Cynoia Named Best SaaS Startup at AfricArena Grand Summit 2024

Award Acceptance and Company Vision At the summit, Manar Labidi, Cynoia’s Chief Financial Officer, accepted the award at the Cape Town International Convention Centre.

Cynoia, the African-built team workspace platform, has been named Best SaaS Startup at the prestigious AfricArena Grand Summit 2024, held in Cape Town. The summit, now in its seventh year, gathered over 100 startups from 31 African countries to showcase innovations shaping Africa's tech future. Cynoia’s recognition at the summit reinforces its position as a key player in Africa's SaaS ecosystem.

Award Acceptance and Company Vision At the summit, Manar Labidi, Cynoia’s Chief Financial Officer, accepted the award at the Cape Town International Convention Centre. Competing against 45 startups, Cynoia impressed the panel with its cutting-edge collaboration tools and commitment to transforming how African teams work. AfricArena founder Christophe Viarnaud described the event as “the stage of Africa's future,” and Cynoia’s win solidifies its role as a leading innovator in the tech space.

A Transformative Year for Cynoia 2024 has proven to be a groundbreaking year for Cynoia, which focuses on helping teams collaborate more effectively while reducing software costs by up to 80%. The company’s success in leadership evolution, international recognition, and expansion is evident as it prepares to launch its upcoming AI engine, Hannibal. This AI tool aims to revolutionize workplace collaboration and productivity across the continent.

"We’re not just creating another collaboration tool – we’re building the workspace that African teams actually need," said Nassreddine Riahi, CEO of Cynoia. "Our team is stronger than ever, and we’re reaching more businesses across Africa than we imagined possible when we started."

Leadership Evolution and Expansion In addition to the award, Cynoia also announced significant leadership changes to strengthen its operations. Nermine Slimane was promoted from Team Lead to Chief Technology Officer, bringing her expertise in Cynoia’s architecture to the executive team. Ayoub Rabeh, co-founder, stepped into the role of Chief Product Officer, focusing on advancing the company’s product development. Felipe Millan joined as Chief Marketing Officer, rounding out a leadership team that emphasizes diversity, with women comprising 47% of the leadership roles.

As the company grows, Cynoia has expanded its presence beyond Tunisia, establishing a legal entity in Senegal and increasing its footprint in Ivory Coast, Democratic Republic of Congo, Cameroon, and Rwanda. These moves align with Cynoia’s goal of better understanding the unique needs of each market, particularly in regions with limited internet connectivity. “Being closer to our users helps us understand their real needs,” said Ayoub Rabeh.

Launch of Cynoia Version 2.0 and Future Goals In November 2024, Cynoia launched Version 2.0, introducing enhanced features for project management, chat, video calls, and file sharing within a bandwidth-efficient platform adaptable to various budgets. This new version aims to provide a seamless user experience for teams across Africa, especially those in remote or connectivity-challenged areas.

Looking forward, Cynoia is set to release Hannibal, an AI engine tailored for African teams. Nermine Slimane, CTO, highlighted that Hannibal would democratize access to advanced AI across Africa, with a focus on practical applications designed for the unique workflows of African businesses.

Cynoia Impact: A New Initiative for Social Good Cynoia has also launched Cynoia Impact, a new initiative aimed at accelerating the digital transformation of organizations that make a positive impact in their communities. Through partnerships with startups, accelerators, venture capital funds, educational organizations, and non-profits, Cynoia Impact seeks to empower organizations driving social change. “This initiative is an integral part of our commitment to creating solutions that not only benefit businesses but also contribute to the broader societal good,” said Manar Labidi.

Looking to the Future As Cynoia prepares for 2025, the company continues to focus on innovation, inclusivity, and regional growth. With the upcoming launch of Hannibal, the expansion of its leadership team, and the continued development of its product offerings, Cynoia is poised to remain at the forefront of Africa’s SaaS revolution.

Through its strategic vision, dedication to user needs, and commitment to social impact, Cynoia is not only shaping the future of work in Africa but also redefining the tech landscape on the continent.