Meet the startups from first cycle of Flat6Labs Tunis

Flat6Labs, one of the leading accelerators in the region expanded to Tunisia with the launch of Flat6Labs Tunis in 2016. The accelerator was launched in partnership with Le15, a newly established startup hub in Tunis by Tunisian investment company Meninx Holding.

Flat6Labs Tunis announced their first call for applications in 2017 and accepted six startups for their first cycle. The selected startups received small investments and went through the four-month acceleration program to graduate late last year. Flat6Labs Tunis last month hosted a demo day that was attended by many regional and international investors including AfricInvest, UGFS, Malaz Capital (Saudi), Evolia Capital Holding, Diva Sicar and Carthage Business Angels.

Here are the startups that were part of the program.

Dabchy

Co-founded by Ameni Mansouri, Oussama Mahjoub, and Ghazi Ketata, Dabchy is a fashion-marketplace that enables women to buy and sell used clothing through their web and mobile based platform. The startup takes care of the payments, offering both sides of the marketplace a completely secure way to buy and sell. Dabchy makes money by keeping 20% of every transaction as commission. They’re currently available in Tunisia, Morocco, and Algeria, and are looking to expand to other markets of MENA. You can read more about them here.

GST

GST from its website looks like a web development agency (that perhaps forgot to change the Page Title of template used for their own website). But what got them into Flat6Labs Tunis is their mobile solution called Vendis that automates the process of real-time sales data collection and makes it easy for managers to manage their field sales workforce from the office. The SaaS solution is primarily focused on Agri-food industry but can be used by any small and medium business. They make money by selling subscriptions for their SaaS platform.

Naviacom

Co-founded by Marouan Omezzine & Kaies Knani, Naviacom is a startup that sells machine-to-machine connectivity and telematics solutions to companies or operators with transportation fleets. Naviacom’s solution consists of hardware and web/mobile-based platform that allows fleet managers to collect real-time information about vehicle behaviors, fuel usage, speed, mileage, and driver insights. The solutions can be used for different types of fleets varying sizes and types, from heavy-trucks to light commercial vehicles to increase productivity, reduce expenses and improve safety. Naviacom currently has clients using their solutions in Tunisia, Senegal, Ivory Coast, and Jordan.

Wattnow

Wattnow, founded by Issam Smaali, helps businesses and home owners save up to 30% of their electricity bills by visualizing their consumption in real-time. Wattnow’s solution helps users identify wasteful trends to save consumption of up to 30% of their electricity that is normally wasted in mismanagement. The startup sells and installs its hardware (sensor) that is linked with its web-based dashboards,for which users pay a subscription fee.

Vynd

Co-founded by Adam Adam Chebbi & Khalil Ben Hamouda, Vynd is a web/mobile-based platform that helps restaurants interact with their existing customers and attract new ones. Originally started as a discovery platform for local businesses, Vynd pivoted late last year to focus only on restaurants. The platform helps restaurants interact their customers through better targeting and promotional coupons. Vynd also offers different analytical tools to these restaurants to understand their customers better. It aims to create a full restaurant management system with ordering, delivery and booking modules, that will come with a smart Point of Sale.

Echo

Echo is a web-based platform that “enables B2B interactions around airplane cabin digitization and certification.” The startup streamlines aircraft cabin design, reconfiguration and certification issues for the aeronautics industry. It is building a “digital airplane interior modification system that airlines, manufacturer’s, certification authorities and other stakeholders to save time and resources by improving and speeding up their process of reconfiguration, upgrade, and refurbishment of their cabins.”

Ramez El-Serafy, CEO of Flat6Labs, speaking at the Demo Day, said: “We’re thrilled to mark the successful graduation of Flat6Labs Tunis’ first batch of ambitious and innovative Tunisian entrepreneurs,”

“We’re very proud that through the unique Flat6Labs Tunis program and with our close partnership with Meninx, TAEF and BIAT we were able to funnel our very first six high-growth potential startups to the Tunisian entrepreneurial ecosystem with hundreds more to come” he added.

Mehdi Tamarziste, CEO of Meninx Holding said, “An integral part of ‘Le 15’, our entrepreneurship-focused initiative, the Flat6Labs accelerator is opening up new horizons for these startups. We are very proud to support these high-potential entrepreneurs, and strongly believe that their energy, dedication and innovation will help play a part in building the future of Tunisia.”