infoDev’s Top 20 SMEs: Introducing the MENA winners

From May 30^th to June 3^rd, infoDev has been hosting the 4^th Global Forum on Innovation and Technology Entrepreneurship in Helsinki. This event has been carried out as part of a joint program with the Government of Finland and Nokia on “Creating Sustainable Businesses for the Knowledge Economy”. Benefitting from a EUR 12.9 million fund, the program focuses on enhancing the competitiveness of emerging market SMEs, with a particular spotlight on the ICT and agribusiness sectors.

Fimiliar figures from the Arab world where present at the Forum, both as speakers and judges of the InfoDev Top 50 SMEs; including:

• Fadi Ghandhour, Board Member, Abraaj Capital, Founder and CEO, Aramex;
• Chahbani Bellachheb, Manager, Chahtech SA;
• Elie Habib, Lebanon Country Manager, Abraaj Capital; and
• Mohammed Allam Al-Qued, Bahrain Business Incubator Center

Out of 750 applications originating from 65 countries, SMEs from 34 different countries made it into the Top 50, including 10 SMEs from the MENA region. The judging panel, who represented infoDev, The International Finance Corporation (IFC) and external investors and venture capitalists nominated the Top 50 SMEs based on their long-term growth prospects and sustainability. This included growth potential, level of innovation, human capital and management structures, influenced by a number of balanced sectoral and regional priorities.

 20 SMEs were selected as recipients of Access to Finance and Market Awards. This program aims to bridge the divide between SMEs and funding sources, customers and partners by tapping into innovative financing schemes, creative fund structures and international incubation. Out of 20 selected SMEs, four represented the MENA region.

So, without further ado, who are these innovative SMEs, and how will they disrupt the market, add value, and create a social impact through the use of new or existing technologies? Which is the most scalable business model, and how will these new technologies impact  efficiency and productivity?

Addicts123

Wafa Dajani,

West Bank, Gaza

“The Power of Control”

Product:               Addicts123 provides wireless machine to machine remote control and monitoring solutions such as a mobile phone to use as a mobile control terminal. An SMS can command an irrigation pump, electric generator or street light. Affordable, it enables utility companies in developing countries or remote rural areas to better control and monitor its installations.

Solution:             This remote system enables a utility company to remotely control and monitor its installations from a control center or laptop. It costs a fraction of what other suppliers charge; eliminates the need for wiring, fiber optic or telephone lines. Through this, it enables accessibility that otherwise would be limited in remote locations or those suffering from poor infrastructure.

Market:                Utility companies, such as Jerusalem Electricity Company (JDECO) who have already placed installations across 50 remote locations, and Jordan Electricity Power Company (JEPCO).

Scalability:          Due to the versatility, flexibility and apparent simplicity of the technology developed, this product and business model responds to the challenges of access and control to power supply in rural and underdeveloped locations. It seems there is little need for expertise or extensive training in using the product, and would allow to substantially cutting costs in human capital for end-users. As penetration and access to mobile phones and laptops are increasing even in under developed regions, this makes for an affordable solution that would improve access and control of utilities. The company’s experience with JEPCO demonstrates that the product can adapt easily to a manufactured system. Regional market growth opportunities would mainly lie in locations such as Yemen, Afghanistan and Iraq.

AlKhawarizmy Software

Dr. Hossan Mahgoub, CEO

Egypt

“Technology that Speaks Arabic”

Product:               AlKhawarizmy Software develops software solutions using computational linguistics to provide the Arabic user with applications that facilitate the processing of Arabic content. The company has developed a search engine that caters for the intricacies of the Arabic language, enabling to filtrate search results according to the meaning of input words.

Solution:              A search engine which enables to recognize the semantics and complexities of the Arabic language, filtering results according to the exact written search words. This software can be embedded inside websites, enterprises and other applications to provide exact search results not provided by traditional search engines designed for European languages.

Market:                The software fits across a wide sector spectrum, depending on back-end database, use of Arabic language and traditional search engines. It can serve websites, as much as enterprise intranets, spanning across different departments, IT, News and Media organizations and the public sector. The technology was tested with Al-Ahram, and has strong potential to any organization that stores, uses and collects data in Arabic.

Scalability:           With the rise of Arabic search and translation engines such as Yamli.com; high internet penetration; increased focus on Arabic usage (such as promoted by ICT Qatar) and Arabic content sites (Maktoob), AlKhawarizmy software could be adopted across Arabic speaking countries. It is extremely well positioned to capitalize on the increasing amount of Arabic e-content, and could lead a new wave of products that enhance the operational efficiency of organizations. The company is planning to launch a consumer internet version within the next 24 months, as well as develop add-on products that utilize the technology, meaning the software could be adapted to mobile applications and e-learning solutions.

Chahtech Technologies SA

Dr. Chahbani Bellachheb

Tunisia

Product :              Chahtech Technologies SA has invented a new technique for irrigation and injection of retention water in deep soil, allowing to increase the productivity of rain-fed agriculture; combating desertification and salinization through a ‘buried diffuser’ system

Solution:              Aridity, desertification, and the salinization of agricultural crops are a major concern to agricultural production and food security in the Arab world and Sub-Saharan Africa. Currently, irrigation and desalinization projects are extremely costly, not energy-efficient and require substantial investments. The ‘buried diffuser’ optimizes the use of energy-efficient methods, increases performance and productivity, and allows to monitor more effectively the use of natural resources, whilst reducing costs.

Market:                This technology could be adopted by government and private utility providers, agricultural workers, universities and NGO WATSAN programs across regions which suffer from water scarcity, crop production inefficiencies and desertification.

Scalability:           The company has an international patent on this technology, signifying it could be scaled across the Middle East and Sub-Saharan continent. As the technology remains in initial commercialization process, there are significant opportunities to scale its distribution by partnering with various labs and universities. Currently, there is a significant amount of investments being made in the GCC in irrigation and desalinization solutions, which could lead to the technology being adopted by a number of entities.

VoTek

Sawsan Saeed

Syria

“Speech Recognition Solutions”

Product:               VoTek is a software company specialized in developing high-tech and innovative solutions based on automatic Arabic Speech Recognition. By providing software which is able to recognize standard and dialectical Arabic, it can be integrated into a number of applications needed across a vast array of commercial sectors by transforming speech into text and words.

Solution:              No different to the challenges related above to the complexity and lack of software integrating the Arabic language into everyday content, VoTek software has developed a technology which not only translated Arabic speech into words, but recognizes the various dialects that span across Arabic-speaking countries. The product responds to the increased usage of Arabic in the commercial sector, and the need to have tools which simplify and eliminate the inefficiency of having speech recognition programs suitable only for Latin-based languages. This can simplify data management, and be customized specifically to the needs of the user.

Market:                This technology has scope to be utilized across commercial sectors, and in specific professions such as medical and legal in Arabic speaking countries. As its main competitive edge is its customization and adaptability to particular dialects, it could garner from a wider market appeal, and considerably improve the efficiency of those who use it.

Scalability:           Through being able to customize and recognize dialects, this software has the potential of adopting even more Arabic dialects within its technology, this increasing its scalability across the Arab world. However, the scalability of this product truly lies to the function it could have to online content and add-ons to mobile applications, such as translators, dictionaries and other such services, showcasing its adaptability to be used as an e-learning and education tool.

 

All of the above InfoDev Top 50 MENA SMEs bring a product and technology to the table which can have a significant impact on end-users and societal habits. They provide a solution to a real problems encountered by enterprises and consumers, and build upon the current investment and research focus in specific fields.

However, the clear winner (from a personal perspective) is AlKhawarizmy Software. The type of technology offered is part of a new generation of wave-builders, who are able to capitalize on the growing importance and demand of Arabic-generated content. Its utility to organizations, businesses and individuals alike, as well as the potential for the company to capitalize on the mobile application craze means that AlKhawarizmy Software has the potential to build and integrate into an emerging, and extremely profitable market.

© Tatjana de Kerros | 2011