Open Startup Launches New Initiative to Boost African Science and Innovation
Open Startup, a pan-African organization dedicated to supporting entrepreneurs across the continent, has announced a new strategic initiative called The Science Road. This program aims to enhance the development of African science, advanced technology, and research-led innovations, helping them transition from concept to competitive businesses.
Marking its 10th anniversary since its inception in Tunisia in 2016, Open Startup is shifting its focus to ventures that offer solutions in health, climate change, artificial intelligence, and other related fields. Over the past decade, Open Startup has empowered over 3,000 founders and supported more than 1,000 startups in over 20 African countries. The Science Road consolidates Open Startup’s existing programs into one comprehensive platform, positioning it as a crucial link between African innovators, scientists, markets, and investors. It also introduces “Openers First,” a new investment branch aimed at providing early financial support to selected initiatives emerging from this platform.
This new direction comes from Open Startup’s evolution from a university-based entrepreneurship competition to a broader platform for investment readiness and ecosystem development. The organization has established crucial connections between founders and stakeholders, including investors, corporations, universities, and international partners. They have also built a robust network of over 500 mentors and trained more than 300 coaches, aiding ventures in securing funding, creating jobs, and maintaining their operations beyond program completion.
“In our first ten years, we have dedicated ourselves to supporting entrepreneurs in building their ventures and accessing opportunities. As we embark on our second decade, we do so with heightened ambition and a broader reach. We envision The Science Road as a pathway that connects Africa’s innovators to global opportunities, fostering collaboration and investment while promoting a positive narrative for Africa.” – Houda Ghozzi, Founder and CEO of Open Startup
The Science Road addresses a gap in Africa’s innovation economy, particularly for science and deep tech ventures that need specialized support, stronger ties to universities, and early-stage funding. The program will be structured around two main pathways: one aimed at pre-seed innovators turning research into investable ideas, and the other focused on seed-stage startups scaling up technologies to tackle significant market and societal issues.
Openers First will serve as a financial bridge for promising ventures coming out of Open Startup’s ecosystem. This funding layer complements the organization’s investment readiness efforts, helping startups transition smoothly from early stages to growth phases.
As it moves forward, The Science Road will also enhance connections between various ecosystems, extending from Tunisia to South Africa. Open Startup plans to collaborate with partners like CERI, Stellenbosch University, and LaunchLab to assist research-oriented founders, taking scientific innovations from labs to market.
The organization’s journey over the last decade has benefited from a wide network of partners, including KfW AfricaGrow, AfricInvest, the U.S. Department of State, the European Union, and various universities such as Columbia University and MIT.
As Africa’s innovation ecosystems evolve, there’s a growing need for specialized support to help research-based ventures reach commercial viability. Through The Science Road, Open Startup aims to facilitate more African businesses on their journey from discovery to sustainable growth and long-term success.
