• Technopark Casablanca partners with Renew Capital, which opens a regional HQ in Morocco

• Deal aims to link Maghreb and North/West African startups to sub-Saharan markets

• Partnership comes amid a tentative rebound in African tech funding in early 2025

Morocco’s Technopark Casablanca and pan-African investor Renew Capital on Thursday announced a partnership that includes the opening of Renew Capital’s North and West Africa headquarters in Morocco.

The partnership aims to strengthen connections between innovation ecosystems in the Maghreb, West Africa and East Africa, the organisations said. Renew Capital will support Moroccan and North African startups seeking to expand into sub-Saharan markets and will help link Moroccan institutions to opportunities in fast-growing ecosystems across the continent.

Technopark Casablanca, the country’s main technology and entrepreneurship hub, will provide access to its incubator network, facilities and innovation platform to ease the integration of these companies into multiple African markets.

The announcement comes at a time when Africa’s startup sector is experiencing both challenges and renewed momentum. After a difficult 2024, when funding for African tech fell by more than 50%, the early months of 2025 have shown signs of recovery. Startups raised about $1.42 billion across 243 deals in the first half of the year, pointing to a rebound in venture capital activity.

On a structural level, Africa is also seeing the rise of more homegrown investors. Venture capital funds based on the continent accounted for 29% of active investors in 2023, up from 23% the previous year.

Samira Njoya