Tunisia Celebrates Fifth Anniversary of Startup Act: 2,000 Companies Registered

Five Years of Supporting Innovation and Entrepreneurship

Tunis, Tunisia - January 18, 2026 - Tunisia celebrated the fifth anniversary of the Startup Act launch, which made Tunisia the first African country to adopt a comprehensive legal framework supporting tech entrepreneurship.

Key Achievements

Numbers After Five Years

• 2,147 startups officially registered
• 12,500 direct jobs created
• 500 million dinars in annual tech exports
• 85 million dinars in funding raised in 2025
• 23 companies expanded to international markets

Fastest Growing Sectors

1. FinTech: 280 companies
2. HealthTech: 190 companies
3. EdTech: 165 companies
4. E-commerce: 320 companies
5. Artificial Intelligence: 145 companies

Notable Success Stories

Expensya (FinTech)

• Professional expense management solution
• Expanded to 100 countries
• Raised $25 million in funding

InstaDeep (Artificial Intelligence)

• Global machine learning company
• Acquired by BioNTech for $1 billion
• Headquarters in Tunisia and London

Cure Bionics (MedTech)

• Smart prosthetics using 3D printing technology
• Won international awards
• Exports to 15 African countries

Gomycode (EdTech)

• Programming education platform
• 50,000 trainees annually
• Expanded to 8 African countries

Startup Act Benefits

Exemptions and Incentives

• Tax exemption for 4 years
• Facilitated currency transfers for international transactions
• Sabbatical leave for employees to start their companies
• Free or subsidized patents

Administrative Facilitations

• Electronic registration within 8 hours
• One-stop shop for all procedures
• Facilitated visas for foreign investors and partners

Support Ecosystem

Incubators and Accelerators

• Flat6Labs Tunis: Largest accelerator in the region
• Wiki Startup: University incubator
• BIAT Labs: FinTech innovation
• Orange Fab: Support from Orange

Funding

New Law Updates

The government announced updates to the law including:

New Additions

• Raised tax exemption ceiling for exporting companies
• "Visa Startup" program for foreign founders
• Sovereign fund worth 100 million dinars for startups
• Partnership with universities for technology transfer

Future Programs

• Tunisia Tech Bridge: Connecting Tunisian companies to European market
• Startup Valley: Integrated tech zone in Sidi Thabet
• AI Tunisia: National AI program

Statements

The Minister of Economy and Planning stated:

"The Startup Act has proven successful as a leading African model. We are committed to continuing its development to keep pace with global digital economy requirements."

Future Vision

2030 Goals

• 5,000 registered startups
• 50,000 jobs
• 1 billion dinars in tech exports
• 10 unicorn companies

Tunisia continues to strengthen its position as a regional hub for innovation and tech entrepreneurship in Africa and the Arab world.