After more than 15 years in the manufacturing industry dealing with operational performance issues, Youness Amellah and Nor-Eddine Bourouayel were driven to launch the tech firm ABSIX.0 in 2019 after having identified the meaningful contribution that new technologies could make in terms of improved performance and well-being for staff in factories. ABSIX.0’s mission is to make industrial organizations more effective by providing new technologies that increase staff satisfaction and motivation.

ABSIX.0 developed KPIXO, a platform for industrial manufacturers that enables them through data capture and analysis to identify and exploit all opportunities for improving their performance. ABSIX.0 provides this platform to its customers and additionally provides them with data processing and analytics services.

 

Their main organizational goals are to:

  • Increase market shares and revenues from KPIXO by partnering with consultants to offer their products to industrial organizations and build an effective communication campaign through social media;
  • Build a high performing team by retaining team members and attracting other talented employees, improve the team’s skillsets and management’s leadership; and
  • Innovate and improve KPIXO through developing new features and integrating artificial intelligence (AI).

ABSIX.0 joined CEED Morocco in December 2020 to participate in one of the programs, and then in January of 2022, they decided to join CEED Morocco’s Tangier Chapter. “As young entrepreneurs,” Amellah and Bourouayel noted, “we have personally been able to integrate into a community of peers and benefit from useful and effective mentoring thanks to CEED. For the sake of our company, the support of CEED was decisive for access to financing and aid from state agencies.”

For ABSIX.0, the most significant part of the CEED programing and their chapter involvement is connecting with experts and experienced entrepreneurs, giving them access to informed advice and helping them gain new clients.

As with so many entrepreneurs around the world over the last two years, the COVID-19 pandemic affected ABSIX.0, as their target customers had to delay their investments plans, slowing down development, as ABSIX.0’s financial resources were insufficient to cover costs.  ABSIX.0 had to severely limit recruitment and rely on temporary resources and interns. CEED supported them during this time by accompanying them when applying for aid and grants, which were dedicated to business support from local governmental agencies.

ABSIX.0 has always sought to have a flexible organization with agile and flexible processes, and the pandemic prompted them to systematize this flexibility: “the processes are simple, and the structure of the company is not rigid, which makes it possible to make decisions quickly and thus to adapt quickly.”

 

After navigating the effects of the pandemic, ABSIX.0 has crafted a reliable solution and has won its first customers and is now looking to grow. “We plan to integrate acceleration programs for start-ups,” Amellah and Bourouayel said, “and we would like to raise funds to continue our development (product, sales & marketing internationally).”

When asked what is one thing that entrepreneurs need to know right now, they stated, “They must confront their idea with reality! Start by talking about it… And not just to friends and acquaintances, who will always find everything we do ‘very interesting.’ Before investing too much time and money, we need feedback, opinions, and opportunities for improvement from outsiders: networks of entrepreneurs and future users who do not know us.”

By providing knowledge, tools, and networks, CEED fosters such a robust sharing culture for our entrepreneurs, built on openness and trust, resulting in the revenue growth of businesses, employment generation, and international reach.