Latest news with #OMEA
Broadcast Pro
2 days ago
- Business
- Broadcast Pro
Orange Middle East and Africa and risingSUD join forces
This three-year partnership aims to bring together innovation ecosystems in Africa, the Middle East and the South of France. At the Viva Technology trade show in Paris, Orange Middle East and Africa (OMEA), represented by CEO Jérôme Hénique, and risingSUD, led by President Bernard Kleynhoff, announced a strategic partnership designed to accelerate the international growth of African startups. The agreement, spanning three years, will support the integration of startups from the Orange Digital Centre network into the dynamic business environment of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southern France. The partnership aims to connect innovation ecosystems across Africa, the Middle East and southern France. Startups within the Orange Digital Centre network will receive dedicated support from risingSUD, the regional economic development agency, to establish operations in an area already home to 500,000 companies, including global tech leaders and forward-thinking startups. This collaboration strengthens OMEAs efforts to internationalise African and Middle Eastern startups and highlights its broader commitment to nurturing entrepreneurship across the continent. With a presence in 17 countries in Africa and the Middle East and eight in Europe, the Orange Digital Centre network offers an inclusive and accessible platform for digital training, startup incubation and acceleration, and project funding. Already this year, risingSUD has helped 14 African businesses set up in southern France, including Guépard, a startup from the Orange Digital Centre in Tunisia, which recently opened an office in Marseille. The new partnership will expand such opportunities, enabling more startups from Africa and the Middle East to benefit from risingSUDs expertise, whether through project support, financing access, or connections with international partners. It also opens pathways for local talent and entrepreneurs in southern France to engage with the Orange Digital Center network. ?Commenting on the partnership, Jérôme Hénique, CEO of Orange Middle East and Africa, commented: This partnership with risingSUD marks a key step in our ambition to promote African innovation internationally. It is a continuation of the support we offer startups through our Orange Digital Centers. By facilitating their establishment and acceleration in France, particularly in the South region, we are giving young African companies the means to accelerate their growth. Bernard Kleynhoff, President of risingSUD and President of the Economic and Digital Development, Industry, Export, Attractiveness and Cybersecurity Commissions of the Sud Region, added: 'Thanks to its strategic position, its historical trade flows and its commitment to innovation, the South of France is a natural bridge between Europe, Africa and the Middle East. It is now the leading French region for hosting African investment projects. This partnership opens up new economic opportunities and constitutes a real springboard for the development of businesses on both sides of the Mediterranean.'
Zawya
11-03-2025
- Business
- Zawya
Orange launches the 15th edition of the Orange Social Venture Prize in Africa and the Middle East (OSVP) to support social innovation and entrepreneurship
The 15 th Orange Social Venture Prize in Africa ( and the Middle East will open for submissions on Monday, March 11, 2025. Candidates from the 17 countries within the Orange footprint have until May 18, 2025, to submit their project on the website ( Since 2011, the OSVP prize has been rewarding innovative start-up projects that use and develop new technologies to make a positive impact in Africa and the Middle East in the fields such as education, healthcare, e-commerce, agriculture, or environment. Through this prize, Orange, as a committed operator, aims to contribute to the socio-economic development, support social and environmental innovation, and encourage entrepreneurship. The competition has two stages: A national stage to collect applications, between March and May 2025 in Orange's 17 subsidiaries in Africa and the Middle East. At the end of the competition, the national winners will be chosen by a panel of judges made up of members of the entrepreneurial ecosystem and Orange representatives. An international stage, where each subsidiary will be represented by its 3 national winners and up to 3 women entrepreneurs competing for the International Women's Prize. The projects will be evaluated by an evaluation committee made up of Group employees. Following their evaluation, 10 finalists will be chosen for the International Grand Prize and 5 for the International Women's Prize. A final jury made up of leading figures from tech and entrepreneurship in Africa and the Middle East will then be responsible, in October 2025, for choosing the 3 winners of the International Grand Prize and the winner of the OSVP International Women's Prize from among the 15 projects selected by Orange Group employees. The winners will receive a financial contribution of: €25,000 for the 1st prize-winner. €15,000 for the 2nd prize-winner. €10,000 for the 3rd prize-winner. €20,000 for the winner of the International Women's Prize. Since its launch in 2011, OSVP, which has received nearly 15,000 applications, has a tangible impact on the lives of the winning entrepreneurs. More than 500 entrepreneurs have been supported and rewarded, including around a hundred at the international level. In addition to financial support, OSVP winners benefit from support within Orange Digital Centers with the prospect of developing their business outside the borders of their respective countries. Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Orange Middle East and Africa. Press Contacts – OMEA: Stella Fumey Anita Oyono About Orange Middle East and Africa (OMEA): Orange is present in 18 countries in Africa and the Middle East and has 161 million customers on 31 December 2024. With 7.7 billion euros of revenues in 2024, Orange MEA is the first growth area in the Orange group. Orange Money, its flagship mobile-based money transfer and financial services offer is available in 17 countries and has more than 100 million customers. Orange, multi-services operator, key partner of the digital transformation provides its expertise to support the development of new digital services in Africa and the Middle East. About Orange Digital Centers: The Orange Digital Centers are a real crossroads of opportunities, bringing together in the same space a School of Code, a Solidarity FabLab, a digital manufacturing workshop that enables projects to be prototyped and learn by doing, an Orange Fab, a start-up accelerator that supports young start-ups and enables them to develop national and international business partnerships with one or more Group entities, and Orange Ventures Africa&Middle East, a €50 million investment fund that finances innovative start-ups.
