The Algerian start-up Qareeb is betting on innovation to transform agriculture through artificial intelligence and connected devices. Through its Q-Farm solution, the company offers farmers smart tools to monitor the conditions of their crops and optimize their resources, while anticipating risks, especially in cereal farming, a key sector on the continent.
During its participation in the African Startup Conference, Djihane Kahlouche, Product Manager of Q-Farm at the Algerian start-up Qareeb, presented the young company’s progress in smart agriculture and connected monitoring. Qareeb, specialized in technology, embedded systems, and artificial intelligence, offers two flagship products: Q-Vision and Q-Farm.
Q-Vision, the first solution, transforms conventional cameras into smart cameras through an edge box installed directly on the existing device. This technology enables the detection of anomalies and intrusions, offering enhanced security for sensitive sites such as construction sites, without the need to replace existing equipment.
On the other hand, Q-Farm, which attracts the most attention thanks to this innovative solution, provides farmers with real-time data on soil and climate, allowing them to remotely manage their farms even without an internet connection. The platform, accessible from a PC, automatically generates irrigation and preventive protection schedules tailored to plant needs and local weather conditions. Q-Farm also calculates yield and fertilization while anticipating diseases and infestations through a predictive system.
Currently, Q-Farm focuses on cereal farming, predicting risk periods for the appearance of fungi or insects. “It’s not just about detecting diseases, but especially about prevention,” Djihane Kahlouche told Jeune Indépendant. The solution provides precise recommendations, such as the exact daily water amount to be applied or the remote management of irrigation systems over large areas, up to 30 hectares. To further develop the solution, Qareeb collaborates with the National Superior School of Agronomy (ENSA) to adapt Q-Farm to linear irrigation and drip irrigation systems.
The Algerian start-up has already proven itself at the latest edition of the Intra-African Trade Fair (IATF 2025) in Algiers. It was selected among 600 African start-ups and won first prize, gaining visibility and strategic contacts with countries like Nigeria, Zimbabwe, and Uganda.
“Q-Farm is a product designed for Africa, with huge potential to transform agriculture on the continent,” said Djihane Kahlouche. At the African Startup Conference, Qareeb aims this year to strengthen its partnerships and attract investments while expanding its network across the continent.
IMSA Highlights Digital Security
The Algerian innovation ecosystem is not limited to the agricultural sector. At ASC 2025, other start-ups stood out with solutions designed to strengthen digital trust and the security of online services. This is notably the case of IMSA, which develops fully local technologies in identification, authentication, and electronic signature.
For its very first participation in a national event since its creation in 2023, this Algerian start-up presented its key solutions for digital trust at ASC. Its co-founder, Cherif Fayçal, explained to Jeune Indépendant the three services entirely developed in Algeria, aimed at securing user identity, access to platforms, and electronic signatures.
IMSA first showcased IMSA PASS, an identification solution that uses ID documents, a liveness check, and other technologies to verify that the person is indeed who they claim to be. A second solution enables secure user authentication. These tools can be easily integrated into company software, whether internal systems or online services.
The third solution, and the most important for IMSA, concerns electronic signatures. Available on computer and mobile, it complies with international standards and Algerian law. It allows signing documents in various ways: locally with a token (electronic key), remotely via “remote signing,” as a simple signature, or as a qualified signature—the most secure form.
The platform also offers several practical features for businesses. One of these is a template system, very useful for banks, insurance companies, or telecom operators that regularly need the same contracts signed by clients. This system automatically generates a contract and enables its signing in digital form.
On the web version, multiple signing modes are possible: “Only me,” to sign alone; “With others,” for multiple signatures, with the option to sign in parallel (order doesn’t matter) or sequentially (signatures occur one by one in a specific order).
IMSA’s co-founder also spoke about the company’s involvement in consultations for the new Algerian law on digital trust. This law notably provides for the creation of the National Authority for Electronic Certification, regulates digital identification, and clarifies the legal value of electronic documents.
“We are directly concerned because a signer must be strongly identified,” he explained. He added that the law will encourage digital development and strengthen trust in online services. IMSA is also preparing a solution for full contract life cycle management, which will also be impacted by this new legal framework.
After conducting several pilot tests (proof of concept) with public and private companies and working with initial clients, IMSA hopes that its participation in ASC 2025 will enable it to meet more sector players. “Our goal is to meet as many people as possible and hopefully turn them into clients,” underlined its co-founder.
From modernizing agricultural practices to securing digital transactions, Algerian start-ups demonstrate the country’s ability to develop innovative solutions tailored to the continent’s needs. ASC 2025 thus highlights a rapidly growing ecosystem where technology becomes a key driver of development in Africa.