Morocco | Tamer Emam
Alia Sahaly, Director of ODC and CSR at Orange MEA, has announced a significant expansion of the group’s innovation footprint, with the network now spanning 50 digital centers bolstered by strategic partnerships with 167 universities.
Speaking to a high-level press delegation in Morocco, Sahaly detailed the success of Orange Ventures in financing 24 startups across Africa and the Middle East. These firms are part of a broader cohort of 450 companies that have received technical and logistical backing from the group.
Sahaly highlighted several “success stories” born from this ecosystem, notably:
- Guepard: A startup that transitioned from the ODC to international expansion in France after securing $2.1 million in funding.
- Dabchy: A fashion-tech platform that has successfully penetrated the Egyptian market.
Sahaly characterized the Orange Digital Centers as a “true factory” for innovation, driven by four core pillars:
- Coding School: Providing free, high-level technical training.
- FabLab: A digital manufacturing laboratory for prototyping.
- Orange Fab: A dedicated startup accelerator.
- Orange Ventures: An investment arm with a €50 million fund earmarked for high-potential startups.
“This integrated ecosystem provides entrepreneurs with a complete journey—taking them from a raw idea to global scalability,” Sahaly noted.
The ODC network has emerged as Orange’s most influential social impact arm in the region. By offering free mentorship and training in critical sectors—including Software Development, Data Analytics, Cybersecurity, and Artificial Intelligence—the centers are actively bridging the digital skills gap.
As a leading model now firmly established in Egypt, the Middle East, and Africa, the ODC initiative serves a dual purpose: equipping youth for the modern labor market while fueling the venture capital pipeline that will define the region’s digital future.