Over the past five years, Tunisia’s thriving tech industry has garnered over $150 million in investments, solidifying its position as a key player in Africa’s deep tech and AI landscape. This was highlighted during the AfricArena Deep Tech and Artificial Intelligence Summit held in Tunis, a two-day event that emphasized Tunisia’s emergence as a leading hub for innovation in North Africa.
The summit, supported by organizations like Caisse des Dépôts et Consignations (CDC), the World Bank, Smart Capital, and AWS Startups, showcased Tunisia’s growing ecosystem for startups and small-to-medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
During her welcome address, Nejia Gharbi, Executive Director of Tunisia’s CDC, noted that the country ranks among the top 10 globally in terms of startup funding availability and leads the Middle East and North Africa in talent accessibility.
“We are taking advantage of initiatives such as the Innovative Startups and SMEs Project to expand access to finance and spur growth,” Gharbi remarked. “Funds like the Anava Fund of Funds and InnovaTech are providing crucial support, while various ecosystem-wide initiatives are strengthening entrepreneurship at all levels.”
AfricArena CEO Christophe Viarnaud praised the summit, noting how deep tech and AI experts from across the continent are developing groundbreaking solutions to tackle global challenges. He added that the summit highlighted Africa’s role in driving the continent’s digital transformation.
As the summit concluded, several startups were recognized for their innovative contributions. The winners of the AfricArena Tunis Summit include:Best AI Startup: ToumAI (Morocco)
- Best Deep Tech Startup: Pixii Motors (Tunisia)
- Best Health Tech Startup: Saydalid (Tunisia)
- Best Sector-Agnostic Startup: Yello App (Senegal)
- Most Promising Entrepreneur: KidzRise (Tunisia)
The winners received $25,000 in AWS Activate credits and will advance to the final round of pitches at the AfricArena Grand Summit in Cape Town this December.
Commenting on the award, Youcef Rahmani, CEO of ToumAI, expressed pride in their mission to bridge linguistic and cultural gaps through AI, while Anis Fekih, CEO of Pixii Motors, emphasized their commitment to sustainable urban mobility solutions that can transform cities across Africa and beyond.
Tunisia’s tech sector continues to attract international attention, paving the way for more investment and innovation in the region.