Tunisia’s state-backed startup financing system is taking its regional roadshow beyond the capital and coastal hubs, as policymakers seek to address the country’s uneven access to funding.
The second edition of the “Innovative Startups and SMEs” roadshow will visit Le Kef, Monastir, Gafsa and Zarzis through 23 October. Financed by the World Bank and implemented by the Caisse des Dépôts et Consignations (CDC) with Smart Capital, the initiative follows stops in Bizerte, Kairouan, Sfax and Gabès in 2025.
The push comes as 80.5% of fundraising remains concentrated in Greater Tunis. A study by the Tunisian Institute for Strategic Studies found that 67% of bank branches are located along the coast, leaving interior regions with limited financial access. Startups accounted for just 1.8% of invested capital in 2024.
Organisers will present two financing mechanisms: ANAVA, a fund of funds investing through venture capital vehicles, and InnovaTech, which provides direct financing to innovative small and medium-sized businesses.
ANAVA has a €100M target and secured a €60M first close from the CDC and German development bank KfW. It has committed €45M across 10 venture capital funds, with plans to invest in at least 13.
The roadshow will also connect startups with investors, banks, universities, technopoles and regional business organisations. CDC Director-General Nejia Gharbi said 70 Tunisian startups had benefited from financing through ANAVA and related funds.
Source: Launch Base Africa
