CALENDAR Big Tech

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09:45 – 10:00

Why a Closer India–Africa Partnership Now? — From Complementarity to Co-Creation

Parminder VIR Entrepreneurship Expert, Oxford Saïd Entrepreneurship Center Ambassador, India–Africa Tech & Startup Bridge, BIGTECH Africa 2026

10:00 – 10:15

Advanced Air Mobility: UTOPIA OR REALITY?

Borhene Dhaouadi Architect and Consultant in Urban Planning & Mobility; Smart & Resilient Cities; Urban PPP Projects

10:15 – 10:35

Transform Without Changing Everything: Drive the Company Forward While Preserving Its DNA

Moderator

Feriel Chouchene University professor and ATFP instructor

Speakers

Rachid Batita General Manager — STB

10:35 – 10:40

Urban Dance

10:40 – 11:15

Official Inauguration

Sofiene Hemissi Minister of Communications Technology

Skander Haddar CEO — TPM

11:15 – 12:15

From Bletchley to Geneva, via Paris and New Delhi: What Global AI Summits Have (Really) Changed for Africa, From Signatory Status to Actual Capabilities on the Ground

Moderator

Fatma Taghouti Co-Founder & CEO — SixDouze.tn

Speakers

Alioune Sall Former Minister of Communications, Telecommunications, and the Digital Economy

Hichem Besbes Director of the COSIM Laboratory, Professor — SUP'COM, Ministry of Communications Technology

Ndeye Absa Gningue Senior Innovation Platform Officer — African Development Bank

Parminder VIR Entrepreneurship Expert, Oxford Saïd Entrepreneurship Center Ambassador, India–Africa Tech & Startup Bridge, BIGTECH Africa 2026

12:15 – 12:45

The Agentic Leap: Why Africa Doesn't Have to Repeat the North's Failed Pilot Programs

Delphin Barankanira Agentic AI Partner Strategy Lead | GenAI Ambassador, EMEA — Google

12:45 – 13:40

Frugal AI: How India and Africa Are Charting a Different Path of Innovation.

Moderator

Parminder VIR Entrepreneurship Expert, Oxford Saïd Entrepreneurship Center Ambassador, India–Africa Tech & Startup Bridge, BIGTECH Africa 2026

Speakers

Serish Venkata Gandikota Co-Founder and Co-Lead of the Frugal AI Hub — Cambridge Judge Business School

Soumaya Ben Beya Venture Capitalist | MBA Graduate | Global Citizen - QATAR | TUNISIA — Rasmal Ventures

Kartik Kapai Government Advisory | Entrepreneurship — Government Tomorrow Forum

Amina Mseddi Assistant Professor at MedTech & CEO — AuroraIQ

13:40 – 13:50

Tunisian Post: A Local Partner Promoting Financial, Social, and Digital Inclusion

Khadija Ben Tamarouet AI Expert — Tunisian Post

13:50 – 14:45

Generative AI vs. Industrial DeepTech: Where Should Capital Really Flow, and Who Is Funding the Path to Market?

Moderator

Chiraz Arfaoui Deputy General Manager — Wiki Start Up

Speakers

Serish Venkata Gandikota Co-Founder and Co-Lead of the Frugal AI Hub — Cambridge Judge Business School

Grégoire de Padirac CEO of Digital Africa — Digital Africa

Tarik Sultan Partner & Head of MENA — Builders VC

Paul Grech Senior Manager - Strategy and Investments — Go Malta

14:45 – 15:30

BizTech Transformation: Why Some Companies Succeed and Others Fail

Moderator

Amani Ben Ali Digital Transformation, Skills & Innovation Consultant

Speakers

Houssem Aouinti Chief Information Officer (CIO) — Poulina Group Holding

Enis Kadri Central Director of IT Development — STB

Kamel Habbachi Deputy Chief Executive Officer — Maghreb Investment and Commercial Bank

Youssef Laarouchi Director of Innovation — Hackuity, Head of the Cyber Specialization at EPITA

15:30 – 16:30

From Inputs to Intelligence: Reimagining Africa's Agricultural Value Chains.

Moderator

George Murage Partnership Lead, Sankalp Africa at Intellecap Advisory

Speakers

Lakhdar Saoussen Climate Communication and CSR Expert — CSR Think Tank

Yassine Grissa CEO of Verdaxis Holding — Devzone International

Bechir Ben Brika Founder & CEO — Smart Soft PRO

Aditya Kathpalia Director - MENA & India — Orbit Ventures

11:15 – 12:15

From Motion to Intelligence — Robotics & Intelligent Mechatronics: From Perception to Autonomous Decision-Making (and from Integration to Exportable Value)

Moderator

Moez Ben Haj Hmida Generative AI Researcher and Practitioner

Speakers

Amit Kumar Pandey Robotics and AI scientist and innovator, president of Socients AI and Robotics

Nizar Mertah Head of the FSI Division — Proxym

Hassene Seddik Full Professor • Director — ENSIT • University of Tunis

12:15 – 12:45

Robotics and AI: Use Cases

Walid Dridi: Zero Humans in the Loop: Self-Healing Robots at the Edge with Local AI Inference Nidhal Louhichi: From Tunis to the World: Building a Science-Based Physical AI Without Borders

Walid Dridi CEO & Founder — Pocteo

Nidhal Louhichi Founder & CEO — Mitus AI

12:45 – 13:30

THE ERA OF CONNECTED INTELLIGENCE: AI • AIoT • MIoT — From Connected Objects to Intelligent Systems

Rym Ben Smida Teacher — ESPRIT

Wiem Smida Teacher — ESPRIT

13:30 – 14:30

Advanced Air Mobility and the Integration of Drone Systems into Urban, Suburban, and Rural Environments

Moderator

Borhene Dhaouadi Architect and Consultant in Urban Planning & Mobility; Smart & Resilient Cities; Urban PPP Projects

Speakers

Issam Bouzid International expert in aviation safety and air navigation

Jean-François Benon Executive Director — CEEVO, Val d’Oise

Mohamed Al Jahwari Project Manager - National Advanced Air Mobility Strategy Oman Logistics Center — Ministry of Transport and Information Technology

Sofiane BenYouci Chief Executive Officer — Innovitech

14:35 – 15:35

Digital Sovereignty: The Digital Twin to Help You Achieve Optimal Performance.

Saber Mahbouli CEO — Sintegra Group

15:40 – 16:35

Green IT: The Hidden Cost of Digital Technology and How African Startups Can Manage It

Moderator

Ibrahima Thiero President — APNA

Speakers

Hélène Mendy Investor and mentor in the tech startup ecosystem — APNA

Mohamed Mongi Benyaiche CEO — Felcloud

Négib Boularès President — ATODD

12:15 – 13:00

Fundraising: Getting Inside an Investor's Mind

Mehdi Legroune Vice President at B8 Business Angels — B8 Business Angels

13:00 – 13:45

Democratizing Autonomous Cybersecurity

Adel Amri Founder and CTO | Architecting Secure Agent-Based AI and Autonomous Systems

13:50 – 14:35

EPSON: A Major Player in the African Ecosystem

Ali Kalboussi Business Account Manager Tunisia & Libya — EPSON

Safa Jenhani Account Manager - Consumer — Epson

14:40 – 15:30

EdgeTechAI: Connect, Simulate, Make It Smart!

Rym Ben Smida Teacher — ESPRIT

Wiem Smida Teacher — ESPRIT

15:30 – 16:30

Offensive & Defensive Cybersecurity — The Sectors Most Vulnerable to Cyberattacks («Live Hack»)

Youssef Ben Hsan President — SecuriNets FST

Fedi Brinsi Head of the Research & Development Department — SecuriNets FST

11:30 – 11:45

Kick-off and Presentation of Smart Capital

11:45 – 12:20

The Art of the Pivot

When, why, and how to execute a successful strategic pivot.

Moderator

Aymen Mbarek Managing Partner — Go Big Partners

Speakers

Adel Ayari CEO — Seekmake

Kais Zhioua CEO — Tanit Healthcare

Rafik Hwimli CEO — Contractzlab

12:25 – 13:00

Beyond the Wrapper

Moving beyond thin wrappers to drive real-economy impact

Moderator

Aziz Chalghaf Investment Lead — Go Big Partners

Speakers

Mohamed Ben Ahmed CEO — Aquadeep

Elyes Maherzi CTO — Magnus Data

Montasser Khamassi COO — Octomiro

14:30 – 17:00

Pitch Sessions by 10 Startups, Featuring Local Child Funds

09:30 – 10:00

Digital Sovereignty: Where Should the Line Be Drawn? From Hosting to Exit Costs

Seifeddine Mansri Cloud CTO — SFEIR

10:00 – 11:15

What International Investors Are Really Looking for in Africa

Moderator

Hana Choyakh Director | Financial Advisory — Deloitte Francophone Africa

Speakers

Aditya Kathpalia Director - MENA & India — Orbit Ventures

Attorney Nadya CHATTY Independent arbitrator — CBL

Cindy AI Co-CEO — Dream VC

Edgardo da Fonseca President — Melcade Consulting

Nadia Seemuth Managing Partner — Jambaar Capital

Saoussen Sahbani Head of Business & Investment and The Dot Components — GIZ

11:15 – 12:00

How to Help a Startup Scale Up

Applied DeepTech: Can African Healthcare and Agriculture Skip Straight to Cutting-Edge Innovation?

Moderator

Elhem Arfaoui Ambassador Women in AI Tunisia — International Organization

Speakers

Abdulla Al Naimi Managing Director — Doha Business Consulting

Delphin Barankanira Agentic AI Partner Strategy Lead | GenAI Ambassador, EMEA — Google

Omar S. Sultan Managing Partner — Sultan Ventures

Tarek Kamoun CEO — K2LIS

Neila Mezghani Full Professor — TÉLUQ University (Quebec)

13:00 – 13:20

From Shanghai to Africa: WAICO's 29 founding countries take action

Moderator

Fatma Taghouti Co-Founder & CEO — SixDouze.tn

Speakers

Alioune Sall Former Minister of Communications, Telecommunications, and the Digital Economy

13:20 – 14:20

AI in Fintech: Between External Attacks and Internal Controls, Who's Really in Charge?

Moderator

Ons Abdelkhalek Ph.D. in Business Analytics, Senior Manager at the PwC Technology Acceleration Center — PwC France & Maghreb

Speakers

Mehdi Legroune Vice President at B8 Business Angels — B8 Business Angels

Brij Singh Venture Partner - Venture Investor — Rebright Partners

Ahmed Limam Co-founder & CTO — InsurTech

Francesco Gavanna International Relations Manager — Fintech District

Ismail Chaib CTO in Residence — Enza Capital

14:25 – 14:35

A Bridge Across the Mediterranean: Partnerships and Opportunities Between the Italian and Tunisian Innovation Ecosystems

H.E. Alessandro Prunas Italian Ambassador (Tunisia)

14:35 – 15:25

A Bridge Across the Mediterranean: Partnerships and Opportunities Between the Italian and Tunisian Innovation Ecosystems

Moderator

Bernard Prevete Director, ICE Office in Tunis (Italy)

Speakers

Paolo Anselmo President — IBAN – Italian Business Angels Network (Italy)

Luigi Giorgi Innovation Manager — Terna SpA

Marco D'Angelo Ambassador, InnovUp – Italian Innovation and Startup Ecosystem, CEO — *beeco

Viera Schioppetto Legal Representative — CIES Tunisia Chapter and Project Manager

Alessia Tribuani Economic Development Sector Manager, Tunisia Team – AICS Tunis

Chiara Saturnino Human Resources — Saturnino Group

15:25 – 16:25

Made in Tunisia, Designed in Tunisia: The Great Shift in the Age of AI

Moderator

Feriel Chouchene University professor and ATFP instructor

Speakers

Mohamed Kharrat A Tunisian academic and entrepreneur, PhD graduate from the University of Tokyo, and recognized expert in the Internet of Things (IoT), applied artificial intelligence (AI), and embedded systems and wearable devices.

Mohamed Aymen Badri Multi-Site Operations Director (Tunisia, France, and Portugal) — Altrics

Lassaad Bencheikh Vice President of Automotive Microcontroller Marketing — Infineon Technologies

Mohamed Aymen Troudi Plant General Manager — ALL Circuits

Saloua Abdelkhalek Executive Director — TICDCE

16:30 – 17:00

From Kilowatts to Tokens: The Economics of Africa’s AI Leap

Dr. Frédéric Pattyn Founder & CEO — AI Ventures, SiliconCore.Global, and TokenDiet

17:00 – 17:30

Tunisian Excellence Awards

Tunisian Women in Tech of the Year × Tunisian AI Awards

Sami Ayari Co-founder and General Coordinator — Tunisian AI Society, Tunisia CyberShield, and RECONNECTT

10:00 – 10:45

Diaspora 2.0 & 3.0: The Winning Combination of Capital and Execution

Moderator

Nejma Ben Khether Senior Consultant

Speakers

Sami Ayari Co-founder and General Coordinator — Tunisian AI Society, Tunisia CyberShield, and RECONNECTT

Seifeddine Mansri Cloud CTO — SFEIR

Adel Amri Founder and CTO | Architecting Secure Agent-Based AI and Autonomous Systems

Oula Tarsim Head of the Migration Portfolio — GIZ

10:50 – 11:40

Microfinance 2.0: Can AI, digital identity, and integrated credit replace traditional trust?

Moderator

Walid Ben Messaoud Insurance and Microfinance Expert, Director of Internal Audit — Lloyd Insurance

Speakers

Nabil Kesraoui International Expert in Inclusive Finance and Development Finance — Findev Advisory

Nizar Hannachi Deputy CEO Enda Tao — Co-Chair of the Africa Chapter of the MENA Fintech Association (UAE)

Leith Mokaddem CEO and Co-Founder — THINKNEO

Ayoub Ben Younes Co-founder and President — BeBouncy

11:40 – 12:25

The CIO as a Architect of Trust: Governance, Ethics, and Inclusive Leadership in the Age of AI

Moderator

Mariem Ben Tanfous Executive Leadership Strategist | Communication & Human Performance Expert | International Keynote Speaker & Moderator | President — CIFE NextGen

Speakers

Olfa YAHYAOUI CIO, Member of the CIO Club, Member of the Order's Council — Former Special Advisor to the Minister of Transportation and the Minister of Agriculture