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
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