Secteurs clés : Les jeunes pousses émergentes se concentrent sur les options de paiement numérique, les providers bancaires mobiles et l’edtech pour élargir l’accès (en particulier dans les zones rurales). D’autres domaines incluent une agriculture connectée (functions reliant agriculteurs et marchés) et la logistique cellular.
Au centre de l’écosystème, l’API-An (Agence de Promotion des Investissements et des Exportations) joue un rôle moteur : incubation, guichet distinctive pour startups, promotion lively de l’entrepreneuriat. Divers hubs d’innovation numérique, soutenus par l’API-An et le Ministère du Développement du Numérique, accélèrent les startups en TIC, formation et accompagnement.
À l’picture de Singapour ou du Rwanda, le Bénin se prépare à boxer dans une catégorie supérieure :
● Plus de 560 providers publics ont été numérisés, du registre du commerce aux licences et déclarations fiscales. Les frictions qui ralentissent les startups ailleurs ? Éliminées. Grâce à la plateforme Beninnovation, les fondateurs peuvent créer et gérer leur entreprise sans jamais mettre les pieds dans un bureau gouvernemental.
● L’API-An n’est pas une agence de façade : elle pilote incubateurs, pipelines de financement, appui à l’export, et gère la loi “Startup Label” qui offre exonérations fiscales, réductions de droits de douane et procédures simplifiées aux jeunes entreprises.
● Sèmè Metropolis, le quartier d’innovation du Bénin, héberge incubateur, laboratoires tech et centres de R&D avec des partenaires comme la Sorbonne et l’African Faculty of Economics. Un Digital Transformation Middle cofinancé avec l’Allemagne s’y investit dans la civic-tech et l’entrepreneuriat.
● Plus de comptes de cellular cash que d’adultes : 1,104 pour 1,000. Plus de 75% du PIB transite par cellular, mettant le Bénin dans le prime continental.
● Des initiatives comme École 229 forment les jeunes au code et outils numériques sans exiger de diplôme, financées par Blolab et d’autres.
● L’écosystème est sous-financé aux stades avancés mais l’intérêt monte. Par exemple, Spiro a levé 50M$ en série B pour déployer sa mobilité électrique au Bénin et en Afrique de l’Ouest.
Le label “startup” officiel, décerné en mai à 15 PME de secteurs variés, offre exonérations fiscales, accompagnement, et visibilité sur trois ans — une avancée majeure pour l’innovation béninoise (Décret n° 2023-095 du 22 mars 2023).
● Selon un rapport de mars 2025, le Bénin (+6 pts à 39%) et le Sénégal (+10 pts à 36%) affichent la plus forte development africaine en résilience Web, renforçant l’accès aux providers éducatifs, de santé et économiques.
En résumé : Le Bénin devient un des environnements startups les plus organisés et pragmatiques d’Afrique de l’Ouest : mobilisation gouvernementale authentique, systèmes digital-first, tradition tech naissante. L’écosystème est jeune, le capital reste limité, mais pour les bâtisseurs en quête de stabilité et de réactivité, le Bénin est de moins en moins contournable.
Le Maroc, enterprise tout courtroom — à Casablanca, Rabat, Fès, Marrakech ou Tanger
Ici, l’écosystème ne débute plus : il accélère. Le Maroc affiche l’écosystème le plus mature et capitalisé de la zone francophone.
Pressure du VC institutionnel
● Digital Fund et UM6P Ventures investissent plusieurs dizaines de thousands and thousands dans les startups santé, agro, industrie, avec une montée prévue de 7M$ à 50M$ pour UM6P.
● CDG Make investments by way of 212 Founders, Innov Make investments (Banque Mondiale), and so on., couvrent le pré-seed/seed.
Événements, IA & transformation
● Conférences IA à Rabat, engagement des ministères et agences. L’axe : IA, données, numérisation = piliers centraux de la stratégie économique.
● DeepLeaf (vainqueur de GITEX Africa), pionniers agritech IA, ambitionnent l’growth hors du continent.
Momentum du financement 2024
● 94,96M$ levés par les startups marocaines (contre 33,26M$ en 2023 ; ×3).
● #6 africain pour le montant levé (aux côtés du Ghana, Tanzanie).
● TravelTech (53%), Fintech (# de offers), Agritech, DeepTech (10%).
● 65% des fonds captés par 3 startups : risque de focus.
● Peu d’investisseurs Sequence A+, seulement 4 exits majeurs en 3 ans vs. 20+ en Égypte.
● Sous-financement flagrant des fondatrices.
Alignement public-privé
● “Morocco Digital 2030” : 24M$ pour créer 1,000 startups d’ici 2026, 3,000 en 2030 ; label startup, simplification administrative.
● Morocco Fintech Middle, consortium de 15 banques, guichet distinctive fintech.
Tender energy & ouverture mondiale
● Allier la custom (montagnes, surf, tradition) à la tech séduit investisseurs/skills mondiaux. Casablanca Finance Metropolis héberge 240+ entreprises multinationales, pôle financier #1 en Afrique.
● Technoparks à Rabat, Tanger, Benguerir (Inexperienced Power Park) : labs deeptech & renouvelables. Taux de pénétration Web 74%, fort déploiement fibre/5G.
Croissance et chiffres
● Investissement VC passé de 17M$ (2023) à 95M$ (2024), certains chiffres évoquent 177M$. 9e écosystème africain, 88e mondial.
● Exemples d’exits : Chari (valorisation 100M$), DabaDoc, WaystoCap… Parmi les startups en vue : AUTO24.ma, Nuitée, ENAKL, Mubawab, Talaty, Colis.ma, and so on.
Visibilité et connectivité
● GITEX Africa à Marrakech : 400+ investisseurs, 250B$ sous gestion.
● Nouvelle filière gaming : 26M$ investis à Rabat Gaming Metropolis, formation/expo dédiées.
● Casablanca +42 locations dans le classement mondiale startup (StartupBlink).
Résumé : Le Maroc se distingue par sa profondeur de capital, son ouverture internationale et ses infrastructures. Porte d’entrée des investisseurs globaux en Afrique francophone, son écosystème accélère. Mais “grandir” signifiera débloquer le financement Sequence A/B, fluidifier la réglementation, et élargir le soutien hors des métropoles majeures.
N’hésitez pas à demander une traduction encore plus adaptée à votre public cible francophone ou des ajustements stylistiques!
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Revue des principaux titres
Hi there👋,
Welcome to the third version of the The Subsequent Wave Francophone Africa e-newsletter the place we share the largest insider insights and evaluation of the area’s expertise panorama. That is twice-monthly e-newsletter, count on the following dispatch on August twelfth. Enroll right here and be the primary to know.
In our final dispatch, we explored how Algeria and Cameroon
are pitching themselves
as Africa’s subsequent innovation hub.
Right this moment’s version continues on that wave with one ecosystem pitching itself as Africa’s subsequent innovation hub, and one other ecosystem that presents itself as previous the proving part.
Let’s get into at present’s dispatch!
Benin: A Lean Innovation Powerhouse
Key sectors: Rising startups are specializing in digital fee options, cellular banking providers, and ed-tech platforms geared toward increasing entry in rural areas. Different key areas embody technology-driven agriculture (e.g., apps connecting farmers to markets) and logistics startups leveraging cellular tech.
On the core of constructing and strengthening the ecosystem, there may be the API-An (Agence de Promotion des Investissements et des Exportations), which is the nationwide funding company that runs incubation packages, gives one-stop help for startups, and actively promotes entrepreneurship. There are a number of digital innovation hubs which can be operating with backing from companies like API-An and the Ministry of Digital Growth, specializing in ICT, expertise coaching, and startup acceleration.
Like we’ve seen with Singapore or Rwanda, Benin is positioning itself for a struggle above its weight.
Digitally native governance:
Benin has digitised over 560 authorities providers, from enterprise registration to licensing and tax submitting. Friction that slows down startups elsewhere? It’s been engineered out. Via the Beninnovation platform, founders can launch and function firms with out stepping right into a single authorities workplace.
Coverage reform with tooth:
The Agence de Promotion des Investissements et des Exportations (API-An) shouldn’t be an arrogance company. It runs actual packages—incubators, funding pipelines, export help and manages the nation’s Startup Label regulation, which provides tax holidays, import responsibility reductions, and simplified procedures for early-stage companies.
Flagship infrastructure:
Sèmè Metropolis, Benin’s state-backed innovation district, is greater than a tech park. It hosts the Sèmè One incubator, tech labs, and R&D facilities in partnership with establishments just like the Sorbonne and African Faculty of Economics. GIZ and the German authorities have arrange a Digital Transformation Middle proper inside it, targeted on civic tech and entrepreneurship.
Startup traction in actual sectors:
Founders listed below are fixing actual issues with lean, mobile-first fashions:
● Kea Medicals: Digitizing hospitals and pharmacies
● Ze’xpress: Native logistics with built-in cellular funds
● PreciAgri: Connecting smallholder farmers with markets
● Exportunity: Serving to SMEs faucet into regional commerce corridors
Cell cash maturity:
Benin has extra cellular cash accounts than adults, over 1104 per 1000 individuals. Meaning the rails for e-commerce, digital finance, and scale are already in place. Cell transactions account for greater than 75% of GDP, placing it in elite firms continent-wide.
Expertise pipeline with out gatekeeping:
Grassroots initiatives like École 229 practice younger individuals in coding, app improvement, and digital instruments, no diploma required. Funded by Blolab, it’s a part of a broader motion to construct an area workforce prepared for startup work from day one.
AI and the following frontier:
Benin launched its Nationwide AI Technique in 2023. It’s already operational:
● A government-developed authorized chatbot skilled on Benin’s legal guidelines
● Nationwide dataset assortment in Fon and different native languages
● AI governance buildings and regional partnerships in progress
Capital urge for food rising:
Sure, there’s nonetheless a funding hole particularly for growth-stage firms. However the curiosity is rising. Pan-African participant Spiro raised $50M in a Sequence B spherical to scale its electrical mobility operations throughout Benin and West Africa.
Correct categorization of enterprises is crucial in guaranteeing they get the right help and taxation. This has been a problem to implement throughout Francophone Africa. In Could, the Authorities of Benin awarded an official “startup” label to fifteen native micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises for 3 years, marking a significant milestone in its innovation promotion technique. These firms have been chosen from functions throughout a number of sectors like digital tech, well being, tourism, agriculture, and vitality. Established by Decree No. 2023-095 of March 22, 2023, this labeling grants advantages corresponding to tax exemptions—together with company tax and payroll contributions for the primary two years and a 50% discount within the third—and enhances credibility for searching for funding. The chosen startups will even obtain technical help, structured mentoring, and better visibility domestically and internationally. This initiative displays Benin’s ambition to construct a dynamic digital ecosystem and place itself as a key innovation hub in West Africa.
Improve in Web resilience is essential for guaranteeing dependable entry to instructional, healthcare, and financial providers, thereby supporting inclusive digital improvement throughout the continent. A March 2025 report from the Web Society highlights that Benin and Senegal achieved Africa’s strongest enhancements in Web resilience between 2022 and 2023, with Benin leaping six share factors to 39% and Senegal leaping ten factors to 36%. In Benin, stronger foundations have been constructed for digital providers—spanning administration, commerce, and day by day life—by means of on-line platforms that at the moment are simply accessible.
Abstract
Benin is quietly changing into certainly one of West Africa’s most organised and policy-driven startup environments. It’s not flashy, but it surely’s targeted. With actual authorities engagement, digital-first methods, and an rising tech tradition, the foundations are strong. Sure, capital remains to be restricted and the ecosystem is younger, however for builders searching for stability, responsiveness, and room to develop, Benin is more and more exhausting to disregard.
Morocco Means Enterprise, Whether or not it’s in Casablanca, Rabat, Fez, Marrakech, or Tangier
Morocco’s ecosystem isn’t rising, it’s scaling. The nation is pulling forward because the Francophone area’s most mature and capital-rich startup ecosystem.
Institutional VC energy
The Digital Fund & UM6P Ventures have injected tens of thousands and thousands into well being, agri, and {industry} startups, with UM6P alone planning to scale from $7 M to $50 M in new commitments over the approaching years.
CDG Make investments’s 212 Founders is complemented by funds corresponding to Innov Make investments (World Financial institution–backed), specializing in pre-seed and seed rounds to bridge early-stage capital gaps.
Occasions just like the Nationwide Convention on Synthetic Intelligence, held at UM6P in Rabat, underscore Morocco’s dedication to digital transformation. Leaders corresponding to Amal El Fallah – Seghrouchni (Minister Delegate for Digital Transition), representatives from the Moroccan Funding and Export Growth Company (AMDIE), and senior executives from N+ONE Datacenters are driving this momentum. Their imaginative and prescient is evident: AI, knowledge, and digitalisation aren’t buzzwords, they’re foundational pillars of Morocco’s financial technique.
Startups like DeepLeaf—winners of GITEX Africa pitch competitors—characterize Morocco’s innovation in agritech AI. The startup ecosystem is not only rising, it’s fixing real-world issues throughout Africa, with the potential to develop past the continent.
New 2024 Funding Momentum
Based on the 2024 Morocco Startup Ecosystem Report:
● Moroccan startups raised $94.96 M in 2024, up from $33.26 M in 2023 — almost 3× progress.
● Morocco is now #6 in Africa for startup funding, alongside Ghana and Tanzania.
● TravelTech led the best way (53% of whole funding), adopted by Fintech (most offers), Agritech (a rising nationwide precedence), and DeepTech, which accounted for 10% of deal quantity.
● Nevertheless, 65% of capital went to only 3 startups, highlighting a focus danger.
● The nation nonetheless lacks sufficient Sequence A+ buyers, with solely 4 main exits in 3 years in comparison with over 20 in Egypt.
● Feminine-led startups stay considerably underfunded.
Public-private alignment
Morocco Digital 2030 is backed by a $24 M public fund with targets to create 1,000 startups by 2026 and three,000 by 2030, supported by incentives like a Moroccan Startup Label and regulatory streamlining.
The initiative additionally features a Morocco Fintech Middle, a financial-industry consortium comprising 15 banks and establishments, performing as a one-stop store for fintech startups.
Crucially, Morocco’s digital ambition is matched by its cultural depth and international positioning. As one participant described it: a rustic the place you may summit 4,000-meter mountains and surf Atlantic waves inside hours, whereas concurrently constructing a digitally-led future that places Africa on the heart. This synthesis of custom and tech is a part of Morocco’s smooth energy in attracting international buyers and expertise.
Casablanca Finance Metropolis & technoparks
CFC hosts 240+ multinational companies (Huawei, Schneider Electrical), employs 7,000+, and serves as Africa’s prime monetary hub, rating 4th within the MEA area; Moroccan funding throughout Africa surged from $100M in 2014 to $2.8B in 2024.
Technoparks in Rabat, Tangier, and the Inexperienced Power Park (Benguerir) help deep tech, sustainability, and photo voltaic/renewables analysis, with UM6P’s infrastructure driving startup-to-lab innovation transitions.
Funding & progress
VC funding rose from $17 M in 2023 to $95 M in 2024, and in keeping with some studies, even reached $177 M, making Morocco the Ninth-largest startup ecosystem in Africa (88th globally).
Notable exits: Chari reached a $100 M valuation in 2022; others like DabaDoc, WaystoCap, Terraa have pulled in pre-seed/seed rounds exceeding $1 M.
Standout funded firms embody: AUTO24.ma, Nuitée, ENAKL, Yakeey, Mubawab, Jobzyn Maroc, Talaty, ToumAI, Colis.ma, Agenz, ORA Applied sciences, Logidoo, Yola Contemporary, PayTic.
Ecosystem visibility & connectivity
GITEX Africa, held in Marrakesh is now a premier continental tech showcase; for 2025 it attracted 400+ buyers managing over $250 B in belongings.
Morocco is constructing a online game startup sector with a $26 M Rabat Gaming Metropolis, coaching hubs, and the Morocco Gaming Expo, components of a deliberate push to diversify youth employment.
Broadband rollout is robust (74% web penetration), 5G growth is underway, and regulation favours digital expertise: Morocco is ranked 88th globally in StartupBlink, with Casablanca leaping 42 locations to 317th.
Abstract
Morocco leads in capital depth, worldwide visibility, and high-quality infrastructure. It’s the gateway for international buyers getting into Francophone Africa and it’s solely getting quicker. However maturity comes with new challenges. Whereas early-stage help has grown considerably, the nation nonetheless faces a funding bottleneck on the Sequence A and B ranges. Startup founders additionally cite regulatory delays and a slow-moving banking sector when attempting to scale past MVP. And regardless of robust digital infrastructure in main cities, second-tier areas like Agadir or Oujda stay underdeveloped by way of startup help and funding entry. Briefly: Morocco has the momentum and the equipment—however its subsequent leap will rely upon whether or not that help system expands past the same old facilities of gravity.
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