The «Scale Up Tunisia» programme which provides support to 20 Tunisian startups helped create 61 positions, 29 of them to be fulfilled by women, reads a statement of Flat6Labs on Wednesday. The programme supported by the FAST project is funded by the French Development Agency (AFD) and implemented by the Caisse des Dépôts et Consignations Tunisienne (CDC) with technical support from Expertise France. It seeks to consolidate the entrepreneurship ecosystem in Tunisia, particularly female entrepreneurship. For 18 months, the 20 startups operating in the automotive, finTech, fashion, industry 4.0 and green tech sectors were supported in their international expansion and thus benefited from over 500 hours of coaching by 32 renowned coaches. Among these startups, 7 are led by women. During the closing ceremony held Tuesday evening in Tunis, 5 of the participating startups raised extra funds. The event was attended by Tunisian and foreign investors. Deputy Director of Flat6Labs, Faten Aissi, underlined that «the Scale Up Tunisia programme» offered promising prospects for startups which continue to shine through their audacity and determination.» Entrepreneurship project manager at the French Development Agency Sarah Diari, pointed out that this ceremony was an opportunity «to highlight the concrete and promising progress of the 20 supported startups.» Through mentoring, these startups were able to extend their potential for growth and expansion internationally, the same source said. Launched and based in Cairo since 2011, Flat6Labs has several offices in the region, with plans to expand to other emerging markets. Each year, Flat6Labs invests in over 100 innovative, technology-driven startups. This accelerator has support programmes developed to specifically meet the needs of innovative entrepreneurs so as to help them accelerate their businesses.

Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse