CJD Talks 2024: Mayssa Mrabet Discusses the Role of Startups and SMEs in Africa
A Growing Innovation Community
Since its creation in 2011, Afrilabs has played a crucial role in supporting innovation hubs across Africa, encompassing coworking spaces, incubators, and accelerators. Today, Afrilabs represents one of the largest innovation communities in Africa, with over 500 hubs spread across more than 35 countries. Mayssa Mrabet, in charge of expanding this community, highlights the importance of connecting African innovators to promote the development of innovative solutions.
Capacity Building and Collaboration Synergies
Afrilabs focuses on providing technical support to hubs, offering capacity-building programs both online and offline. Webinars bring together experts from diverse continents to inspire and share their experiences. By collaborating with governments, investors, enterprises, and startups, Afrilabs creates unique networking and collaboration opportunities to address local challenges.
The Importance of a Favorable Environment
In Tunisia, the entrepreneurial ecosystem has been shaped by civil society actors over the years. The revolution brought together policymakers, civil society, industrialists, and businessmen to encourage young people to innovate and develop projects. This movement led to the creation of a favorable environment for innovation, encouraging young people to identify problems to solve or business opportunities.
Supporting Startups and SMEs
Tunisian entrepreneurs, often tech-savvy engineers, sometimes lack business vision and structuring of their business models. Afrilabs and other support structures focus on specific support for startups to prepare them to dialogue with future investors. The "Startup Act" in Tunisia, the first in Africa, created a favorable framework for innovation and inspires other African countries to adopt similar policies.
The Role of Support Structures
Support structures, mainly funded by donors, play a crucial role in the development of startups and SMEs. Afrilabs strives to bring these two types of enterprises together so they can collaborate and share experiences. SMEs can offer startups access to markets, and startups can help SMEs innovate faster.
A Pan-African Connected Ecosystem
Afrilabs facilitates exchanges and collaborations across the African continent. For example, a Tunisian startup interested in the Senegalese market can quickly obtain information and contacts through local innovation hubs. Afrilabs also offers soft-landing solutions and relationships with governments, investors, banks, and enterprises.
The Africonnect Platform
Africonnect, a pan-African innovation community platform, allows ecosystem members to exchange and collaborate. It offers unique opportunities for startups to develop and adapt to new markets.
Challenges and Opportunities
Support structures sometimes face difficulties in finding the right projects to support. Afrilabs encourages entrepreneurs to be proactive in seeking mentors and investors. Diverse juries, composed of financiers, lawyers, and sector experts, play a key role in evaluating projects and preparing startups to attract investors.
Conclusion: Solutions and Opportunities
Afrilabs has created a favorable environment for innovation in Africa, connecting startups and SMEs across the continent. The collaborations and synergies developed offer numerous growth and development opportunities for African entrepreneurs. Afrilabs' proactive approach, centered on technical support, networking, and relationships with investors, continues to transform the African entrepreneurial ecosystem and create innovative solutions adapted to local needs.