Where are they now: Anis Kallel ’17 (KEY)

This Tunisia-based entrepreneur and former scholarship recipient is helping Africans access new financial opportunities

Anis Kallel ’17 (KEY)

Anis Kallel ’17 (KEY) was born and raised in Tunis, Tunisia, the northernmost country in Africa, bordered by Algeria, Libya, and the Mediterranean Sea. When he was a boy, Kallel aspired to attend medical school. As he got older, though, he became fascinated with computer science. “The ability to be any place on earth with just a laptop and reach millions of people through computer code intrigued me,” he says. “It’s the closest thing to magic that I’ve ever encountered.”

When it came time to develop his list of potential colleges, Kallel started simple, filling out an online survey. At 4,500 miles away, the University of Rochester came up as a 100 percent match. Drawn to the Rochester Curriculum—along with the opportunities to learn outside the classroom—Kallel submitted his application and was awarded a full tuition scholarship, making it possible for him to attend his dream school for the next four years.

As an undergraduate, Kallel valued the knowledge of his professors, the camaraderie among his peers, and internships at such places as Microsoft and Electronic Arts. He also took part in the Kaufman Entrepreneurial Year program (now known as the University’s e5 program), offered through the Ain Center for Entrepreneurship. This gave him the opportunity to spend a fifth academic year working with Seedstars World, a Swiss investment group. That experience landed him in 16 African markets to identify the best early-stage talent in which to invest. In the process, he worked with hundreds of African entrepreneurs.

In 2018, Kallel cofounded a financial technology company called Kaoun, which means “universe” in Arabic. He chose the name to reflect his global aspiration to increase financial opportunities for those who don’t use or have access to a bank account. Kallel is also the company’s chief technology officer.

Kallel recently answered questions about his  life and career since leaving Rochester.

Why start Kaoun?

Right now, about 1.7 billion people—about a quarter of the world’s population—are unbanked, which means these people never use a bank and don’t have money in one. Instead, they rely on cash transactions for everything, from buying food to purchasing materials for a house to paying for medical treatment. In Africa, more than 50 percent of the population is unbanked.

I know firsthand how challenging it is to only rely on cash. For perspective, when I applied to the University and other U.S. colleges, it was a process to get them my applications and SAT scores. I had to travel to someone I knew who had a bank account. Then, I had to give that person cash so that he could use his account to pay for my information to get forwarded to each institution.

This is the way it is—seemingly simple things are hard and tedious for the unbanked. For those who are banked, it’s hard to imagine life without that access. At Kaoun, we are developing tools such as our flagship product, Flouci, along with the infrastructure to help the unbanked organize their lives and businesses, access financial systems, and grow their wealth.

What’s Flouci?

It’s an app that allows for an entirely digital banking experience. Although people haven’t had easy access to banking, more do have access to mobile phones. We have been drawing on technology that works with low-end phones and doesn’t rely on an expensive data plan. With our app, people can open a free, secure bank account within minutes. They can send and receive money instantly, pay merchants online and in stores immediately, and provide electronic signatures that enable remote access to government services.

To protect people, we use top tier data protection and authentication protocols, a multi-step authentication process, and a secure infrastructure to prevent breaches and fraudulent transactions. Over the last two and a half years, we’ve worked with Tunisian regulators and financial institutions to make this a viable option for people.

How do people get started?

To get an account started, people can ask someone else to place funds in their new account or they can wire transfer funds to it. People can also deposit money at partner bank branches, and, soon, through an agent network of brick-and-mortar stores.

What’s been the biggest challenge for you?

In most mature markets, an infrastructure already exists. But, in the markets we serve, we have to build the infrastructure from the ground up and then find ways to monetize opportunities. Although similar apps exist, the technology they feature assumes people already have a bank account. That’s not our baseline. The people using our app keep their cash under their pillows. Flouci allows them to move into the digital space. It’s a thrill and a challenge to work on this.

Why do you think there’s so much investment opportunity in Africa?

A few reasons. There are 1.2 billion people in Africa—with 2 billion projected by 2050. Right now, 60 percent of them are under the age of 24. It’s kind of a ticking time bomb as all of these people will grow up and need jobs, housing, and many services. We need to prepare for this today, which leads to a lot of potential opportunity for investors and for talented local entrepreneurs who know the issues in their markets.

How has brain drain affected Africa?

Brain drain has been an issue in Africa and many other developing countries for decades. Not long ago, if people left the place they grew up, they often didn’t come back. That’s changing though. Everyone wants to lead better lives and be successful, but today, more of us—those who are lucky to pursue an overseas education—want to return home. It’s about purpose for many of us—about finding solutions to local problems that can be scaled up to benefit greater numbers of people.

Who are your role models?

Right now, my business peers are my role models—they are making entrepreneurial inroads in Africa. I’m part of a group called the Harambeans, an African entrepreneurial alliance that meets often to exchange ideas and talk about the ways we’ve overcome challenges. We all want to build Africa’s economy and increase opportunities for Africans. We also know that what we are doing can be an example for other developing nations.

How did being a Rochester student help you get where you are today?

Being a double major in computer science and business allowed me to gain globally competitive skills. With my business know-how and technological skills, I came to realize that I didn’t need significant capital to help make the world ever better—just like the University’s motto says. The KEY year was immensely helpful and gave me the chance to really dive deep into the issues and the opportunities across Africa, all while meeting people focused on using technology to build solutions.

What’s your advice to budding entrepreneurs?

Develop an “anti-fragile” mindset. This means that you become not only resilient, but that you actually get stronger in the face of chaos, adversity, and uncertainty. Every entrepreneur needs to know how to work through a crisis and thrive in it. This helps us adapt, iterate, and improve.

Learn more about Kallel at aniskallel.com and watch his 2018 Ted Talk, “Shaping the Young Continent.”