What Does the 2025 Global Startup Ecosystem Index Reveal About Morocco?
The North African country recorded the highest growth rate in its region at 23.1%, trailing only Egypt (65th globally) and Tunisia (82nd).
The comprehensive report, which evaluates 1,473 cities and 118 countries worldwide, positions Morocco as the third-strongest startup ecosystem in Northern Africa. This improvement reflects the country's growing appeal as a stable and affordable base for entrepreneurs targeting North African markets.
At the continental level, Morocco ranks 9th in Africa, ahead of Senegal but behind South Africa, Kenya, Nigeria, Cape Verde, Ghana, and Namibia. Globally, the top five positions are held by the United States, the United Kingdom, Israel, Singapore, and Canada.
Top-ranking Moroccan cities
Casablanca remains the undisputed center of Morocco's startup activity. The city jumped 42 positions to rank 317th globally, with an impressive growth rate exceeding 40% — the highest among Moroccan cities and throughout Northern Africa. Its total score is more than 6.5 times larger than second-ranked Rabat.
Rabat also showed strong performance, climbing seven spots to 811th globally with over 20% growth. Beyond these leading centers, the StartupBlink Index also tracks other Moroccan cities: Marrakech (1060th) showed positive momentum with 12% growth, while Tangier made its debut in the rankings at position 1151.
Conversely, Agadir's position appears precarious, as it experienced negative growth and risks falling out of the global top 1,000.
A robust ecosystem
The StartupBlink data reveals Morocco's startup funding reached $176.9 million in 2024. The country ranks 71st globally in the Ecommerce & Retail sector and has produced three startups backed by prestigious accelerator Y Combinator.
The ecosystem has celebrated several success stories, including acquisitions of startups like DabaDoc, Moteur, and WaystoCap. In 2023, B2B food distribution platform Terraa secured $1.5 million in pre-seed funding — the largest of its kind in Morocco — led by FoodLabs with participation from multiple venture capital firms.
Furthermore, the report highlights how Chari, a B2B e-commerce platform, reached a landmark moment in 2022 with a $100 million valuation during a bridge funding round — cementing its status as a standout force in Morocco's evolving startup ecosystem.
The Index findings correspond with tangible government action to foster entrepreneurship, including targeted tax exemptions for startups and the Maroc PME program supporting small and medium enterprises. In 2022, authorities launched MoroccoTech, a national brand promoting the digital sector and positioning Morocco as an international digital hub.
Fueling Morocco's startup-driven future
Subsequently, the Digital Morocco 2030 strategy was introduced with an allocation of approximately $24 million to support local startups and facilitate their international expansion.
The country hosts GITEX Africa, the region's largest tech event, attracting startups, investors, coders, and academics. Many Moroccan youth are becoming high-quality freelancers, gaining expertise from international clients — a knowledge base that could fuel the next generation of Moroccan startups.
The analysis identifies several active capital sources for Moroccan entrepreneurs, including UM6P Ventures and Maroc Numeric Fund. Specifically, UM6P Ventures operates two funds targeting pre-seed and seed-stage startups across various sectors.
The Innov Invest Fund, established in collaboration with the World Bank and European Union, aims to enhance financing access for SMEs and startups. Moreover, Impact Lab in Casablanca serves as a cornerstone hub supporting social and environmental startups.
Nevertheless, the report acknowledges persistent obstacles. The ecosystem faces economic and social challenges, including limited access to education and healthcare, gender inequality, and inadequate startup funding and legislation.
Addressing these issues will be crucial for unlocking the full potential of Moroccan entrepreneurs and enabling them to make a substantial impact on their local ecosystems. Tags: startup ecosystem MoroccoStartups in Morocco
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Morocco World
15 hours ago
- Morocco World
ASEAN Countries Bring First Cultural Festival to Morocco
Rabat — Six Southeast Asian embassies to Morocco hosted today the country's first ASEAN Bazaar and Cultural Festival in Rabat, marking a milestone in cultural exchange between the regions. The Royal Thai Embassy led the initiative alongside embassies from Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Indonesia, and Vietnam, running from August 9 to 11. The event celebrates ASEAN's 58th anniversary and promotes the organization's partnership with Morocco. ASEAN, which stands for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, formed in 1967 to strengthen political, economic, and social ties across the region. The event provides a platform for visitors to enjoy cultural performances from participating countries and sample authentic Southeast Asian food and drinks at affordable prices. The festival aims to introduce Moroccan audiences to ASEAN cultures and display traditional products from member countries. 'This is the first time ASEAN embassies jointly organize such an event in Morocco,' organizers said in a press release. The festival also features the growing sectoral dialogue partnership between ASEAN and Morocco. ASEAN includes ten member countries, namely Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. The organization works to promote cooperation across Southeast Asia. Thailand's Ambassador to Morocco, Fabio Chinda, expressed his appreciation for Moroccan-Thai relations during today's event inauguration. 'Today we were here to celebrate the 58th anniversary of the ASEAN foundation, and we have the flag raising ceremony, which we do every year,' Chinda said in an interview with Morocco World News (MWN). The ceremony was part of the first-ever ASEAN Bazaar and Cultural Festival held in Morocco, featuring cultural performances and authentic cuisine from Thailand, Brunei Darussalam, Malaysia, the Philippines, Indonesia, and Vietnam. A unique cultural bridge The ambassador stressed the significance of these growing ties, stating, 'This marks the symbol of friendship between Thailand and Morocco, hoping this friendship will last long and stable.' For her part, the ambassador's wife Maneevarong Chinda shared her excitement about Morocco's first-ever ASEAN Bazaar and Cultural Festival, taking place at the Thai Embassy through August 11. 'This is the first time we've organized an ASEAN Cultural Food Festival here in Rabat,' she told MWN. She noted how six ASEAN countries have come together to feature their authentic cuisine and traditional products. 'I hope everyone can join and enjoy today — maybe next year we can organize it again!' said Manuong, expressing optimism for making this cultural bridge an annual tradition. Meanwhile, Malaysia's Ambassador to Morocco, Dato' Shahabudeen Adam Shah, expressed enthusiasm for growing Morocco-ASEAN partnerships during today's inauguration. 'We are proud to be here and we are proud to be having very close cordial bilateral relation with the Kingdom of Morocco,' he said in an interview with MWN. The diplomat spoke about Morocco's status as an ASEAN sectoral dialogue partner since 2023, noting that 'there are a lot of elements of cooperation between Morocco and ASEAN.' Speaking of growing bilateral relations with Morocco, he said, 'We are really looking forward to further enhancing our cooperation not only bilaterally between Malaysia and Morocco but also between ASEAN and Morocco in the future.' Vietnam's Ambassador to Morocco, Le Kim Quy, reflected, for her part, on three decades of her country's ASEAN membership during today's flag-raising ceremony at the inauguration ceremony. 'This year, Vietnam celebrates the 30th anniversary of its accession to ASEAN,' the ambassador told MWN. The event represents a significant cultural bridge between Southeast Asia and the North African country, giving Moroccans their first taste of a comprehensive ASEAN cultural experience.
Maroc
2 days ago
- Maroc
Morocco Receives 11.6 Mln Tourists at End of July 2025
Morocco received 11.6 million tourists at the end of July 2025, a 16% increase against the same period in 2024, according to the Ministry of Tourism, Handicrafts and Social and Solidarity Economy. These results confirm that the solid momentum has been maintained, the ministry emphasized in a press release, pointing out that 52% of arrivals are Moroccan expatriates. July's results also stress the sector's upward trend with 2.7 million tourists received, showing a 6% progression in comparison with the previous year, the same source added. This growth concerns foreign tourists as well as Moroccan expatriates, confirming Morocco's attractiveness among both of these categories. Specifically, foreign tourist arrivals reached 875,000, up 2% year-on-year, while 1.8 million Moroccan expatriates opted to visit Morocco during the same month, marking a 7% increase. On this occasion, Minister of Tourism, Handicrafts and Social and Solidarity Economy, Fatim-Zahra Ammor, noted that Morocco remains a favorite as well as a discovery destination for millions of tourists worldwide, adding that this positive touristic momentum continues, driven by local tourists, the Moroccan diaspora, and foreign visitors alike. This trend is part of a context marked by continuous attention to tourists' expectations and a lasting commitment to improving the travel experience, in line with the priorities of the 2023-2026 tourism roadmap, the press release concluded. (MAP: 08 August 2025)
Morocco World
2 days ago
- Morocco World
Global Food Prices Rise to Highest Level in Over Two Years
Food commodity prices around the world rose in July, hitting their highest point in more than two years. This surge came as vegetable oils spiked and meat prices reached record levels, outweighing declines in cereals, dairy, and sugar, according to the United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). The FAO Food Price Index, which tracks international food commodity prices, averaged 130.1 points last month, a 1.6% rise from June and the highest since early 2023. While this marks a notable rebound, the index remains almost 19% below its peak following the sharp disruptions caused by the war in Ukraine in 2022. Meat prices drove much of the increase. The FAO's meat price index reached an all-time high at 127.3 points in July. In Morocco, for instance, with drought and rising feed costs reducing national livestock, the North African country increased meat imports to stabilize supply and prices. In July, meat prices increased by 4%, while fish and seafood prices rose by 3.9%. Vegetable oils posted the largest monthly jump, with prices for palm, soy, and sunflower oils climbing amid tight global supplies and sustained demand. Rapeseed oil prices, however, eased with the arrival of new European harvests. At the same time, cereal prices eased to their lowest in nearly five years as Northern Hemisphere wheat harvests added seasonal supply. Rice prices declined by 1.8%, pressured by ample export stocks and weak buying interest. Dairy prices slipped slightly, driven by lower butter and milk powder costs that offset modest gains for cheese. Sugar prices continued their decline for the fifth straight month, despite some signs of renewed import demand, weighed down by expected higher output in Brazil and India. Morocco offers a clear example of the real-world impact behind these figures. The country has faced sharp inflation in staple food prices over recent months, making everyday essentials more expensive for consumers. Rising costs for vegetable oils and meat, key components of Moroccan diets, have especially strained household wallets. While global cereal prices have eased, Morocco's heavy reliance on imports means fluctuations and transport costs keep local prices high. Overall, the July data depict a food market still shaped by complex forces, climate conditions, geopolitical tensions, and shifting consumption patterns that directly affect countries like Morocco and millions of people worldwide. Tags: droughtFAOfood pricesinflationMorocco food prices
