Tunisian startups - Afrikan Heroes

Tunisia Awards 14 New Startup Labels in December 2023, Total Reaches 988

January 17, 2024

In a ceremony held yesterday, Tunisia’s Ministry of Communication Technologies celebrated the issuance of 14 new labels to startups, marking a significant stride in the country’s commitment to fostering innovation and entrepreneurship. The event, overseen by the Minister of Communication Technologies, Nizar Ben Neji, also highlighted the accomplishments of two notable entrepreneurs, Rym Ben Dhief Akremi and Rym Bedoui Ayari.

According to an official statement released during the ceremony, these 14 labels were part of the December 2023 session, bringing the total number of labels granted in 2023 to 34. The same source revealed that an additional 20 labels had been awarded in the preceding months of October and November. The overall tally for labels awarded to Tunisian startups now stands at an impressive 988.

Among the distinguished recipients is Rym Ben Dhief Akremi, the former CEO of Topnet, who, after accumulating 27 years of professional experience, has ventured into entrepreneurship with the RSE Time project, securing the coveted startup Act label. Another notable awardee is Rym Bedoui Ayari, the CEO of WeFranchiz.

This recent achievement builds upon the foundation laid by Tunisia’s startup support project, initiated in 2018 with the implementation of the startup law. The legal framework, established through government decree no. 840 of 2018 on October 11, outlined the conditions, procedures, and deadlines for the awarding and withdrawal of startup labels. It also delineated the benefits associated with the startup designation and established the organization, prerogatives, and operational methods of the startup label award commission.

The Ministry of Communication Technologies had previously reported in 2022 that the cumulative number of labels granted reached 773 since the inception of the support project for startups and innovative SMEs. The startup law, enacted in April 2018, has played a pivotal role in providing a conducive legal environment for the management of innovative projects, enabling numerous young entrepreneurs to bring their innovative ideas to fruition.

With this latest round of label allocations, Tunisia continues to showcase its dedication to nurturing a thriving startup ecosystem, providing crucial support to those driving innovation and economic growth in the country. The success stories of Rym Ben Dhief Akremi and Rym Bedoui Ayari stand as testimony to the tangible impact of these initiatives on the entrepreneurial landscape of Tunisia.

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Charles Rapulu Udoh is a Lagos-based lawyer, who has several years of experience working in Africa’s burgeoning tech startup industry. He has closed multi-million dollar deals bordering on venture capital, private equity, intellectual property (trademark, patent or design, etc.), mergers and acquisitions, in countries such as in the Delaware, New York, UK, Singapore, British Virgin Islands, South Africa, Nigeria etc. He’s also a corporate governance and cross-border data privacy and tax expert. As an award-winning writer and researcher, he is passionate about telling the African startup story, and is one of the continent’s pioneers in this regard.

Qawafel Launches to Assist Tunisian Startups Expand Across Africa

December 15, 2023

As part of the Qawafel project, dedicated to supporting the internationalization of Tunisian startups and SMEs on the African continent, a call for projects is open to Tunisian support structures. These structures are invited to design programs aimed at supporting startups in their internationalization efforts. Each structure can benefit from a grant ranging from 75,000 to 120,000 euros.

The objective of this project is to contribute to job creation, the inclusive economic development of Tunisia, and its integration into the markets of the African continent. It is important to note that the deadline for the submission of applications is set for January 29, 2024, at 2:00 PM, and this must be done through the qawafel.tn website.

For those interested, an information session on the project is scheduled for Thursday, January 11, at 10:00 AM at The Dot.

This project, funded by the French Development Agency (AFD) and implemented by Expertise France, represents a promising opportunity to strengthen the Tunisian entrepreneurial fabric by promoting its expansion on the scale of the African continent.

Charles Rapulu Udoh is a Lagos-based lawyer, who has several years of experience working in Africa’s burgeoning tech startup industry. He has closed multi-million dollar deals bordering on venture capital, private equity, intellectual property (trademark, patent or design, etc.), mergers and acquisitions, in countries such as in the Delaware, New York, UK, Singapore, British Virgin Islands, South Africa, Nigeria etc. He’s also a corporate governance and cross-border data privacy and tax expert. As an award-winning writer and researcher, he is passionate about telling the African startup story, and is one of the continent’s pioneers in this regard.

Startup Labels In Tunisia Increases To 801, With Tunis Topping The List Of Most Startups With Labels

December 21, 2022

The Ministry of Communication Technologies recently gave seventeen additional startup labels, increasing the total number of labels granted to 801, as part of the “Startup Act” initiative, which aims to support start-ups formed or established in Tunisia.

According to the government, these labels were awarded during a ceremony conducted on Monday for the month of November.

According to the third annual report “Startup Tunisia” by Smart Capital, the company in charge of administering this national programme, published at the end of October 2022, the year 2021 was highlighted by an exponential growth in applications and labelled startups.

The number of labels given grew by 17.2% from 192 in 2019 to 245 in 2021.

According to the same survey, the Tunisian startup ecosystem is still young and consists primarily of firms that are just starting out.

Almost 73% of startups were created within the last three years, while 18.31% were founded within the last year and 14.38% were founded between four and six years ago. The number of startups does not exceed 1.91% after 7 years.

Tunisia’s capital, Tunis, has the biggest concentration of startups (62.3% of job creation in 2021).

Apart from Greater Tunis, the central and northeast regions remain the most appealing for startup employment, accounting for 13.3% of total job creation in the central and 12.2% in the north.

With respective amounts of 5.6%, 2.8%, and 2.8%, the south-east, north-west, and center-west are the regions with the lowest number of employment produced.

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Nigerian Tech Startups Can Now Go Public On Specially Designated Technology Board With New SEC Approval

Charles Rapulu Udoh

Charles Rapulu Udoh is a Lagos-based lawyer, who has several years of experience working in Africa’s burgeoning tech startup industry. He has closed multi-million dollar deals bordering on venture capital, private equity, intellectual property (trademark, patent or design, etc.), mergers and acquisitions, in countries such as in the Delaware, New York, UK, Singapore, British Virgin Islands, South Africa, Nigeria etc. He’s also a corporate governance and cross-border data privacy and tax expert.
As an award-winning writer and researcher, he is passionate about telling the African startup story, and is one of the continent’s pioneers in this regard

Tunisian Parliament Approves €66.9 Million Loan Agreement For Startups

May 19, 2020

Startups in Tunisia have a special offer from their country’s government. The Tunisian House of People’s Representatives (HPR), has passed a loan agreement amounting to €66.9 million (about 208.580 million dinar) to support startups and innovative SMEs in the country.

Here What You Need To Know

The loan agreement, signed between the Republic of Tunisia and the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) on January 30, 2020, aims to help Tunisia achieve the objectives of a five-year programme for the creation of 1,000 startups and consequently the creation of 10,000 jobs.
The programme also aims to achieve a cumulative turnover of 1 billion dinars and to set up a giant Tunisian start-up with global reach (ICORNE).

Last year, the World Bank Group announced US$75 million fund to support the Tunisian government’s “Startup Tunisia” programme.
The Startup Tunisia programme is led by the country’s Ministry of Communication Technologies and Digital Economy and aims to encourage the creation and growth of tech startups and digital small businesses.
The project is a seven-year Project which will provide a comprehensive package of financing, ecosystem and firm-level support, and project management and capacity building. It will run until 31 December 2026 and includes the provision of equity and quasi-equity investment in startups and small businesses.
The US$75 million Tunisia Innovative Startups and SMEs project aims to catalyze the creation and growth of digital, innovative startups and SMEs, and boost economic and employment opportunities for Tunisian youth.
In May last year, Tunisia passed a startup act which includes 20 measures that aim to encourage entrepreneurship, make it easier to start a business, as well as access funding and international markets.

Charles Rapulu Udoh

Charles Rapulu Udoh is a Lagos-based lawyer who has advised startups across Africa on issues such as startup funding (Venture Capital, Debt financing, private equity, angel investing etc), taxation, strategies, etc. He also has special focus on the protection of business or brands’ intellectual property rights ( such as trademark, patent or design) across Africa and other foreign jurisdictions.
He is well versed on issues of ESG (sustainability), media and entertainment law, corporate finance and governance.
He is also an award-winning writer