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Nine companies selected to manage future investment funds for Moroccan startups
via Le Matin1 min read
Nine management companies have been pre-selected to oversee funds aimed at financing Moroccan startups with international ambitions. This announcement was made on April 8 in Marrakech during GITEX Africa Morocco 2026. The initiative is part of a call for expressions of interest launched by the Mohammed VI Fund for Investment, in partnership with the Ministry of Digital Transition and Administrative Reform and the Caisse de Dépôt et de Gestion. The goal is to foster a structured venture capital industry in Morocco, which is still in its developmental stages. The cumulative target size for these funds is estimated at nearly 2.5 billion dirhams, comprising public contributions and private, local, and foreign investments that the management companies are tasked with mobilizing. These funds will support startups through all development phases, from pre-seed to more advanced fundraising rounds, and will target strategic sectors such as fintech, agritech, edtech, healthtech, and climatetech. The selection process involved 47 applications, reviewed and interviewed by partner institutions with the support of national and international experts. The chosen companies represent diverse profiles, including national and international players, and a mixed consortium. Additionally, these funds will benefit from a specific support mechanism operated by TAMWILCOM, which includes first-loss coverage to enhance investment attractiveness. This initiative seeks to build a more competitive startup e
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Must ReadFollowing an attack near Es-Smara prison, the United States Mission to the United Nations released a statement on May 6, denouncing the violence and asserting that the status quo cannot continue. France, through its UN representation, reiterated on May 7 that the autonomy initiative under Moroccan sovereignty is the only basis for a just and lasting peace, urging the Polisario to respect the ceasefire and UN resolutions. On May 8, during the 70th anniversary of diplomatic relations, Japan explicitly endorsed the concept of "autonomy under Moroccan sovereignty" in a joint communiqué signed by Nasser Bourita and his Japanese counterpart, Toshimitsu Motegi. Japan also committed to diplomatic and economic action based on Security Council Resolution 2797 and called for all parties to participate in discussions without preconditions, aligning with the Moroccan plan. This follows Japan's previous stance at the 9th Tokyo International Conference on African Development, where it clarified that the presence of an unrecognized entity would not affect its position. This shift is part of a broader trend, including Mali's withdrawal of recognition for the SADR on April 10, with its Minister Abdoulaye Diop calling the Moroccan plan the only serious and credible basis for resolution. Bolivia had also suspended its recognition of the SADR weeks prior. Switzerland, the European Union, Canada, and Zambia have also adopted positions supporting the autonomy plan, citing the same UN resolution. Th
Morocco and Japan recently commemorated 70 years of diplomatic relations, reaffirming the strong bilateral ties between His Majesty King Mohammed VI and His Imperial Highness Emperor Naruhito. This milestone underscores a shared ambition to establish Rabat-Tokyo as a pillar of stability and growth, addressing global challenges with agility and solidarity. The two nations' ministers signed a joint communiqué, serving as an operational roadmap for the "Cooperation Memorandum for a Strengthened Partnership" signed in Tokyo in 2024. This communiqué institutionalizes strategic dialogue through regular political consultations to enhance coordination between their ministries. Both ministers expressed a firm determination to intensify high-level exchanges and promote cooperation across various sectors via the Morocco-Japan Joint Committee. This qualitative leap in relations structures bilateral priorities around robust, diversified, and multidimensional cooperation. Special attention will be given to cultural cooperation and people-to-people exchanges. In development cooperation, opportunities for triangular collaboration between Morocco, Japan, and partner African countries were explored, with a commitment to sustained high-level visits for follow-up. To celebrate this jubilee and in anticipation of the 2026 World Cup, in which both countries will participate, the ministers symbolically exchanged national football team jerseys, each bearing the number 70. Japan's minister congratula
Must ReadThe European Union's Ambassador to Morocco, Dimiter Tzantchev, stated on Friday that "it is not time to escalate, but to negotiate," referencing UN Security Council Resolution 2797. He emphasized that Morocco's autonomy plan should form the basis for achieving "a just, lasting and mutually acceptable solution" to the Western Sahara dispute. This statement follows several international condemnations of attacks targeting Smara and calls to preserve diplomatic efforts under the United Nations.
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