Start'n'Trade Program Organizes Second Demo Day at The DOT in Tunis
The Start'n'Trade program, an ambitious initiative led by the Centre de Promotion des Exportations (CEPEX) under the auspices of the Ministry of Commerce and Export Development, and supported by GIZ Tunisia on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, held its second Demo Day at The DOT in Tunis on September 24, 2024.
The program aims to bridge the gap between the technical, commercial, and software needs of Tunisian enterprises and innovative technological solutions emerging within the local ecosystem. The export sector, which plays a crucial role in Tunisia's economic growth, faces this growing challenge. Start'n'Trade seeks to strengthen ties between Tunisian exporting companies and dynamic and innovative startups in the country.
The event highlighted several innovative collaborations between Tunisian SMEs and startups, illustrating the potential of co-developed technological solutions to address the specific needs of exporting companies.
Notable collaborations included:
- Cytopharma, the region's first laboratory specializing in the development and production of injectable liquid and lyophilized medicines, and BQube ITs, a company specializing in the development of full-web and secure business applications. This synergy enabled Cytopharma, led by Olfa Gam, one of the 100 most powerful leaders in the healthcare sector in the MENA region according to the "Top 100 Healthcare Leaders 2024" ranking, to optimize its internal processes while adopting robust technological solutions.
- Cytopharma also collaborated with Wattnow, a startup that helps companies optimize their energy consumption through an intelligent energy management system. Wattnow, operating in 12 countries across 3 continents, enables its partners to reduce their energy bills and carbon footprint while improving their energy efficiency.
- In the agri-food sector, Bra Dates, a company specializing in date production and processing, collaborated with STARK, a Tunisian startup and subsidiary of the SPARK-IT group. STARK markets an innovative ERP solution, developed in responsive design, offering a wide range of modules from commercial management to accounting, production, and human resources.
- Additionally, Bra Dates partnered with Leanios, a company founded in 2020 in Munich with subsidiaries in Tunisia, Côte d'Ivoire, and Saudi Arabia. Leanios focuses on improving production efficiency and reducing the environmental impact of industrial companies. With over 25 clients across 4 countries, Leanios plays a key role in optimizing industrial processes, particularly in the agri-food, chemical, and automotive sectors.
These innovative collaborations demonstrate the positive impact of the Start'n'Trade program, which has attracted a wide range of talented enterprises and startups since its launch. The program's success is reflected in the numbers: no fewer than 184 companies applied, with 7 exceptional exporting companies selected to participate in the program.
