Morocco ranked 88th out of 118 countries in the Global Startup Ecosystem Index 2025, achieving a 23.1% annual growth—the highest in Northern Africa—and a total score of 0.687 after climbing four spots.
Tunisia recorded a 15.3% annual ecosystem growth, while Egypt achieved 22% growth, ranking 65th globally.
The report by Startup Blink, a global startup ecosystem research and ranking platform, highlighted that Morocco has three cities in the top 1,000, with Casablanca and Rabat gaining positive momentum.
Casablanca leads with a score more than 6.5 times higher than Rabat, climbing 42 spots to 317th globally with a growth rate exceeding 40%, the highest in the country and region.
Rabat jumped seven spots to 811th, showing strong growth of over 20%, while Agadir risks falling out of the top 1,000 due to a negative growth rate, stating that Morocco maintains its position as the third-largest startup ecosystem in Northern Africa.
The report highlights Morocco’s startup ecosystem as “an affordable and stable base for entrepreneurs targeting the North African market.”
With a young, tech-savvy population and growing digital connectivity, it said, Morocco is positioned to become a key regional innovation hub.
Success stories include acquisitions of startups like DabaDoc, Moteur, and WaystoCap. In 2023, Terraa, a Moroccan B2B food distribution platform, raised $1.5 million in the country’s largest pre-seed funding round, while in 2022, B2B e-commerce platform Chari reached a $100 million valuation during a bridge funding round—both marking significant milestones for Morocco’s startup scene.
The report noted that Morocco actively fosters entrepreneurial growth through events like GITEX Africa, attracting startups, investors, and tech talent. Many young Moroccans are becoming skilled freelancers for international clients, building expertise that can fuel the next generation of startups.
Also, government support includes tax exemptions for startups, the Maroc PME program for SMEs, and the MoroccoTech brand launched in 2022 to promote the digital sector.
The Digital Morocco 2030 strategy allocates approximately US$24 million to help startups scale internationally. Additionally, “non-profits like StartUp Maroc and innovation hubs such as TechnoPark—in Casablanca, Agadir, Rabat, and Tangiers—provide vital support to businesses in ICT, Green Tech, and cultural industries.”
Yet, Morocco’s startup ecosystem faces challenges, noted the report, mainly limited education and healthcare access, gender inequality, and weak funding and legislation.
Why Investing in Small Startups in Morocco Isn’t Optional — It’s Strategic
In Morocco, the future isn’t going to be built by imported tech giants or top-down government projects. It’s going to come from small, hungry startups solving real problems on the ground — and right now, they’re underfunded and overlooked.
These startups aren’t chasing hype. They’re building tools for fragmented logistics, smarter agriculture, local fintech, and digital infrastructure that actually fits Moroccan needs. They’re not betting on buzzwords — they’re betting on survival, and they’re building lean, fast, and focused.
Aziz Mone. canada