Pioneering Receipt-Based Rewards in MENA ft. Kamel Haddar & Temtem One

Join us for an exclusive interview with Kamel Haddar, founder of Temtem One and learn about their innovative receipt-based reward system. Plus, come meet Kamel at our mixer in Paris next week!

Sep 09, 2024

🇫🇷 Join us in Paris on September 16th for our second Paris mixer of 2024! Meet Kamel from Temtem and connect with other MENA founders and investors 🇫🇷Rejoignez-nous à Paris le 16 septembre ! Rencontrez Kamel de Temtem et d'autres entrepreneurs et investisseurs!

We’ll enjoy Lebanese bites from Eats Thyme and network, collaborate, and ignite new possibilities with fellow founders and investors. Hani & Malak from Viaka will be there!

Réservez votre place/ Book your spot

We're happy to partner with Digital Africa for this event. As a subsidiary of Proparco - AFD Group, Digital Africa invests in and supports African tech startups, focusing on those in less developed ecosystems. They target pre-seed entrepreneurs through direct investments and tailored support. Digital Africa also aims to serve the entire ecosystem by supporting partner incubation structures and offering a pan-African talent training program for digital professionals.

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We spoke with Kamel Haddar, Founder & CEO of temtem One

Current Work & The Story Behind the Venture

What are you currently working on? Can you share the story behind your current venture? What motivated you to pursue this path?

I am currently working on scaling up the first fintech in North Africa. We started by selling gift vouchers for businesses and the diaspora. Today, we are launching a reward system based on purchase actions: receipts.

temtem is a mobile application focused on rewarding users for scanning receipts from their everyday purchases. The app allows users to earn gifts by simply taking pictures of their receipts from grocery stores, restaurants, or retail stores, and these points can then be redeemed for gift services, products, or other rewards. temtem partners with various brands and retailers to offer promotions, where users can earn gifts credits by purchasing specific products.

Connecting with the MENA Startup Community

Why are you interested in connecting with MENA's global startup community?

We are eager to quickly launch our activities in other countries in the MENA region. That’s why I’m very interested in connecting with the MENA’s global startup community to rapidly understand the area and identify my future partners, employees, etc. Meeting entrepreneurs is always enriching for comparing our challenges and the solutions provided. It saves us a lot of time and money.

Strategies for Securing Funding

What strategies have you found most effective for securing funding and attracting investors?

I believe there are several fundamentals to attract investors:

Market fit: solving a problem for those who pay for your service
Strategy: demonstrating that we know where we are heading
Profitability & growth: connaitre le chemin et les actions à mener pour devenir rentable tout en faisant de la croissance [Trans: “You need to know the path and actions to take to become profitable as you grow your company”].
Equity story: build an effective equity story to build confidence among investors and support the company’s ability to raise capital or justify its current valuation.

Overcoming Challenges

Can you share a particular challenge or setback you experienced, and what you learned from it?

When we started during COVID, we needed to grow quickly. We opened the app to B2C customers, but after analysis, these clients were not profitable, so we decided to stop targeting them and shut down cash-on-delivery payments. The same goes for logistics. We initially launched our own logistics, but later outsourced it to focus more on becoming a technology company rather than an operations company.

Advice for Aspiring Entrepreneurs

What advice would you give to aspiring entrepreneurs looking to make an impact in the MENA region and beyond?

I believe there are 3 things to focus on:
1. Find the product that solves a real problem.
2.Recruit the best talent for each phase of development (the first ones won't be the last).
3. Be obsessed with the quality of the product and service you deliver.
Additionally, find the right work-life balance by eating well, getting enough sleep, and exercising. And most importantly, surround yourself with the right people—we are the sum of the five people around us.

Favorite Viaka Network Moments & Connections

What's your favorite part of the Viaka Network thus far? Do you have any memorable experiences or helpful connections to share?

I met Hani (founder of Viaka) at Harvard when I was speaking about entrepreneurship in North Africa. It was really cool. Since then, he has been connecting me with people who are useful for my entrepreneurial journey. I'm sure I will meet more at the next event in Paris!

Support from the Viaka Network

How can members of the Viaka Network (and beyond) be most helpful to you and your work right now?

We will soon be launching our activities in the MENA region, and we will need a network to connect with CPG brands, investors, and local partners. I am convinced that the VIAKA Network will quickly guide us toward the right people. Additionally, each country has its own specificities, and it is very important to understand them as early as possible.

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Bonus: Favorite Dish from MENA

What is your favorite dish from the MENA world?

I love Hummus!

Startup Showcase: temtem One

What unique qualities or value does your product/service offer that sets it apart from others in the market?

Nous n’avons pas vraiment de concurrent. Nous sommes les premiers à lancer Le reward sur l’acte d’achat par le ticket de caisse. Et ma connaissance, cela n’existe pas dans la region MENA. [Trans: We do not really have a competitor. We are the first to launch the reward for purchase receipt using a cash ticket. To my knowledge, this does not exist in the MENA region].

How do you envision getting your first customers on board? What's your strategy to grow beyond the initial phase?

We already have customers that we are converting to the new 'Snap & Win' service through email marketing, push notifications, and even calls! We are acquiring new customers through ads on social media (phase 1) and by partnering with influencers (phase 2), and finally, we are running co-branding campaigns on TV (phase 3) with CPG clients present on Temtem.

What’s the most exciting feedback you’ve received from your users?

When I see the retention and recurrence of customers using temtem's Snap and Win, I see receipts being scanned every minute! It's the best proof of users' love for temtem 🙂

What kind of impact do you hope your product will have in the market? Where do you see your company headed in the next few years?

Our mission is to give users more purchasing power and provide effective and targeted campaigns for our clients. It's a win-win situation! I would love to be in every country where our service will be useful!

Follow temtem One on LinkedIn and head over to their website for more information.