The roots of a free, pragmatic spirit
Born in Abidjan, Pierre Imboua spent his youth traveling across the African continent, from Guinea to Mali, via Cameroon. This early immersion shaped his curiosity and understanding of the continent’s diverse realities. After graduating with a scientific baccalaureate, he flew to France to study agri-food engineering, before completing his studies with a Master’s degree at a business school in Paris.
It was during his first technical internships that Pierre discovered his true calling: sales and negotiation. Charged with presenting an innovative cooking process to chefs, he realized that human interaction and business development were far more exciting than laboratory formulation. He then joined the American giant PepsiCo as an area manager, developing the group’s brands in the south of France.
But very soon, life in a large group came up against his need for freedom and direct action. Frustrated by cumbersome decision-making processes that water down solutions to customer problems, he chose the path of independence.
A serial entrepreneur seasoned in the realities of the field
Pierre Imboua’s entrepreneurial adventure began in 2007. Noting the absence of African ready-made meals in French supermarkets, he founded Sensation d’Afrique. Applying a “lean” production outsourcing model, he succeeded in getting his recipes into Monoprix. Faced with the logistical and financial demands of supermarkets on fresh produce departments, he pivots his model towards the catering sector. A five-year strategic partnership with the Marie Group enabled him to distribute his recipes to Sodexo canteens in the Paris region.
In the mid-2010s, Pierre explored the world of fashion with WaxWaou, a men’s ready-to-wear brand incorporating touches of wax. The clothes are custom-made in Côte d’Ivoire and shipped to Europe. He subsequently invested in Ivorian and Togolese tech (fintech, rental management) and opened several restaurants in Paris, Lyon and Ivry-sur-Seine during the complex period of COVID-19.
Each step reinforces its expertise in business ecosystems on both sides of the Mediterranean.
Solving the “Missing Middle” paradox
By comparing his experiences in France and Côte d’Ivoire, Pierre Imboua identifies a major flaw. In France, the entrepreneurial ecosystem is saturated with support structures, subsidies and mechanisms to facilitate access to capital. In French-speaking Africa, on the other hand, entrepreneurs are extraordinarily resilient, but face a desert of financing and support.
On the one hand, dynamic African entrepreneurs in search of funds; on the other, a highly qualified diaspora eager to actively contribute to the continent’s development, but lacking the trusted channels to do so.
Initially launched as a closed investment club, the project was structured in 2024 to give birth to Moja.
Alongside his complementary partners, Christelle, from the banking and compliance sector, and Ghislain, a tech engineer and full-stack developer, Pierre specifically targets the “missing middle” (the missing link in financing). This crucial segment includes SMEs and start-ups that are too big for microfinance (with its often prohibitive interest rates) but too small or too young to interest large private equity funds or commercial banks.
Combining financing and expertise
Moja doesn’t just inject liquidity. The platform applies a “smart capital” model. Each investor from the diaspora not only contributes a financial ticket, but also puts his or her skills (marketing, logistics, legal) at the service of the company being financed.
To minimize the risk of default, a crucial issue in seed-stage investing, Moja has developed a rigorous model:
- An in-depth due diligence phase: For one to two months, Moja teams work with the entrepreneur to analyze his market, restructure his business model and verify his operational reliability.
- Gradual release of funds: Investments are never paid out all at once. They are indexed to specific growth milestones. If Phase 1 targets are not met, the Phase 2 envelope is frozen.
- Active support: Moja joins the companies’ board of directors and sets up strict monthly monitoring with dedicated experts.
- A hybrid financial structure: to ensure a rapid return on investment for subscribers, a large part of the capital is contributed in the form of a partner’s current account, repayable monthly after a few months’ deferment.
A striking example of this strategy is the support provided to a local yogurt brand in Côte d’Ivoire. Unlike its competitors importing powdered milk, this company sources its products directly from local dairy producers. Thanks to a 50,000 euro financing package structured by Moja, the founder was able to mechanize production to meet a major contract with Auchan. The result: a 2.5-fold increase in sales and a 35% reduction in production costs.
Speaking the investor’s language
Addressing players in the cultural and creative industries (fashion, design, art), Pierre Imboua reminds us that investment is based above all on criteria of viability and profitability.
“The investor always asks himself, “When I put in one euro, how much will it bring me back after three or five years?” If you come up with a model that doesn’t perform as well as what he can achieve elsewhere, he’ll reject your application.”
In order to attract business angels, who are often more flexible and open to sector-specific “coups de coeur” than institutional funds, it is imperative that entrepreneurs work on their investmentreadiness. It’s crucial to put a precise figure on working capital requirements, present a solid order book and demonstrate sound management.
Last but not least, Pierre advises you to rely on your personal network first and foremost. In France, mobilizing those close to you can create an initial capital contribution that can be leveraged by organizations such as Initiative France or regional banks. Knowing how to pitch your project clearly and passionately to those around you is the key to successful financing.
With Moja, Pierre Imboua and his teams are proving that impact finance is no utopia, but a rigorous engineering mechanism capable of transforming the economy of French-speaking sub-Saharan Africa, one entrepreneur after another.
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