Algeria launches startup fund to drive innovation and trade
At the 2025-Intra-African Trade Fair (IATF), Algeria announced a continent-wide fund to back startups and young innovators, underscoring its ambition to lead Africa’s knowledge economy, as reported by AL24 News on September 11.
President Abdelmadjid Tebboune described the fund as a mechanism to empower youth and drive shared growth.
The Algerian Agency for International Cooperation will oversee the fund, directing resources to projects that foster technological innovation, generate employment, and promote African economic integration.
The launch comes as IATF 2025 concluded with contracts exceeding $48.3 billion, with $11.4 billion earmarked for Algeria itself, evidence of the fair’s scale and the country’s growing trade profile.
The Algerian Press Service reports that the event also opened new partnership prospects between Algerian and African companies, linking the startup fund to broader continental cooperation.
Recently, Egyptian conglomerate Elsewedy Electric signed a memorandum to invest $2.5 billion in Algerian industry, targeting renewable energy, electrical manufacturing, and technology transfer—an investment that aligns with Algeria’s broader diversification strategy.
Further, A new cooperation agreement with Uganda will upgrade medical infrastructure such as Kitakwi Hospital and ease tax and customs rules, reflecting Algeria’s push to export expertise in health and agriculture while strengthening African integration.
The startup fund aligns with these regional ambitions. Earlier this year, WIPO pledged to support Algeria’s intellectual-property framework and IP-backed financing, critical to making the fund effective. Meanwhile, the private sector shows growing momentum: Algerian HR-tech firm Talenteo recently raised a six-figure round from Tunisia’s 216 Capital to expand across Francophone Africa.
Together, these initiatives signal Algeria’s intent to pair bold investment with regional collaboration, positioning the country as a key engine of innovation and trade in Africa. The new startup fund, backed by major industrial and diplomatic partnerships, could accelerate technological growth while deepening Algeria’s role in the continent’s economic future.
AL24 News, Maghrebi.org, Algerian Press Service, WIPO, Wamda
Want to chase the pulse of North Africa?
Subscribe to receive our FREE weekly PDF magazine
