional Juvis Anzia of INTELLIBRA, an Artificial Intelligence, AI-powered device which won the first prize said it was a surprise.

Anzia’s device is a wearable device that combines ultrasound and thermal imaging technologies to facilitate early breast cancer detection at a fraction of the cost of conventional mammography.

She told The Guardian Post that: "I was not expecting this. I simply pitched my project like every other participant and prayed for God's favour. I am so happy”.

Anzia noted that while a mammogram can cost between FCFA 35,000 and FCFA 40,000, her solution aims to provide screening for about FCFA 3,000, with results available within five minutes.

This, she said, makes early detection more accessible to women in both urban and rural communities. The young innovator disclosed that the prize money will primarily finance clinical trials required before the product can be commercialised.

"As a health startup, we cannot enter the market without clinical validation. That is our immediate priority," she said. 

She also thanked Orange Cameroun for providing mentorship and an opportunity to pitch before experienced entrepreneurs and business executives.

Second prize winner Isaac Touza said his AI-powered agricultural platform, NDERMII, seeks to improve food security by helping farmers increase productivity.

The solution, Touza said, enables users to analyse soil quality, identify suitable crops, detect plant diseases, receive farming recommendations and access real-time market prices through AI, including via SMS for communities with limited internet access.

"This prize will help us expand the solution and increase the number of farmers benefiting from the project," Touza said.

Winner of the Women's Special Prize, Murielle Kombou Komga, said the competition had been both challenging and rewarding.

Despite falling ill during the boot camp and missing several sessions, she praised the solidarity among contestants and the quality of mentorship provided by Orange Cameroun.

Her project, GAIACORE, is an intelligent irrigation solution capable of automatically supplying crops with the precise amount of water required, thereby reducing wastage and improving agricultural productivity.

She revealed that the solution is already being used by three customers while another fifteen are awaiting deployment.

Jury praises work quality

Member of the Grand Jury and leading technology entrepreneur Rebecca Enonchong praised the overall quality of this year's competition. She said the innovations demonstrated remarkable improvement compared to previous editions.

Enonchong explained that the jury based its assessment on innovation, execution and social impact.

"This is only the beginning," she said, adding that:  "We are counting on them to represent Cameroon well at the international competition and bring home the continental prize."

The ceremony also featured testimonies from previous POESAM laureates, who shared how Orange Cameroun's support had helped transform their startups into thriving businesses with international exposure, strategic partnerships and growing customer bases.

This article was first published in The Guardian Post Edition No:3841 of Wednesday July 08, 2026