SUCCESS STORY : Noureddine Tayebi and Mahdi Yettou, founders of Yassir

Maghreb start-up Yassir has become a major force in VTC services in Algeria, Tunisia and Mauritania, where Uber has no presence.

Founded in 2017, the platform, which connects local cabs and users, also provides a home delivery service in a variety of sectors, ranging from agri-food to finance.

The start-up has grown rapidly and expanded beyond the Maghreb region, notably in Europe and North America.

It raised $150 million in 2022, making it the most valuable start-up in North Africa and the Middle East.

With over 5 million users and numerous partners, Yassir is a model of success for Algerian entrepreneurs.

‍

‍Noureddine Tayebi

‍

Noureddine Tayebi was born in Algiers in 1977 into a family of doctors. In the 1990s, while completing his engineering studies at El Harrach Polytechnic, his family urged him to apply for a scholarship to American schools. His brilliant academic record earned him a place at Stanford University.

His childhood spent on the Mediterranean coast continued in 1998 on the West Coast of the United States. After obtaining his PhD in electrical engineering at Stanford, Noureddine moved to the heart of Silicon Valley in 2006 and joined Intel's R&D laboratory. There he acquired skills in research and development, marketing and sales. The structure of the department where he works, similar to that of a start-up gas pedal, awakens the spirit of the future entrepreneur. Eight years later, the seasoned engineer, who now holds 23 patents, changed horizons. Noureddine Tayebi left his job to pursue his own project: InSense, a start-up specializing in nano motion sensors.

This first venture is a success. Bought out in 2018 by Mojo Vision for $1.6 million, InSense proved to be a springboard for the launch of Yassir, the VTC chauffeur-driven transport vehicle app. The idea for Yassir stemmed from Noureddine Tayebi's attachment to North Africa. The question on his mind was: “How can we develop the high-tech sector, which is still in its infancy in the region ?” Pushing back the limits of his ambition, the entrepreneur threw himself body and soul into this new adventure. Just eight months after its launch, Yassir is already profitable. Now a competitor to other well-known VTC platforms such as Uber and Jumia, Yassir is used by over five million users in nine countries and around fifty cities.

‍

‍

Mahdi Yettou
‍

After graduating from the National Polytechnique School of Algiers, then the National Superior School of Aeronautics and Space in Toulouse, Mahdi Yettou, co-founder of Yassir, flew to Canada in 1998. His destination: the University of Sherbrooke. There, he became a teacher- researcher. Ten years later, Mahdi Yettou decided to return to his native Algeria to develop his entrepreneurial spirit alongside his friend Noureddine.

While Noureddine prefers to remain at Palo Alto headquarters, where he supervises local activities, Mahdi Yettou continues to work as a professor at the University of Bab Ezzouar in Algiers, while at the same time fulfilling the role of Managing Director of Yassir. Mahdi Yettou's local presence helps the company to thrive. Indeed, Algerian law requires companies to be present in the country with a minimum 51% shareholding.

Like his colleague, Mahdi Yettou is not short of ideas. With the pandemic threatening the future of the platform, the co-founder is proposing to expand the product range by opening an e- commerce branch: Yassir Express.

‍

Sources :

https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Noureddine_Tayebi
https://www.theafricareport.com/172161/algeria-meet-noureddine-tayebi-head-of-the-start-up-yassir/
https://www.forbesmiddleeast.com/innovation/startups/riding-high-noureddine-tayebi
https://m.facebook.com/algeriastartupchallenge/photos/-el-mahdi-yettou-diplômé-en-ingénierie-de-lécole- nationale-polytechnique-dalger-/680693002669241/

Crédits Photo : Club Formation des Compétences -CFC - نادي تكوين الكفاءات

‍

‍

‍

‍

‍