Côte d’Ivoire just rolled out one of the boldest startup support packages in Francophone Africa. The plan mixes artificial intelligence tools with direct access to government contracts. The goal is simple: turn the country’s digital economy into a regional powerhouse.
The Ministry of Digital Transition and Technological Innovation launched two flagship programmes on July 29 in Abidjan. They are called Ivoire Tech Next 15 and Ivoire Tech Scale Up. Together, they will give 30 companies 24 months of structured support, according to TechCabal. Minister Djibril Ouattara also unveiled a roadmap for 2026 to 2028. It is built around seven pillars and 40 projects. He introduced a third initiative too, called Ivoire Gouv Tech Lab.
The numbers behind the push are striking. Digital activity currently makes up six to eight percent of Côte d’Ivoire’s GDP. The government wants that above ten percent by 2030. Financing remains the biggest hurdle for small businesses. Most SMEs name it as their top obstacle to growth, and fewer than a quarter manage to secure bank loans. Still, SMEs matter enormously to the economy. They make up 98 percent of all businesses and drive close to a quarter of GDP and formal jobs. The state poured 250 billion CFA francs into the digital sector in 2024 alone. And the bigger picture is even more ambitious: the 2026 to 2030 National Development Plan carries a budget above 200 billion dollars, with digital growth as a clear priority.
So who qualifies? The two programmes target different types of companies. Ivoire Tech Next 15 is for 15 innovative startups that have been running for at least a year. To qualify, a company needs Ivorian headquarters, growing revenue, an innovative product, and founders who hold majority ownership. Ivoire Tech Scale Up aims higher. It targets 15 established tech SMEs ready to expand, and the bar is tougher. Applicants need three to five closed financial years, at least 75 percent Ivorian ownership, and average revenue of 500 million CFA francs, with 65 percent of that tied to digital activity. Applications are free and open now, and the deadline is September 13. Finalists will pitch before an international jury, and winners get announced in Abidjan later that month.
What do winners actually get? Far more than a grant, it turns out. Selected companies gain access to AI agents that handle recruitment, marketing, finance, and HR. Ministry officials describe this as the equivalent of two to three extra staff members, at no salary cost, fully funded by the state. This promise was not just talk. It was demonstrated live on stage using Adjoua, an AI recruitment tool. In just minutes, Adjoua wrote a job description, designed a LinkedIn-ready hiring visual, and built a salary pitch for a real vacancy pulled from the audience. It even flagged that the founder’s proposed salary was too low for the market, and he revised it on the spot.
There is more on offer too. Winners get introductions to venture capital, lenders, loan guarantees, and technical assistance. They also gain a real route into public procurement under the 2023 Startup Act, something that has mostly stayed out of reach for young Ivorian firms until now. The ministry promises further introductions to banks, telecom operators, and major industrial groups. Selected firms will also get national data centre access, cloud credits, and cybersecurity certifications. Scale Up participants get even more, including legal and tax support plus priority access to the VITIB technology free zone.
A long list of partners has already signed on. It includes the World Bank, IFC, African Development Bank, Bpifrance, JICA, UNDP, Ecobank, Orange Ventures, MTN, and venture funds like Launch Africa Ventures and Seedstars Africa. At the launch, Ecobank Côte d’Ivoire’s head, Paul-Henri Aithnard, pushed the country’s other banks to change how they lend to tech firms. He urged them to offer hybrid capital and debt instead of demanding collateral that startups simply do not have. Advans Côte d’Ivoire also committed to supporting both cohorts, from early stage through scale up. And investors at the event, including a representative from Launch Africa Ventures, made one thing clear. The real bottleneck for Francophone African startups is not a shortage of capital. It is weak deal preparation.
