Profiles of main tech parks, accelerators, hackathons
As part of the promotion of technological innovation the Ministère de l'Economie Numérique et de la Communication (Ministry of Communication and Digital Economy and Communication) has initiated exchanges and experimentation frameworks for young people. In partnership with the Agence des Technologie de l'Information et de la Communication (Information and Communication Technology Agency - AGETIC), it launched on November 29, 2018 the first edition of the MaliStartUp contest. This programme connected 50 startups with experienced mentors and practitioners, to evaluate their projects and offer feedback. During the program 30 startups were selected for a BootCamp, and the three selected winners went on a business promotion trip to Silicon Valley, USA, to meet world leaders and potential financial partners. The themes of the BootCamp were related to Internet of things, robotics, artificial intelligence, educational games and 2D and 3D graphics. The three winners were: Yeelen ran (Eyes for the blind), a guiding device for blind people which is being tested in the National Collaborative Center for Education in Robotics; Allô Mairie (Hallo Municipality) an application that strengthens ties between citizenship and elected officials; Lenali, a social network for illiterate people, which is the first totally vocal social network using the local languages of Mali.