What Redstart Tunisie does

RedStart Tunisie is a Tunis-based private accelerator and business support organization founded in June 2019 by CEO Douja Gharbi. It provides free strategic and operational acceleration services to Tunisian startups, SMEs, and eco-entrepreneurs, with no upfront fees and an objectives-based engagement model. Its portfolio spans four core service lines — REDACCELERATION (tailored SME/startup acceleration focused on fundraising, open innovation, commercial acceleration, and internationalization), REDACADEMY (short-format training), REDSPACE (coworking), and REDEVENTS (meetups, conferences including the annual IPDAYS) — and 10+ thematic programs such as Women Go Green, CREACT4MED, WIDU.africa, Tech4Impact, AFRISTART, Jeun'ess, GREEN'IT 2.0, RED'INNOV, JUNIOR BOSS, WE-GO2MARKET, and SwitchMed II. The company is a mission-driven intermediary rather than a venture-backed entity.

The business model is grant-funded rather than transaction-based: RedStart does not charge entrepreneurs directly and instead secures funding from international development organizations and bilateral donors (EU, AFD, KOICA, UNDP, ILO, Expertise France, CDC Tunisia). Cumulative disclosed outcomes include 500+ entrepreneurs accompanied, 3.3M TND channeled to beneficiaries, 5,000+ hours of coaching across 1,040 sessions, 1,274+ jobs created, and a 94% beneficiary satisfaction rate, with 59-75% of beneficiaries being women. Technology infrastructure is light: the organization operates an online training platform called 'The Switchers' and uses standard WordPress-based website and social media channels; no proprietary AI/ML, mobile app, or API is in evidence.

RedStart's strategic positioning rests on three pillars: (1) a women-centric, gender-equity brand with 80%+ women in management, making it the first Tunisian member of the UNDP Business Call to Action; (2) a national distribution footprint covering all Tunisian governorates with explicit focus on underserved interior regions (Kairouan, Gabès, Sidi Bouzid, Kasserine); and (3) a 70+ partner ecosystem spanning donors, financial institutions (Attijari Bank, DAMYA Business Angels), universities, and international networks. The organization is operating but small — 1-10 employees — and its growth is constrained by grant cycle availability rather than market demand.

Name

Redstart Tunisie

Legal name

REDSTART TUNISIE

Website

https://redstart.tn

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

RedStart Tunisie is a Tunis-based private accelerator providing free strategic, operational, and training support to Tunisian startups, SMEs, and eco-entrepreneurs, funded by international development donors and serving 500+ beneficiaries with a strong women-entrepreneurship focus.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Startup Acceleration and Entrepreneurship Support Services

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710), Professional and Management Development Training (61143), Employment Services (5613)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Management Services (8741)

akta.pro primary industry

Youth Business Incubators & Accelerators (EDAMAHAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Entrepreneurship & Small Business Workforce Programs (EDAAAOAM), Entrepreneurship Foundations & Startup Basics (EDAMAHAA), Workforce Readiness, Career Pathways & Youth Employment Nonprofits (BPAGADAF)

Keywords

• Startup acceleration services
• Entrepreneurship incubation programs
• Coworking space
• Business training courses
• Green economy support

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, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Accelerator and Incubation Services: RedStart Tunisia is a nonprofit accelerator providing free strategic and operational support to PMEs and startups. The organization does not charge upfront fees and operates on an objectives contract basis with entrepreneurs. Revenue is generated through partnerships with international development organizations and donors who fund the accelerator's programs.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Redstart Tunisie is an accelerator and incubator for startups, SMEs, women entrepreneurs, and youth in Tunisia. It delivers tailored acceleration programs, short training courses, coworking facilities, themed events and conferences, and an annual IPDAYS innovation event, complemented by specialized sector programs including Women Go Green (green/circular economy), Tech4Impact (ICT jobs), WIDU.africa (diaspora-linked financing), CREACT4MED (creative industries), and JEUN'ESS (youth employment). Services are provided free of charge to entrepreneurs under objectives-based contracts, funded through partnerships with international development organizations and donors.

Product overview

Redstart Tunisie is an accelerator and incubator organization offering a comprehensive portfolio of entrepreneurship support services. The core offerings include REDACCELERATION (tailored acceleration for SMEs and startups), REDSPACE (coworking facilities), REDACADEMY (training programs), and REDEVENTS (networking events). The organization runs multiple specialized programs targeting different demographics and sectors: women entrepreneurs through Women Go Green and WE-GO2MARKET, youth through Jeun'ess and JUNIOR BOSS, green economy through GREEN'IT and GREEN'IT 2.0, and African startups through AFRISTART. Additional programs include Tech4Impact for ICT jobs, CREACT4MED for creative industries, WIDU.africa for diaspora-linked entrepreneurship, and RED'INNOV for general innovation support. The organization also hosts annual IPDAYS events and produces the Green Cast podcast.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• RedAcceleration: Custom acceleration program for SMEs and Startups focused on fundraising, open innovation, commercial acceleration, and internationalization
• REDACADEMY
• REDEVENTS
• REDSPACE
• Green Cast
• IPDAYS (Inno'Preneurs Days)

Products and services

• REDACCELERATION Tailored acceleration program for SMEs and startups focused on fundraising, open innovation, commercial acceleration, and internationalization, delivered under an objectives-based contract with no upfront fees. Intended for Tunisian SMEs and early-stage startups seeking growth and investor access.
• REDSPACE Coworking space in Tunis equipped with workspace, meeting rooms and training facilities, available to startups, NGOs, and associations.
• REDACADEMY Range of short training programs aimed at strengthening the capacities of young people and businesses across various sectors.
• REDEVENTS Meetups, themed events and conferences organized by Redstart Tunisie to foster exchanges between program participants ('Redstarters') and actors in the entrepreneurial ecosystem.
• Women Go Green Incubation program for women entrepreneurs operating in the green economy and circular economy sectors, training them on the Green Business Model Canvas (GBMC).
• CREACT4MED Program stimulating entrepreneurship and job creation for youth and women through cultural and creative industries, delivered as part of the Creative Mediterranean partnership.
• Tech4Impact (IPTIC) ICT-sector employment program implementing Tech4Impact (IPTIC) in partnership with ILO and the Ministry of Employment with KOICA Tunisia Office funding, targeting ICT job creation for young people.
• WIDU.africa Program providing personalized coaching and financial support to help Tunisian entrepreneurs implement projects with diaspora backing, with over 500 entrepreneurs supported and 3.3M TND channeled.
• Jeun'ess (EU4Youth) EU4Youth program creating decent employment for young people in disadvantaged areas and supporting their transition to the formal economy via the social and solidarity economy.
• AFRISTART Program supporting African startups with ecosystem development and cross-border opportunities.
• GREEN'IT Program promoting green entrepreneurship and sustainable business practices among Tunisian entrepreneurs.
• GREEN'IT 2.0 Second phase of the GREEN'IT program expanding the support provided for green entrepreneurship.
• Women Go Green 2 Second cohort of the Women Go Green program supporting women entrepreneurs in accessing financing and developing green economy projects.
• RED'INNOV Innovation program launched to strengthen Tunisia's innovation ecosystem by supporting startups through mentorship and acceleration.
• JUNIOR BOSS Entrepreneurship education program for students introducing green business model development to primary and secondary school children via bootcamps.
• WE-GO2MARKET Capacity-building program for women entrepreneurs to access new markets and develop their businesses, including digital transformation support.
• SwitchMed II Program supporting sustainable entrepreneurship and circular economy practices in the Mediterranean region.
• IPDAYS (Inno'Preneurs Days) Annual Inno'Preneurs Days entrepreneurship and innovation events featuring panels, masterclasses, workshops, and startup exhibitions showcasing innovation and entrepreneurial opportunities.
• Green Cast Podcast Podcast dedicated to green entrepreneurship, highlighting women entrepreneurs through interviews and stories; available on Spotify and other platforms.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 500 entrepreneurs accompanied; 1274+ jobs created; 3.3M TND financial support channeled; 5000+ hours of coaching; 94% satisfaction rate

Named customers22 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• EMEA (Euro-Mediterranean Economists Association)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 26 June 2024Memorandum of Understanding signed between RedStart Tunisia (represented by CEO Douja Gharbi) and EMEA (represented by Prof. Rym Ayadi) to enhance collaboration on Euro-Mediterranean entrepreneurship initiatives.
• University of KairouanminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 23 April 2024Partnership convention signed between RedStart Tunisia and University of Kairouan to promote entrepreneurship in the Kairouan region, an underserved interior region of Tunisia.
• BCtA (Business Call to Action)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRedStart Tunisia is the first Tunisian company to join the Business Call to Action (BCtA) initiative by UNDP, recognizing and advancing inclusive businesses that contribute to sustainable development goals.
• Enactus TunisiacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to promote entrepreneurship in Tunisia. A convention was signed between Enactus Tunisia and RedStart Tunisia for joint initiatives.
• International Labour Organization (ILO)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerImplementing partner for the Tech4Impact program (IPTIC - Impact des politiques et création d'emplois dans les TIC en Tunisie), funded by KOICA Tunisia Office, working to create employment in the ICT sector for young people.
• WIDU.africacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRedStart Tunisia serves as technical partner for WIDU in Tunisia, providing coaching and operational support to entrepreneurs who receive financial support from the WIDU program. Over 500 entrepreneurs supported, 3.3M TND invested, 1274+ jobs created.
• Caisse des Dépôts et Consignations (CDC) TunisiacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerImplementing body for the FAST project (Femmes et Accélération pour les Startups et TPE), in partnership with AFD, Expertise France, and RedStart Tunisia.
• Expertise FrancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTechnical partner for the FAST project and Innov'i EU4Innovation project, providing technical support to RedStart Tunisia's programs for women entrepreneurs.
• Minassa HubminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with the Minassa Digital Hub in Tunisia for program delivery and entrepreneurial ecosystem activities.
• Tunis International Center for Digital Cultural Economy (TICDCE)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the Grand Tunis region for delivery of Tech4Impact/IPTIC program activities.
• FPAM (Financement Participatif Africa & Mediterranean)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in organizing IPDAYS events and promoting crowdfunding as a financing mechanism for African entrepreneurs.
• Creative Mediterranean / CREACT4MEDcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRedStart Tunisia is partner for CREACT4MED program, stimulating entrepreneurship and job creation for youth and women in cultural and creative industries.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Endeavor: Global high-impact entrepreneur support organization with a presence in MENA. Comparable as a selective, mission-driven entrepreneur network focused on scaling high-growth ventures.
• MassChallenge: Global zero-equity accelerator with programs across multiple continents. Comparable as a large, established, free-of-equity accelerator with corporate and donor partnerships.
• NUMA (formerly known as TheFamily): International acceleration network with hubs across emerging markets. Comparable as a startup support organization providing mentorship, events, and ecosystem connectivity.
• Startupbootcamp: Global accelerator network with industry-specific verticals. Comparable as a corporate- and partner-backed accelerator operating programs in emerging markets with structured cohort delivery.

Direct peers

• Flat6Labs: North Africa and MENA-focused seed fund and early-stage accelerator with programs in Tunisia, Egypt, and other regional markets. Directly comparable as a regional accelerator serving startups and SMEs with investor networks.
• Smart Tunisian Technoparks (S2T): Tunisia-based innovation park operator supporting startups and SMEs with incubation services. Comparable as a domestic Tunisian ecosystem player providing workspace, training, and acceleration.
• Seedstars: Swiss-rooted emerging markets accelerator and competition platform with active operations across Africa. Comparable as a global-to-local entrepreneurship support organization running cohort-based programs in emerging markets.

Emerging players

• MEST Africa: Pan-African entrepreneur training and seed funding program. Comparable as a structured training-to-funding pipeline serving African startups with international donor backing.

Others

• SwitchMed / UNIDO Mediterranean accelerator network: Mediterranean green-economy program that Redstart has partnered with. Comparable as a sister donor-funded program in the green entrepreneurship space with overlapping beneficiary segments in the Mediterranean.

Regional players

• Berytech: Lebanese innovation and entrepreneurship support organization with similar donor-funded programs in the Levant. Comparable as a regional incubator/accelerator with EU and development partner backing.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/redstartunisie
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/redstart-tunisie

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Redstart Tunisie