• Platform offers project vetting, mentoring, and tailored financing tools
• Gabon leads CEMAC region in 2024 start-up fundraising with $1M raised

Gabon’s Ministry of Commerce last week launched Proxigab, a national digital platform designed to link small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), young entrepreneurs and project developers with domestic and international sources of funding.

The platform aims to increase the visibility of high-potential projects and improve access to both local and foreign financing. It also seeks to promote mentoring and business support while contributing to the development of Gabonese SMEs. Authorities present Proxigab as a strategic tool to strengthen the national entrepreneurial ecosystem, raise the profile of investment-ready projects and build lasting trust between investors and entrepreneurs.

Addressing funding constraints for Gabonese start-ups

Presenting the initiative, Minister of Commerce and SMEs Gninga Chaning Zenaba said Proxigab was designed to create a clearer and more structured interface between entrepreneurs and investors. The platform allows project developers to showcase well-documented proposals, while giving financiers a clearer view of available investment opportunities.

“The goal is to create a credible space where project developers can present solid initiatives, while enabling financiers to better identify existing opportunities,” the minister said.

In practice, Proxigab integrates several operational features, including project selection mechanisms and business support tools. It offers mentoring programmes involving large companies, as well as financing mobilisation instruments tailored to the specific needs of SMEs. Officials involved in the project said the platform was designed to evolve over time, with future improvements based on feedback from users and other stakeholders in the entrepreneurial ecosystem.

Through this initiative, Gabon is reaffirming its intention to use digital tools to support SME development. Proxigab forms part of the country’s broader strategy to promote entrepreneurship and foster the growth of technology-driven companies. For public authorities, the challenge is twofold: ensuring strong adoption of the platform by local businesses and increasing the participation of financial institutions. If successful, Proxigab could become a key channel for identifying structured, investment-ready projects in a market that remains largely overlooked by Gabon’s tech ecosystem.

Gabonese start-ups ranked 22nd in Africa for equity and debt fundraising in 2024, raising a total of $1 million, according to Partech Partners’ 2025 annual report. Within the CEMAC region, Gabon remains the leading market, ahead of Cameroon, which ranked 25th with $0.4 million raised.

Chamberline Moko