Three Moroccan Cleantech Startups Advance to ClimateLaunchpad Africa Final

Three Moroccan cleantech startups — Siteli CW, Everydate and Energie Plus — have advanced from the ClimateLaunchpad Morocco National Final to the ClimateLaunchpad Africa Regional Final after a national competition held in Rabat. The national final selected 12 startups from more than 200 applicants and was hosted at the Residence of the Dutch Ambassador to Morocco. Morocco ranked fourth globally in ClimateLaunchpad applications this year, with more than 4,150 applications submitted across 51 countries, and the national programme recorded exact gender parity with 105 women and 105 men participating.

"We are so happy today because we made it to the Africa Regional Finals," said Nouhaila Dahbi, co‑founder of Energie Plus, reflecting the mood among the three winners as they prepare to represent Morocco at the regional stage and vie for a place at the global final in Singapore in October.

Winners and their solutions

• Siteli CW — Founded by Yazid Siteli, Siteli CW took first place in the national final with a solution aimed at helping industrial businesses reduce water consumption and manage water more efficiently. "Our mission is clear. We want to stop the normal and single‑use water for industries," Siteli said, describing a model that targets cost reduction and new value opportunities around industrial water management.
• Everydate — Founded by Fatima Ezzahra Ait Benhssain, Everydate finished second with a business that links oasis farmers in the Drâa‑Tafilalet region to consumers, cafés and restaurants. The startup produces date syrup and other date‑based products, aiming to strengthen market access for regional producers. Ait Benhssain called the ClimateLaunchpad bootcamp "a very enriching experience."
• Energie Plus — Co‑founded by Nouhaila Dahbi and Kamal Hamidi, Energie Plus placed third with a model designed to make clean electricity more affordable and reliable for Moroccan households by reducing the upfront investment barrier that prevents many families from adopting clean power solutions.

The national final convened a jury at the Residence of the Dutch Ambassador, where Dirk‑Jan Nieuwenhuis welcomed participants and underscored climate change as a priority for both the Netherlands and Morocco. The embassy’s Orange Corners programme, which supports Moroccan startups, was highlighted as part of the broader support landscape for entrepreneurs. Ahmed Larouz, ClimateLaunchpad Morocco Lead and founder of Women in Cleantech, described the edition as proof of the continued development of Morocco’s cleantech ecosystem: "This is just the beginning," he said, noting the programme's aim to attract new talent into clean technology.

Jury member Faouzi Chaahoub, a Silicon Valley executive, praised the cohort’s prospects: "There are a lot of good startups. They have actually very good potential." Chaahoub said he is willing to support entrepreneurs through his experience and potentially through funding, signalling possible follow‑on assistance beyond the competition.

Outlook

The three Moroccan winners will now compete at the ClimateLaunchpad Africa Regional Final, where they will face other African cleantech ventures for the chance to advance to the global ClimateLaunchpad final in Singapore in October. Success at the regional stage would position Siteli CW, Everydate and Energie Plus to scale their respective solutions — industrial water efficiency, date value‑chain strengthening, and household clean energy access — and attract further mentorship, investor attention and partnerships that could accelerate implementation across Morocco and the wider region.