As part of Global Entrepreneurship Week, whose theme this year is "Together We Build," the startup DocSen, in partnership with the General Delegation for Rapid Entrepreneurship for Women and Youth (DER/FJ), launched the first edition of its national Hackathon on the theme: "Digital Technology at the Service of Health." The official launch ceremony for this innovation competition took place on Friday, November 14, 2025, under the chairmanship of Dr. Aïssatou Mbodji, General Delegate of the DER/FJ. The event, held at the DER/FJ's D-Hub in Dakar, was also attended by Dr. Moustapha Diop, Director of DocSen; Ms. Awa Dièye Dieng, Regional Director of Amref Health Africa; Ms. Fall, representative of the Minister of Health and Public Hygiene; and others.

An innovation competition that will bring together around a hundred young people to reinvent healthcare through digital technology

This is a unique event initiated by DocSen, one of the pioneering e-health startups that DER/FJ has supported since its inception. From November 14th to 16th, at the DER/FJ's D-Hub in Dakar, it will bring together over 100 young innovators, healthcare professionals, developers, designers, and entrepreneurs around a common goal: to reinvent healthcare through digital technology. Its ambition is to mobilize the entire digital ecosystem around the co-creation of concrete, local, and sustainable solutions to "improve access to care, strengthen the efficiency of health services, and increase the resilience of the Senegalese healthcare system." The two-day program will include creativity and co-creation workshops, mentoring sessions, and project pitches before a jury of experts.

A dynamic of innovation and entrepreneurship driven by the DER/FJ

This hackathon is part of the innovation and entrepreneurship drive championed by the DER/FJ. In this regard, the Director General of the DER/FJ, in officially launching this inaugural edition, stated that this innovation competition directly addresses the numerous challenges facing the Senegalese healthcare system. “By supporting startups like DocSen, by investing in digital innovation, and by encouraging entrepreneurship, we are contributing to building a Senegal resolutely focused on the future. Our healthcare system faces major challenges: access to care, continuity of maternal and child health monitoring, pharmaceutical stock management, incomplete digitalization, and persistent territorial inequalities,” noted Dr. Aïssatou Mbodji.

She adds: “This hackathon directly addresses these challenges. For 48 hours, you will imagine, design, and prototype solutions that could transform our healthcare system. And I must be clear: Senegal needs your ideas, your talents, and your boldness. The Internet of Things, artificial intelligence, medical robotics, and innovative pharmaceutical solutions are no longer distant realities. They are now in your hands.”

According to the General Delegate of DER/FJ, this hackathon is not a simple technological competition but "a strategic act, aligned with the future we want to build: a Senegal where technology improves daily life, where local solutions meet local needs, and where our talents fully participate in the transformation of the continent."

In this regard, Dr. Aïssatou Mbodji reaffirmed the commitment of the DER/FJ to support the best projects from this hackathon, to support their incubation and their large-scale deployment through its partners.

DocSen: a key player in the digital transformation of the healthcare sector in Senegal

DocSen is an innovative tech startup dedicated to improving access to healthcare for pregnant women and young children in Senegal. Funded and supported by the DER/FJ, it has established itself as a key player in the digital transformation of the healthcare sector in Senegal. According to its director, the DocSen 2025 hackathon is a platform that showcases emerging talent in health technology in Senegal and across Africa.

It is worth remembering that a hackathon is an innovation competition that brings people together for a few days to work together on the development of an application.