• Orange awarded its Social Venture Prize to innovative MENA start-ups with products focused on social impact and sustainability.
• This initiative encourages entrepreneurs to tackle key social and environmental challenges, bringing innovation to high-need areas.
• It sets a precedent for businesses that align profit with positive change, attracting investment to social ventures.

Orange Social Venture Prize Empowers a New Generation of Innovators

Imagine Carlito Brigante walking down some New York street, thinking of the hustle it takes to break free and to carve out a better future. See, back in the day, my game was survival. But now? There is hope built on brains and ambition—a kind of hope that the Orange Social Venture Prize (OSVP) is sparking over in the MENA region.

That is the drive behind OSVP, rewarding the top minds in Africa and the Middle East who are making waves through socially responsible tech. Orange’s initiative is geared toward creating a brighter future. That is, encourage start-ups to tackle issues that hold back progress, like environmental challenges, public health, and digital literacy​.

Meet the Champions: Social Start-Ups Leading the Way

The 2024 Orange Social Venture Prize honored five dynamic start-ups that blend tech and social good. Each of these ventures stands out with a unique mission and a killer drive to uplift their communities:

• International Grand Prize Winners:
  • 1st prize: SAVEY (Morocco). It is a digital and logistics solution to combat food waste. It is a real-time gateway between unsold inventory from manufacturers, big box stores, corner stores and consumer demand.
  • 2nd Priz: WeFix (Tunisia): The company offers a digital solution to help individuals and businesses sustainably manage their electronics and appliances from start to finish.
  • 3rd Prize – Cocoa Shield (Côte d’Ivoire): This start-up provides a solution that combines artificial intelligence with Internet of Things (IoT) devices to monitor and track cocoa crops and combat the diseases that affect them.
• Additional Recognitions:
  • International Women’s Prize: MyTindy (Morocco). This online platform connects artisans with customers around the world, enabling them to sell their products directly and autonomously.
  • Jury’s Favorite Prize: Intella (Egypt). It bridges the gap between global advances in artificial intelligence and the Arabic-speaking world through one of the world’s most accurate multi-dialect Arabic speech-to-text transcription engines.

Start-Ups Rewriting the Rules for MENA’s Future

With OSVP, Orange shows the MENA region that good business goes beyond profits. “We are proud to support start-ups that prioritize impact,” said Orange in a statement. Backing these companies is a strong move, setting a new precedent in MENA where businesses can compete by tackling issues that make a difference.

This is no easy task, but with awards like OSVP, Orange is laying out a road map for growth that appeals to investors and communities alike. Now, here is the rub, folks—just because these start-ups have momentum does not mean it will be smooth sailing. Like I know from the streets, competition is fierce, and growth can stumble if you are not ready.

Start-ups have got to navigate tough financial waters and scale smartly to avoid the pitfalls that wreck good ventures. But with Orange’s support, they have a leg up, not only as business leaders but as innovators shaping a better MENA.