Morocco pumps $250m into startup boom as it eyes ‘tech powerhouse’ status in Africa - 7news Morocco

Morocco has appointed nine fund managers to oversee a new 2.5 billion dirham (around 250 million US dollars) investment programme designed to accelerate the country’s startup ecosystem, officials announced at the fourth edition of GITEX Africa Morocco. The initiative is led by the Mohammed VI Fund for Investment (FM6I) in partnership with the Ministry of Digital Transition and the Caisse de Dépôt et de Gestion (CDG), and will channel capital to startups across stages from very early ideas to companies preparing to scale internationally.

Officials described a central element of the support architecture as a "first loss" setup run by TAMWILCOM, a mechanism intended to reduce downside risk for private investors and entice international venture capital funds to deploy capital in Morocco.

The programme selected nine firms from a pool of 47 applicants to manage the vehicles: three Moroccan managers, five international firms and one joint consortium. FM6I will serve as the main anchor investor, CDG will provide long-term funding, and TAMWILCOM will administer the risk tools. According to the announcement, the funds will prioritise sectors including fintech, agritech, edtech, healthtech and climate tech.

Key details

• Size: 2.5 billion dirhams (~250 million US dollars)
• Managers selected: 9 (from 47 applicants) — 3 Moroccan, 5 international, 1 joint consortium
• Lead organisations: Mohammed VI Fund for Investment (FM6I), Ministry of Digital Transition, Caisse de Dépôt et de Gestion (CDG)
• Risk support: TAMWILCOM operating a "first loss" mechanism
• Target sectors: fintech, agritech, edtech, healthtech, climate tech

The plan is embedded in Morocco’s broader Digital 2030 strategy, which aims to "create 3,000 startups and produce several unicorns" — companies valued at over 1 billion dollars — by 2030. In parallel to the 2.5 billion dirham vehicle, TAMWILCOM has launched a separate 700 million dirham programme to support some 800 startups through grants and interest-free loans.

Officials framed the emphasis on climate tech and agritech as a response to concrete national priorities, including water scarcity and Morocco’s push into renewable energy and large-scale solar projects. By combining public anchor investment with risk mitigation tools, policymakers hope to align local financing structures with international venture capital norms and make the market more attractive to global investors.

FM6I’s role as an anchor investor is intended to provide confidence that will draw additional private capital into managed funds, while CDG’s involvement supplies long-term financing capacity. The selection of a mix of domestic and international fund managers signals an intent to blend local market knowledge with global investment experience as Morocco seeks to move from technology adoption to technology creation and export.

Organisers and officials said the measures are part of a concerted effort to scale startups at home and abroad, with the combined programmes representing a major injection of state-backed capital and risk-sharing tools into the kingdom’s nascent venture ecosystem.