Forté Innovations, a pioneering tech startup founded in 2017 by Malang Touray and Alieu Ceesay, is making waves in The Gambia and beyond with its innovative data systems. With a strong focus on accuracy, security, and actionable insights, the company aims to empower organizations through data-driven decision-making in an ever-evolving digital landscape.

The startup’s areas of expertise span digital transformation, data collection, monitoring and evaluation, administrative information systems, web application development, and custom software design and development. “We’ve worked across West Africa in multiple industries – agriculture, criminal justice, education, human rights, investment, maritime, natural resources, taxation, and tourism,” Touray stated. “Our vision is an Africa which leverages data-powered decisions to deepen public and private development.”

The founders of Forté Innovations had firsthand experience of the challenges of accessing reliable data in The Gambia. “Whether it was due to a lack of data collection, institutions being unwilling to share, or it was simply unavailable – the struggles were apparent, particularly from a private sector standpoint,” said Ceesay. The company’s inception coincided with a significant political shift in The Gambia, transitioning from a 22-year dictatorship to a democracy. This shift marked a moment where it seemed possible to revitalize the country, contingent upon leadership making decisions based on empirical evidence and quality data.

What started as a response to a societal need evolved into a mission to assist numerous institutions in enhancing the timeliness and overall quality of the data they collected. “Many of these entities were accustomed to international consultants swooping in, implementing something, and leaving them to manage it, despite a glaring capacity gap. As locals, the fact we were on the ground became crucial to the success of the solutions we implemented,” Touray explained.

One of Forté’s early achievements was the creation of the Fisheries Information System for the Ministry of Fisheries and Water Resources, financed by the FAO – a UN organization. “This system marked a pivotal moment and served as a game-changer for us,” said Ceesay.

Over the past six years, Forté has collaborated with the majority of The Gambia’s primary regulatory bodies and undertaken projects in the private sector, both in-country and across the region. “For example, in the agriculture sector, we offer critical solutions for beneficiary registrations in nearly all agricultural projects, input distribution, grant management, and more,” Touray added.

Remarkably, Forté Innovations has achieved all this while being fully self-funded. “While we have expanded our presence across various sectors, the journey remains challenging. But we are optimistic that Forté Innovations can add a huge amount of value to Africa’s development. Accurate, timely, and interactive data can lift the continent out of its current challenges,” said Touray.

Forté’s primary focus is within the West African sub-region, a geographical area well within its reach without the need for excessive expansion. “In the words of the esteemed author Jim Collins, we adhere to the principle of the ’20-mile march.’ Our approach is deliberate, avoiding overextension, ensuring that we can address the significant challenge of data in our part of the world without risking premature setbacks,” Ceesay concluded.