TunisianStartups

What TunisianStartups does

TunisianStartups is a Tunisian non-governmental organization founded in 2016 that acts as a neutral convener for the country's startup ecosystem. It was created by entrepreneurs to give the community a collective voice and to connect startups, investors, support organizations, corporates, and policymakers through advocacy, networking, and capacity-building programs. Its mission centers on ecosystem coordination and on shaping an enabling regulatory environment for Tunisian entrepreneurship, including direct involvement in the elaboration of Tunisia's Startup Act and ongoing advocacy for Startup Act 2.0.

The organization operates a portfolio of interconnected programs rather than a single software product. Core platforms include INVEST'I (a community hosted on the EuroQuity international platform connecting startups with Business Angels, VCs, and banks), TS Index (a participative data platform tracking Tunisian startups and ecosystem metrics), Link4INN (an open-innovation project matching startups with corporates, run with UTICA), and Think Tank (policy advocacy producing briefs for decision-makers). Capacity-building offerings include TS Academy (peer-to-peer training and masterclasses supported by GIZ Tunisia), Women In Tech (training, mentoring, and podcasts for female tech entrepreneurs), the Startup Act resource hub, and The Ecosystem Guide podcast series. The underlying technology is conventional web infrastructure: a website portal, third-party integrations (EuroQuity), and content distribution via newsletter, podcast, YouTube, and social channels.

TunisianStartups does not operate a commercial revenue model; its free community membership and event access are offered at no cost. The organization is funded through project-based grants from foreign development partners, principally the European Union via Innov'i – EU4Innovation (implemented by Expertise France) and the German Cooperation via GIZ Tunisia's 'Invest for Jobs' initiative, the Digital Transformation Programme, and BMZ. Its customer base is the Tunisian entrepreneurial ecosystem at large — early to growth-stage startups, investors, support organizations, and aspiring entrepreneurs — with women tech founders served as a dedicated segment.

Name

TunisianStartups

Legal name

TunisianStartups

Website

https://tunisian-startups.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

TunisianStartups is a Tunisian NGO founded in 2016 that convenes the country's startup ecosystem through advocacy, networking, and capacity-building programs including INVEST'I, TS Index, Link4INN, Think Tank, TS Academy, and Women In Tech, serving startups, investors, corporates, and policymakers via foreign development grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Startup Ecosystem Development Services

NAICS

Civic and Social Organizations (813410), Social Advocacy Organizations (8133), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYHLAJAKAD

International & Local Implementing NGOs

Healthcare & Life Sciences/Public Health, Government & Regulators/Global Health & Development Agencies (NGOs/Multilaterals)

SECONDARYBPAGABAI

Governance, Democracy & Rule of Law

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/International Development & Poverty Alleviation

SECONDARYEDADALAC

NGO/Nonprofit Education Programs & Service Delivery

Education/Education Administration, Accreditation & Policy/Education Partnerships, Intergovernmental & NGO Programs

Keywords

• Startup ecosystem development
• Entrepreneurship advocacy
• Policy advocacy services
• Startup community building
• Ecosystem data platform

Headquarters

HQ city

Tunis

HQ country

Tunisia

HQ region

Africa

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. NGO Funding and Grants: As an NGO, TunisianStartups operates primarily through foreign funding and grants from organizations including the European Union (Innov'i - EU4Innovation), German Cooperation (GIZ Tunisia), and other international development partners. The organization does not generate commercial revenue but receives project-based funding for its programs.
2. Membership Program: Free community membership providing access to events, newsletter, TSIndex platform, and INVEST'I community. Membership is offered at no cost to attract ecosystem participation.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

TunisianStartups is a nonprofit NGO founded in 2016 that coordinates the Tunisian entrepreneurial ecosystem through advocacy, capacity-building, networking, and data transparency programs. It operates a portfolio of initiatives including INVEST'I (an investment community on the EuroQuity platform), TS Index (a participative startup data platform), Think Tank (policy advocacy), Link4INN (open innovation matching), TS Academy (educational training), Women In Tech (gender inclusion), Startup Act (regulatory framework support), and The Ecosystem Guide (podcast series).

Product overview

TunisianStartups is an NGO that offers a portfolio of interconnected programs and initiatives rather than a unified software product. The core offerings include: INVEST'I (EuroQuity-based investment community platform), TS Index (startup data analytics platform), Link4INN (open innovation matching platform), and Think Tank (policy advocacy platform). These are complemented by capacity-building programs: TS Academy (educational training), Women In Tech (gender inclusion initiative), Startup Act (regulatory framework support), and The Ecosystem Guide (podcast series). The organization focuses on advocacy, networking, and capacity-building to empower Tunisian startups.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• INVEST'I: A community platform unifying the Tunisian entrepreneurial ecosystem through the EuroQuity international platform, connecting startups, investors, and support structures. Deployed by Smart Capital.
• Think Tank
• TS Index
• Link4INN
• Women In Tech
• TS Academy
• Ecosystem Guide

Products and services

• INVEST'I A community platform hosted on the EuroQuity international platform that unifies the Tunisian entrepreneurial ecosystem by connecting startups, investors, and support structures including Business Angels, VCs, and banks. It provides fundraising management, visibility, and access to investment experts for Tunisian startups.
• Think Tank An advocacy and research initiative by TunisianStartups that develops improvement proposals for decision-makers to inspire public policies on entrepreneurship. It conducts impact assessments and produces advocacy briefs to shape Tunisia's startup regulatory environment.
• TS Index A participative online platform that provides quality data on Tunisian startups through graphs and infographics, measuring the impact of startups on the local economy and tracking the evolution of the Tunisian entrepreneurial ecosystem. Tracks 600+ startups.
• Link4INN An open innovation project implemented in collaboration with UTICA that promotes collaboration between startups and companies from various economic sectors through networking, pitch sessions, and B2B meetings across sectors including retail, agritech, fintech, and Industry 4.0.
• Women In Tech A project supporting women tech entrepreneurs through webinars with national and international dimensions, the Tech Women Talk podcast series, bootcamps, and mentoring sessions to boost gender diversity in Tunisia's tech sector. Outputs include 10 women entrepreneurs trained, 20+ mentoring sessions, and 13 podcasts.
• TS Academy An educational program offering startup capacity-building courses through peer-to-peer training sessions and master classes, covering topics such as product management, prototyping, design thinking, and artificial intelligence. Delivered 15 training sessions with 500+ participants.
• Startup Act A regulatory framework initiative that TunisianStartups helped elaborate, aimed at positioning Tunisia as an innovative business hub. Provides a practical guide, feedback sessions, and resources to help labeled startups navigate and unlock the benefits of the Startup Act legal framework.
• The Ecosystem Guide A podcast series providing comprehensive coverage of startups in Tunisia with 19 episodes and 1500+ listeners, covering topics from startup fundamentals to investment readiness, venture capital, startup studios, SSOs, and financing.

Quantifiable outcome

• 600+ startups tracked on TSIndex platform
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered flagship and core.

• Startup Act (Government Initiative)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Tunisian regulatory framework for startups that TunisianStartups helped elaborate. The Startup Act aims to position Tunisia as an innovative business hub. TunisianStartups continues advocacy for Startup Act 2.0 with incentives including startup grants, financing instruments, and internationalization support.
• EuroQuitycoreTechnology or Integration · 1 November 2020EuroQuity is an international platform that connects startups, investors, and support structures. TunisianStartups partners with EuroQuity to host the INVEST'I community, providing visibility for Tunisian startups on the platform since November 2020.
• UTICAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUTICA (Union Tunisienne de l'Industrie, du Commerce et de l'Artisanat) collaborates with TunisianStartups on the Link4INN project to encourage open innovation between startups and companies from various economic sectors.
• Ministry of Economy and PlanningflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerSponsor of the National Task Force established as part of TunisianStartups' advocacy strategy. The Ministry works jointly with ecosystem stakeholders including ATIC, Smart Capital, Central Bank, and College Startup Act to advocate for an enabling environment for startups.
• ATICcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMember of the National Task Force for advocacy, collaborating with TunisianStartups, Ministry of Economy, Smart Capital, Central Bank, and College Startup Act to shape policy for the entrepreneurial ecosystem.
• Central Bank of TunisiacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMember of the National Task Force contributing to advocacy efforts for startup-friendly policies and regulatory frameworks.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Endeavor: Global high-impact entrepreneur support NGO operating across emerging markets; comparable as an entrepreneur-led ecosystem builder with selection, mentorship, and policy advocacy components.
• StartupBlink: Global startup ecosystem map and ranking platform that tracks startups and ecosystem health across cities and countries; comparable to TSIndex's data and ecosystem transparency mission.
• Startup Genome: Global startup ecosystem research and mapping organization that produces benchmark reports and ecosystem data; directly comparable to TunisianStartups' TSIndex data platform and ecosystem coordination role.
• Seedstars: Swiss-based organization that runs startup competitions, capacity-building programs, and ecosystem development in emerging markets including Africa; directly comparable as a multi-program emerging-market ecosystem builder.

Regional players

• Bedu: MENA-based startup ecosystem builder operating programs across the region; comparable as a multi-program emerging-market support organization.
• Flat6Labs: MENA-focused early-stage venture fund and accelerator operating across North Africa and the Middle East; comparable as a regional ecosystem builder serving similar startup communities in adjacent geographies.
• Oasis500: Jordan-based early-stage investor and startup accelerator supporting entrepreneurs in the MENA region; comparable as a regional startup ecosystem support organization operating in a neighboring geography.

Others

• Smart Capital (Tunisia): Tunisia's national investment platform for startups and a strategic partner of TunisianStartups; comparable as a Tunisia-focused ecosystem support organization with overlapping programs and stakeholder relationships.
• ATIC: Tunisian Association of ICT industry actors, partner in the National Task Force alongside TunisianStartups; comparable as a domestic industry association engaged in policy advocacy for the digital economy.

Emerging players

• Startup Africa: Africa-focused startup ecosystem network supporting entrepreneurs across the continent; comparable as an emerging-market ecosystem community builder with similar advocacy and capacity-building orientation.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC1jyqdD3GUxTMx57BzxjqmQ/featured
• Facebookfacebook.com/tunisianstartups
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/tunisianstartups

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about TunisianStartups