TL;DR Comoros is a market of under 900,000 people spread over three main islands, where farming is over a third of the economy and money sent home from abroad is worth about a fifth of GDP. The ideas that fit help growers and fishers earn more per kilo, bring cheap solar power to villages, and fix water and health gaps between the islands.

The market in numbers

• Population: about 883,000 in 2025^[1].
• GDP per capita: about US$2,060 in 2025^[2].
• Farming: agriculture, forestry and fishing added about 37% of GDP in 2025^[3].
• Remittances: personal remittances received were about 20.8% of GDP in 2023^[4].
• Connectivity: about 33% of people used the internet in 2024^[5], while mobile subscriptions were about 110 per 100 people in 2023^[6].
• Currency: the Comorian franc (KMF), issued by the Banque Centrale des Comores^[7].
• Starting a company: the national investment promotion agency (ANPI), set up in 2020, works as a one-stop shop and is presented as the only body that takes company creation requests^[8].

What founders here actually have to work with

Two numbers explain most of it. Farming makes up about 37% of output^[3], and remittances add another 21% or so of GDP^[4]. So a lot of household spending starts as a transfer from a relative abroad, and a lot of income depends on what a harvest fetches.

That gives you two kinds of customer. One is the grower, fisher or exporter who wants a better price and fewer rejected lots. The other is the family member abroad who would rather pay directly for a solar kit, a water filter or a clinic visit than send cash and hope.

Phones are everywhere, with more subscriptions than people^[6], but only about a third of people are online^[5]. Design for basic phones and agents, not apps. The islands are separated by sea, so anything physical has to be simple to ship, store and fix locally.

Ideas that fit Comoros

These ideas were all researched for India. The rupee costs and Indian licences don't apply here, so treat each as a brief you'll rebuild.

Crops, fish and exports

• Peppertrail: Spray records and residue testing help any spice or aromatic crop exporter get past strict buyers. Confirm which crops and markets matter most before you build [Requires validation].
• Fruitcoat: A coating service that slows spoilage could help fruit survive the trip between islands. Prove it on one crop with one trader.
• Coldcart: Shared cold transport from farms and landing sites to a market fits fish as much as produce. Start with one route on one island.
• Aquabed: Growing greens on small fish ponds stretches the same water further. Test it with a farmers' group before selling kits.
• Wakeline: Flagging boats that switch off their trackers suits a country with a big ocean zone and limited patrols. Expect a government or regional buyer and a slow sale.

Power for villages

• Candlepay: Pay-as-you-go solar with remote locking fits here, but UPI is Indian. You'd need a local mobile money or agent channel instead [Requires validation].
• Anchorwatt: Solar at phone towers with spare daytime power sold to nearby shops. You'd need the tower owner on board first.
• Lathelamp: Solar-run tools for village workshops and mills, paid per use. A diaspora-funded version, where relatives abroad pay for the machine, is worth testing.

Water and health across the islands

• Saltfree: Solar units that clean brackish wells suit coastal villages. Keep parts few and train a local fixer on each island.
• Pulpstrip: Cheap paper water tests read by a phone help villages check supplies after heavy rain. Agree with health authorities what a bad result should trigger.
• Skyclinic: Drone runs carrying samples and medicines between islands fit the map. Aviation approval and long sea crossings are the first hurdles [Requires validation].

Rules to check before you start

Company creation runs through ANPI, the national investment promotion agency, which also handles investment code benefits^[8]. The Banque Centrale des Comores is the monetary authority, supervises banks and financial institutions, and oversees payment systems, so any payments idea starts there^[7]. You'll also need to register for tax, but I couldn't verify which office handles it [Requires validation]. Fishing, food export, health and drone ideas will each have their own approvals [Requires validation].

This is a starting list, not legal advice. Check with a local lawyer or the agency itself.

Questions founders ask

Talk to Yash

Turning a remittance-heavy, farming-heavy economy into paying customers takes a careful pick of who actually pays. If you want to test your Comoros idea, you know where to find me.

Talk to Yash →

Sources

1. World Bank, "Population, total: Comoros", 2025. https://api.worldbank.org/v2/country/COM/indicator/SP.POP.TOTL?format=json&mrv=1
2. World Bank, "GDP per capita (current US$): Comoros", 2025. https://api.worldbank.org/v2/country/COM/indicator/NY.GDP.PCAP.CD?format=json&mrv=1
3. World Bank, "Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (% of GDP): Comoros", 2025. https://api.worldbank.org/v2/country/COM/indicator/NV.AGR.TOTL.ZS?format=json&mrv=1
4. World Bank, "Personal remittances, received (% of GDP): Comoros", 2023. https://api.worldbank.org/v2/country/COM/indicator/BX.TRF.PWKR.DT.GD.ZS?format=json&mrv=1
5. World Bank (ITU data), "Individuals using the Internet (% of population): Comoros", 2024. https://api.worldbank.org/v2/country/COM/indicator/IT.NET.USER.ZS?format=json&mrv=1
6. World Bank (ITU data), "Mobile cellular subscriptions (per 100 people): Comoros", 2023. https://api.worldbank.org/v2/country/COM/indicator/IT.CEL.SETS.P2?format=json&mrv=1
7. Banque Centrale des Comores, home page, 2026. https://www.banque-comores.km/
8. Financial Afrik, "L'Union des Comores vante ses atouts", 2021-12-02. https://financialafrik.com/2021/12/02/lunion-des-comores-vante-ses-atouts

For illustration only. Names are fictional and ideas hypothetical; sourced facts are real but may be out of date. Nothing here is legal, financial or professional advice, and Yash Khatri is not personally liable for any use of it. Read the full disclaimer.