Fondation de l’innovation pour la démocratie

Name

Fondation de l’innovation pour la démocratie

Legal name

Fondation de l'innovation pour la démocratie

Website

https://innovationdemocratie.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2022

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Civic Education and Democratic Innovation

NAICS

Social Advocacy Organizations (8133), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (54172)

SIC

International Affairs (9721)

akta.pro primary industry

Democratic Governance & Public Administration Reform (BPADAGAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

International Grantmaking & Development Foundations (BPAGAKAH), Social Justice & Human Rights Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAN)

Keywords

• Democratic innovation programs
• Civic education initiatives
• Civil society capacity building
• Non-profit foundation services
• Research training programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Johannesburg

HQ country

South Africa

HQ region

Africa

Offices7 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Foundation / Non-profit Grants and Partnerships: As a non-profit pan-African organization under South African law, the Foundation operates through partnerships, co-financing, and support from institutional partners. It provides financial and technical support to civil society collectives and initiatives through differentiated and tailored funding forms. Revenue is generated through institutional partnerships, co-development agreements, and donor funding rather than commercial transactions.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Fondation de l'innovation pour la démocratie is a pan-African non-profit foundation that promotes democratic innovation in Africa through research, training, debates, networking and resource dissemination. It delivers these offerings via a network of six regional laboratories (Labos) across Africa and Europe and the Openagora digital platform, supporting civil society organizations, researchers, women and youth with financial, technical and intellectual resources.

Product overview

The Fondation de l'innovation pour la démocratie operates as a unified non-profit organization offering a portfolio of interconnected programs and platforms centered on democratic innovation in Africa. The core offering is the Openagora digital platform for debates and idea circulation. This is supported by multiple program verticals: Master Class Chercheurs Innovants (MCCI) for research capacity building; Bloggers Demo School for youth media training; women's empowerment programs including African Women's Camp, Prospective démocratique au féminin, and the Women's Community for substantive democracy; and event series such as Les Assises de la démocratie (annual flagship conference), Café Démocratique (debate cycles), Conversations Citoyennes, and Vers une démocratie substantive en Afrique (conference cycle). Additional offerings include the Mapping Democratic Futures symposium, the Gouvernance inclusive et démocratie rurale seminar, and the European Parliament citizen dialogue event. The Foundation functions through regional laboratory networks (Labos) across Africa and Europe, integrating educational programs, research support, and community-building activities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• OpenAgora: A digital platform for debates and circulation of ideas, conceived as a space for the emergence and incarnation of democratic forms rooted in African histories, cultures, and territories. Launched in 2022.

Products and services

• Openagora digital platform A digital platform for debates and circulation of ideas, designed as a space for the emergence and incarnation of democratic forms rooted in African histories, cultures, and territories. Free access for civil society actors, researchers, women and youth across Africa and the diaspora.
• Master Class Chercheurs Innovants (MCCI) An intensive interdisciplinary learning program aimed at enriching knowledge and data production from research to strengthen foresight, education and advocacy around sustainable democracy issues, via the creation of a group of qualified and multidisciplinary researchers and experts.
• Bloggers Demo School (BDS) A training program designed to strengthen the role of youth and support young voices through support for creating and managing information blogs and producing quality content to better analyze current affairs.
• Prospective démocratique au féminin (Women's Foresight Program) A 100% women's foresight program to imagine, promote and implement solutions for substantive democracy in Africa, organized in partnership with the Institut des futurs souhaitables.
• Les Assises de la démocratie (Democratic Assises) Annual flagship event bringing together actors of democratic innovation in Africa, serving as a space for solutions where they can advance projects, launch or support structuring initiatives, and deploy advocacy and communication activities.
• African Women's Camp A multidisciplinary space for dialogue and ressourcement, sharing of feminine knowledge and community building, dedicated to women's leadership and to building a community of women committed to democracy, organized with the Goree Institute.
• Vers une démocratie substantive en Afrique (Conference Cycle) An online conference cycle aimed at giving meaning to the concept of substantive democracy according to an interdisciplinary and historical approach, addressing themes like decolonization, political philosophy and democratic futures.
• Mapping Democratic Decline, Imaging Democratic Futures (Symposium) An international symposium organized in collaboration with the Centre for Asian Studies in Africa at the University of Pretoria, fostering critical and comparative dialogues about forces fueling autocratization across Asia and Africa.
• Enseignement de la démocratie en Afrique Trainer training workshop for teaching democracy in Africa, with the objective of networking African universities that wish to introduce the theme of democracy into the curriculum of social sciences, humanities and arts.
• Communauté des femmes et démocratie substantive A community of women committed to the project of substantive democracy in Africa, providing spaces for exchange, sharing, reflection and training within targeted educational pathways, accompanied by feminist research programs.
• Café Démocratique A cycle of debates on citizenship and civil society organized in partnership with CERAP, providing a space for sharing ideas, opinions, reflections and inclusive dialogues between academic actors, political decision-makers, Ivorian civil society organizations and international organizations.
• Conversations Citoyennes Public interactive sessions bringing together young people from rural and urban areas to update the ancient practice of palaver, giving voice to those rarely heard and combating isolation that keeps young people away from public expression.
• Gouvernance inclusive et démocratie rurale (Seminar) A seminar organized by the Ouest & Méditerranée Laboratory in collaboration with INADES, examining inclusive governance and rural democracy possibilities in Africa based on local experiences and decentralization policies.
• La Grande Conversation Citoyenne au Parlement Européen A citizen dialogue event organized at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, focusing on cross-cutting Africa-Europe perspectives toward more feminine governance, in partnership with Je m'engage pour l'Afrique.

Quantifiable outcome

• 6 labs operational or planned across Africa by 2025
• +7 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• IRD - Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (France)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 21 March 2024The IRD is a major French public research institute with nearly 80 years of presence in the Global South. It co-organizes the international colloquium 'Action publique et mobilisations citoyennes en Afrique' with the Foundation, contributing research expertise, institutional reach, and funding to joint activities covering West Africa and beyond.
• Université Gaston Berger (Saint-Louis, Sénégal)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerA major Senegalese public university and partner in the Foundation's academic network, contributing to research and knowledge production on democracy in Africa. The university participated in the international colloquium 'Action publique et mobilisations citoyennes en Afrique' co-organized with IRD and the Foundation.
• AUF - Agence Universitaire de la FrancophoniecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerA global university network operating in French-speaking countries. Listed as a partner in the Foundation's network, contributing to academic collaboration and the Francophone dimension of the Foundation's research and education programs.
• Goree Institute (Sénégal)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Goree Institute, based on Gorée Island, Senegal, is a key partner in co-organizing the African Women's Camp and other programs focused on women's leadership, feminist democracy, and care. The Institute provides the venue and expertise for feminist pedagogy and safe spaces for women.
• 16netominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as a partner organization contributing to the Foundation's ecosystem of democracy innovation actors.
• INADES-Formation (Côte d'Ivoire)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerINADES-Formation (Institut Africain pour le Développement Économique et Social et de Formation) is a partner in the Ouest Méditerranée Laboratory, co-organizing programs such as the seminar on 'Gouvernance inclusive et démocratie rurale' (Lomé, March 2024). Contributes expertise in rural development, governance, and citizen participation.
• The Okwelians (Douala, Cameroun)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerA pan-African Think & Do Tank based in Douala, Cameroon, hosting the Arc-Côtier & Central Laboratory. Partners with the Foundation on programs including the Master Class Chercheurs Innovants and Bloggers Demo School. The Okwelians provides the physical campus and programmatic expertise for the Foundation's Central Africa activities.
• University of the Witwatersrand / WISER (Johannesburg, South Africa)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe home institution of Foundation Director Achille Mbembe. The Wits Institute for Social and Economic Research (WISER) and the University of the Witwatersrand provide academic anchoring, co-host the Mapping Democratic Decline symposium, and serve as the intellectual home base for the Foundation's leadership.
• Je m'engage pour l'Afrique (JMA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerA public policy incubator and civil society platform working on Africa-Europe relations. JMA co-organizes the Open Innovation Forum, the launch of the Nord-Portes de l'Europe Laboratory, the Great Citizen Conversation at the European Parliament, and ongoing citizen dialogue programs linking African diasporas and European civil society.
• Ahmed Kathrada Foundation (South Africa)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as a partner organization contributing to the Foundation's ecosystem of democracy and human rights actors.
• Centre for Asian Studies in Africa (University of Pretoria)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-organizer of the international symposium 'Mapping Democratic Decline, Imagining Democratic Futures: Transregional Dialogues Across Asia and Africa' held at the University of Pretoria in February 2024. Provides expertise on Asian-African comparative democracy studies and hosts the event.
• Université Catholique de MadagascarcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHost institution of the Indian Ocean Laboratory/Antenna of the Foundation. Contributes academic infrastructure and regional expertise for the Foundation's activities in Madagascar and the Indian Ocean region.
• ICJ Kenya - International Commission of Jurists (Kenya Section)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHost institution of the Oriental Laboratory of the Foundation. Provides headquarters and strategic partnership for the Foundation's activities across East Africa (Kenya, Tanzania, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, and Uganda).
• AfrictivistesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerA network of African bloggers and digital activists contributing to democracy and civic engagement. Listed as a partner organization in the Foundation's network.
• Institut des Futurs Souhaitables (France)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-facilitator of the feminist democratic foresight course ('Parcours de prospective démocratique au féminin') organized in partnership with the Foundation at Gorée, Senegal. Contributes proven foresight methodology to the Foundation's feminist programs.
• MUCEM - Musée des Civilisations de l'Europe et de la Méditerranée (Marseille, France)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the launch of the Nord-Portes de l'Europe Laboratory. Hosted the reflection day 'Retisser les liens, réinventer la démocratie' on 14 February 2024 at MUCEM in Marseille, bringing together African and European intellectuals, artists, and civil society actors.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Open Society Foundations: A large global grantmaker with extensive democracy, human rights and civil society portfolios including major Africa investments. Comparable as a non-profit foundation funding democracy innovation, though operating at vastly greater scale and with a global rather than Africa-specific mandate.
• Friedrich Ebert Stiftung: One of Germany's largest political foundations with extensive Africa programming on democratic participation, social justice and labor rights. Comparable in operating a continental network of country offices, hosting events and funding civil society partners.
• Mo Ibrahim Foundation: A major African-focused foundation running the Ibrahim Prize and Ibrahim Index of African Governance. Highly comparable as a continental grantmaking and thought-leadership platform seeking to strengthen governance and democracy in Africa, though it operates at a much larger scale than the Foundation.
• Ford Foundation: Major U.S. foundation with global democracy, governance and inequality portfolios including significant Africa programming. Comparable as a non-profit funder of democratic innovation and civil society infrastructure, though operating at a vastly larger scale.

Direct peers

• Rosa-Luxemburg-Stiftung: German political foundation supporting left-democratic movements, social justice and civic education with regional offices across Africa. Comparable in operating a network of regional offices, running training programs and conferences, and funding civil society partners.
• European Endowment for Democracy: EU-funded foundation that provides grants to pro-democracy actors in the European neighbourhood and beyond, including Africa. Directly comparable as a democracy-specific grantmaker with a similar mix of small-grant civil society support and convening activity.
• National Endowment for Democracy: U.S.-funded non-profit that channels grants to civil society organizations working on democratic governance worldwide, including a strong Africa portfolio. Directly comparable in funding model (re-granting to CSOs), thematic focus (democracy support), and event/convening role.
• International IDEA: Inter-Parliamentary Union-style intergovernmental body that supports democratic institutions and electoral processes globally, with significant Africa programming. Directly comparable in mission to advance democracy and provides convening, research and technical assistance similar to the Foundation's lab model.
• Heinrich Böll Foundation: German political foundation affiliated with the Greens that funds democracy, civil society and ecological governance with a strong Africa office network. Comparable in operating regional offices, supporting CSOs and hosting conferences on democratic themes.
• Westminster Foundation for Democracy: UK government-funded foundation supporting democratic governance, political party development and civil society, with significant programming in Africa. Closely comparable in the grantmaking-plus-technical-assistance model and the emphasis on locally rooted democratic practice.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/livingdemocracy
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@innovationdemocratie1406
• Facebookfacebook.com/fondationinnovationdemocratie
• TikToktiktok.com/@living_democracy
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/fondation-de-linnovation-pour-la-democratie

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 records

Subsidiaries7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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