Meet the Camsolions: The Origins

From Idea to Impact

What began as a simple idea for a careers and application service for IT graduates in Cameroon has grown into an established company with dozens of employees and international partnerships. In just one year since its founding, Camsol went from a tiny start-up (a German UG) with a single founder and five Cameroonian IT enthusiasts, to a holding company with three ventures and over 80 tech talents at one point establishing themselves in the market. We never imagined achieving so much in such a short time, and we are incredibly proud and thankful to everyone who has joined us on this journey.

How do you bridge a gap of 4,900 kilometres? By bringing people together. Nearly 5,000 km separate Cameroon and Germany – but Camsol is making that distance shrink, connecting two markets that have a lot to offer each other. We set out to build a metaphorical bridge across continents, and each new step has reinforced our belief in this mission.

Why Cameroon?

This is a question we hear often. Over a decade ago, the parents of our founder a young Cameroonian girl named Lynn. They had supported her for years through a sponsorship programme, and eventually brought her to Germany to give her the chance of a different life. Through exchanges with our founder’s new Cameroonian sister and working with my the family charity of our founder (the Charity World Tour e.V.), the first insight into life in the central African country of Cameroon was gotten.

Cameroon and Germany are almost equal in size, but Cameroon’s population is not even one-third of Germany’s. The population is also much younger, with a life expectancy of barely 60 years in Cameroon, compared to over 80 in Germany. On the Human Development Index, Germany consistently ranks in the top 10, whereas Cameroon is around 150th out of around 180 countries (classified as “medium human development”). The economic disparity is stark. GDP in 2021 was about $45 billion for Cameroon, versus $4.26 trillion for Germany. That comes out to roughly $1,667 per person in Cameroon, compared to $50,795 per person in Germany. The average income in Cameroon ranges from only about €148 to €491 per month, a tiny fraction of what workers in Germany earn. Officially, youth unemployment rates in Cameroon are very low – but in a country with no unemployment benefits or social safety nets, this figure is misleading. Many young people cannot afford to stay jobless, so they take any work they can find just to get by.

The Charity World Tour e.V. focuses on protecting and supporting children and young people in Cameroon, especially orphans. At Camsol, we decided to continue that effort in our own way, working with students and graduates. Early on, our approach gained a sharp focus that became Camsol’s motto: “Solidarity, not Charity.” We are driven by the idea of partnership and mutual support rather than one-sided aid.

Talent Is Everywhere, Opportunity Is Not

Despite cultural and political differences between Cameroon and Germany, we quickly discovered many things in common. For example, Cameroon has just as many passionate tech geeks and IT lovers as Germany does. These young people dream of a self-determined life where they can pursue their passions and goals, just like anyone else. They have the talent and the drive.

The big difference lies in opportunity. In Germany, demand for IT professionals keeps rising. In Cameroon, by contrast, most IT graduates struggle to find any stable employment in their field. There are few entry-level jobs. Many of these graduates end up working unpaid just to gain experience, or they take underpaid work in unrelated sectors. Their passion is limitless, but their chances are limited.

We saw in this a chance to make a positive impact. Through a contact at the University of Buea in Cameroon, our founder decided to try a small experiment. He pinned a note to a notice board in the IT department, offering to mentor students alongside their studies. The note asked if anyone was interested in improving their skills and career prospects by working with a German IT specialist (Tobias himself). We expected only a few responses. Instead, within days our inbox filled with over twenty messages from eager students.

We set up the first online meetings and were amazed by the enthusiasm that greeted us. These conversations were open, genuine, and downright exciting. The students we met were hungry to learn and determined to seize any opportunity to reach their goals. Unlike some experiences we’d had in Germany, there was no disillusionment or perfunctory politeness just to land a placement. These young Cameroonian IT talents were full of authentic passion. For us, meeting so many new people from another continent over video calls – people who shared our love for technology – was a completely new and inspiring experience.

Turning Boundaries into Bridges

Tobias ended up mentoring and supporting several students over the course of months. He helped them sign up for sponsored online courses to deepen their knowledge, and guided them through job application processes. Before long, however, we hit a wall. Not a single application to European companies led to a job offer – not even an interview. The extra courses helped the students build skills, but without real work experience, it was hard for them to keep growing. We needed a different path.

So, we asked ourselves: “what if we create the opportunities that are missing?” We envisioned a way for these talented graduates to keep learning in a safe, supportive work environment – one that would give them real project experience. We also knew they had to be paid fairly for their work. A proper remuneration would allow them to resist the daily pressures of poverty and focus on their own development and goals.

This was the spark that led to Camsol. Our idea was to found a company that would secure and deliver projects for clients in Europe, and use the revenue to employ and train young IT talent in Cameroon. In other words, we could be the bridge between the needs of the European tech market and the abundant skills of African graduates. Even our name reflects this mission: “Camsol” = Cameroon + Solidarity. We didn’t want to be a charity or non-profit organisation, but rather a business community built on solidarity. Together with our team, we work to overcome obstacles and borders, so that as many people as possible can live safe, fulfilling lives.

Camsol’s goal is to act as a bridge – between Germany and Cameroon, between the Global South and the privileged West, between tech nerds and visionary innovators. Importantly, we strive to build a bridge that connects people as equals, no matter where they come from. It’s not about handouts; it’s about collaboration.

In building this bridge, we’re not only helping our team achieve their dreams – we’re also doing something deeply rewarding for ourselves. We’ve always wanted to have a positive impact on the world. Of course, we had tried to contribute in small ways through social work, donations, and sponsoring charitable causes. But those efforts felt limited in scope. With Camsol, we sensed we could contribute to real change through a socially sustainable business model.

Because what these young people need isn’t pity or short-term charity – they need real chances, just like we have. What we can give them is our solidarity, our network, our trust, knowledge and friendship. And what we receive from them in return is so much more. I don’t just mean the feel-good factor; I mean tangible benefits. We get to work with genuine talent – gifted IT professionals who are hard to find in our local market. In the end, it’s a win-win. It’s clear to us that this combination is meant to be. And so began the bridge-building from both sides.

Camsol’s First Steps

Camsol was officially founded as Camsol Technologies UG in May 2022. In our very first month, we started out with five student trainees in Cameroon. By the second month we had 13, and by August we had crossed the 30 mark. Every time a new talent applied to join us, we held interviews and exchanged countless WhatsApp messages. We talked about tech skills, personal interests, and dreams for the future. From the very beginning, we put great importance on creating a warm and appreciative work atmosphere. We all speak to each other as equals – across continents and cultures – and everyone should feel respected and heard.

As our team of Cameroonian IT talents grew, we began spreading the word about Camsol in our German network. It didn’t take long for curious clients to come knocking. Thanks to the up-to-date skills and fresh perspectives of our young team, we were able to develop modern, attractive tech solutions very quickly. This agility particularly drew the attention of start-ups with a strong innovative spirit. These young German founders were excited that Camsol could help co-develop and implement their ideas – while also contributing to social sustainability.

One of our first projects was a then brand-new start-up idea called “GasVisor.” We worked on this idea from its early stages all the way to the incorporation of a company and the attraction of initial investors. Our team built a mobile app and even helped develop hardware for GasVisor, not to mention providing C-level (executive) advice. The start-up eventually grew into a company named Gastimate Technologies, which became part of Camsol’s start-up portfolio.

The First Big Client

It wasn’t only start-ups that took notice of us. Within a few months of launching, we had a major German institution at our door: the Sparkassen-Finanzgruppe (the Savings Banks Finance Group). An intrapreneurial venture of theirs, Karla Plattform GmbH, was very interested in Camsol’s fusion of IT excellence, executive consulting, and social impact.

We kicked off an international project teaming up Karla’s experts with Camsol’s IT talents. Despite the distance and different backgrounds, collaboration was smooth and highly efficient from day one. This partnership proved successful and is still ongoing. We’re grateful that the Sparkassen-Finanzgruppe put their trust in us at such an early stage. Their commitment to social sustainability aligned perfectly with our own values, and it likely played a big part in their decision to work with us.

All Aboard for Growth

By late summer 2022, Camsol was firing on all cylinders. At this point, the founders started to feel the strain of balancing a rapidly growing start-up with their family (children) and their day jobs. They needed help. Luckily, help arrived in the form of two passionate young men who could not have been more different from each other, yet both shared our vision: Leonardo Bornhäußer and Maximilian Betz, who had both been involved with Camsol almost from the start as clients, developing their own start-up ideas with our team. 

They were absolutely on fire for Camsol’s mission and goals. Both were creative and agile in way of working, and this brought in new ideas and approaches, inspiring us to think outside the box. Along with them also came a wide network of contacts, which gave us early access to many promising leads and potential clients. Their talents and vision perfectly complemented our team. It quickly became clear that together we could achieve even more – faster and better. About six months after Camsol’s founding, the founding partners (Selina, Max, Tobias, Leo) took a big step forward: they transformed Camsol Technologies UG into Camsol Innovations GmbH, and we established a branch office in Cameroon. Camsol was no longer just an idea; it had become a truly binational company.

Stronger Than Ever

Our intuition kept guiding us well, and one by one the hurdles began to fall. Over the next few months, Camsol surged to around 80 talents and 20 clients. In November 2022, we welcomed our first Germany-based employees to the team. Then, in mid-December, an especially exciting milestone arrived – the very first trip of the founding partners to Cameroon. Up until then, none of the Germans had ever been to Cameroon in person. They were buzzing with anticipation to finally meet all team members face-to-face.

The founding team traveled to Buea, Cameroon, where much of our team is based. The days spent there were nothing short of amazing. The guests experienced the famous local hospitality, savoured the delicious food, and enjoyed the beautiful warm weather (a welcome escape from the European winter, with temperatures above 20 °C). But the highlight was, of course, the people – the wonderful colleagues that had only been seen in online meetings until then. The Germans were welcomed with open arms. Meals, stories, laughter, and truly eye-opening moments were all shared. Those days in Cameroon were moving and inspiring, reinforcing exactly why we started this journey.

All these encounters and experiences gave us a fresh boost of energy, motivation, and passion for what we do. Now, as one international team with talented and dedicated teammates, nothing can shake our conviction: Camsol will build this bridge. We will continue working hand in hand across continents to make sure talent finds opportunity.

In the next article, we will take a closer look at the impact Camsol is having on Cameroonian IT talents and the German market, and we’ll reveal what the Camsol Fund is all about. Until then, stay tuned and take care!