[Digital Business Africa] – A digitalized business card. Accessible by NFC technology or QR code. With the option to save it in your contacts in two or three clicks. No need to print hundreds of business cards. A single card is enough. And when it is brought closer to a smartphone that has activated the NFC option, all contact information is available. This is what the young company Elysee Brand proposes.
Its promoter Elysee was present at the Mobile World Congress Africa in Kigali a few weeks ago and presented to many visitors his solution. In this interview with Beaugas ORAIN DJOYUM, he explains the specificities of this digitalized business card.
Digital Business Africa: What is the little story behind the Elysee Brand initiative?
Elysee Nkundimana: This project has come to my mind to solve the old way that many people are using today of keeping the information on paper which may get lost or damaged. And I started thinking about how can be solved by keeping data in an electronic single device.
The idea has come in 2021 after the hard times of covid-19 when people were not allowed to meet in public places. So when the government started to allow people to go to an event or public places and it was mandatory that every person must go to an event or public place with a proof of covid-19 vaccination certificate.
“So one day, I was going to an event and my phone was dead I reached the gate one person from the health organization asked me for a vaccination certificate and I couldn’t find it because it was not easy to find it and to get how I can charge it” so from that time I started to think how I can create digital contactless covid-19 vaccination status card. From that, I develop a different product that uses NFC technology.
Digital Business Africa: How do customers respond to your digitized business cards?
Elysee Nkundimana: The feedback on this Business card are good because all the customer who is using it have provided positive feedback that it works fast and user friendly and it is simple to use it. The card is compatible with all smartphones both IOS and Android devices.
Digital Business Africa: What is special about this type of business card?
Elysee Nkundimana: This is a digital contactless business card that uses NFC technology when you share information With just a single tapping of the smartphone or scanning the QR code. This has come to solve the problem of running out of cards. Not just for in-person meetings, but also online networking and virtual events.
Digital Business Africa: How much does a digitized business card cost?
Elysee Nkundimana: USD 75 one-time payment and it’s used for a long time without expiration
Digital Business Africa: What are the numbers that makeup Elysee Brand today?
Elysee Nkundimana: 1-10 Elysee Brand company is made of many creative talents (Developers, Creative directors, Graphic designers, videographers, photographers and content creators) all of them are professionals with experience in what they do.
Digital Business Africa: What are your ambitions with Elysee Brand?
Elysee Nkundimana: I want to see my company on top of the other visual companies in my area.
“To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment”.
Digital Business Africa: What is your background?
Elysee Nkundimana:: Born and raised in Kigali, Rwanda, Elyse NKundimana, founder of Elysee Brand developed his love for visual production while at school, working for local media houses and different event planners and at the age of 18.
I am self-taught and I use tutorials to learn new things. After high school, I was ambitious to see my dreams come true, later I joined TV1 Rwanda (one of the major media houses in Rwanda) where I learned from experienced directors who pushed me to set my focus on directing music videos. I continued growing my skill by learning online website design and development which helped me till now to develop my digital products.
Digital Business Africa: You have several digital projects to your credit. What is the completed project that makes you proud?
Elysee Nkundimana: I have up to 4 products that use NFC technology which is (Digital contactless covid-19 vaccination status, Digital contactless business card, Digital contactless menu and multifunctional smart ring). The project that makes me proud is the Tap services which I think will lead to success and many people have liked the innovation behind it.
Digital Business Africa: What other specific project are you currently working on?
Elysee Nkundimana: The project that I am currently working on is Tap Services we are implementing NFC cards to do more than the business card so those cards can be used to perform different tasks That can handle different tasks.
Digital Business Africa: How should governments support young entrepreneurs and innovators like you?
Elysee Nkundimana: Government should help young entrepreneurs to get connections with people who can invest in their projects because sometimes the funds for starting the project is a problem which may affect the development of the project.
The government should also help entrepreneurs to give space for exhibition at the international summit (Booth) so that they can showcase their products. Which can help the to get more clients from different countries.
Digital Business Africa: What is your advice to young people embarking on initiatives like yours?
Elysee Nkundimana: The advice I can give young people is to think outside the box and find they can stick to their dream and not let anyone in their minds change their ideas because we don’t have the same ambition.
They should also find how they can find someone who is experienced in marketing and can help them in advertising their final products and finding paths of putting their projects on an international level.
Digital Business Africa: If you had the chance to meet the President of the Republic, Paul Kagame, what would you say to him?
Elysee Nkundimana: First of all I will thank him for the way he has developed the technology in our country that is mostly helping us in our everyday development. Everywhere in the country, you can find internet which has good speed.
And I should ask him to put more energy into helping entrepreneurs to get the way they can put their products on international levels.
Interviewed by Beaugas Orain Djoyum
