North Star Africa Draws 700 Startups, 400 Investors to GITEX Africa 2026 in Marrakech

Marrakech — North Star Africa, the continent’s largest startup showcase, is hosting over 700 startups and 400 investors from more than 35 countries at the fourth edition of GITEX Africa Morocco in Marrakech. The three-day event runs from April 7 to 9 under the theme “Creating a Global Future for Digital Africa.” Organizers report that the investors attending manage more than $200 billion in assets collectively, with 24% participating for the first time, while the wider GITEX Africa programme convenes more than 1,400 exhibitors from over 60 countries and expects upward of 55,000 attendees.

“The biggest challenges in Africa are also the biggest opportunities,” said Sebastian Waldburg, founding partner of Oryx Impact. “I can only invite people to look at Africa, invest in Africa, and bring more capital into technology, innovation, SMEs, and infrastructure across the continent.”

North Star Africa registered a 30% year‑on‑year rise in participating startups and reported its largest-ever involvement from sovereign wealth funds, pension funds and development finance institutions. The showcase, held under the authority of Morocco’s Ministry of Digital Transition and Administration Reform and hosted by the Digital Development Agency (ADD) in partnership with KAOUN International, is pitched as a direct conduit between founders and capital: organizers say North Star connects startups to investors responsible for over 80% of all African startup funding.

Key figures and participants

• Over 700 startups and 400 investors from 35+ countries.
• Investors collectively managing more than $200 billion in assets; 24% are first‑time participants.
• More than 1,400 exhibitors from over 60 countries; expected attendance above 55,000.
• African tech startups raised $4.1 billion in 2025, a 25% year‑on‑year increase.

Prominent investors at North Star include Taiyo Holding, Shell Foundation, Small Foundation and Oryx Impact. Government-led delegations from across Africa and international markets boosted the floor activity: Tunisia brought more than 40 sustainable tech startups, Côte d’Ivoire sent 12 startups alongside a 45‑official delegation led by its Ministry of Digital Transition and Digitalisation, and France arrived with its largest-ever government-supported startup pavilion and ministerial representation.

Senegal notably scaled up its presence: its delegation, led by the ICT Ministry, features a near doubling of participating startups and a national pavilion hosting 45 companies. Dakar’s ambassador to Morocco, Seynabou Dial, said GITEX Africa “has now become a must-attend event on both the African and global stage.”

The Morocco 300 programme — the flagship national initiative sponsored by the Ministry of Digital Transition in partnership with ADD — expanded by 50% this year and highlights 300 high‑potential startups from 32 cities across Morocco spanning 31 sectors. Featured Moroccan startups include Ondwear (an AI‑powered on‑demand fashion platform), Profinance (financial services infrastructure) and IZEMX (AI, automation, Web3 and blockchain).

Regional founders are using the showcase to seek partnerships and scale. LafricaMobile CEO Malick Diouf said participation “allows the company to strengthen partnerships and expand its continental impact.” Nigeria’s Kashifu Abdullahi, director general of NITDA, outlined the country’s 3 Million Talent initiative across 12 areas including cybersecurity, adding: “National cyber resilience depends on people who can protect systems, develop solutions, and contribute positively to the digital economy.”

Organizers and participants framed the gathering against broader market potential unlocked by the African Continental Free Trade Area, valued at $3.4 trillion, and positioned GITEX Africa as a focal point for matching the continent’s rising capital flows with fast-growing digital ventures.