Open Startup (OST) recently hosted its inaugural Regional Gathering & Demo Day in Casablanca, marking a significant milestone in its pan-African pre-acceleration program. The event brought together early-stage startups from Tunisia, Morocco, and Senegal, alongside experts from North Africa and Columbia University in New York.
Over three days, participating startups engaged in strategic meetings with Moroccan and international venture capitalists, attended expert panels on African expansion and growth optimization, and received tailored mentorship from professionals affiliated with Columbia University and African ecosystems. The event culminated in a Demo Day, spotlighting innovative solutions.
Four startups received non-dilutive cash prizes:
Yello App (Senegal) secured first place with a $25,000 prize for its educational mobile application offering audio lessons and interactive quizzes to assist Senegalese high school students in preparing for the baccalaureate.
Dashy (Morocco) earned second place and $15,000 for its browser extension that transforms new tabs into interactive dashboards, integrating tools like Todoist, Google Calendar, and ChatGPT to enhance online productivity.
OORB (Tunisia) took third place with a $10,000 prize for its open-source robotic development platform, providing AI-based tools for designing, prototyping, and deploying advanced robots.
Additionally, OORB was awarded an immersive trip to New York to explore the American tech ecosystem and connect with international investors.
The OST Program, in collaboration with Columbia Engineering and Columbia Business School, supports startups from the Proof of Concept (POC) stage to developing a Minimum Viable Product (MVP). It offers international mentorship, access to a network of investors and partners, non-dilutive funding, and opportunities for global immersion.
This initiative is supported by founding partners such as AfricaGrow, Columbia Business and Engineering Schools of New York, the U.S. Embassy in Tunis, AfricInvest Group, Columbia Global Centers in Tunis and Amman, and The Dot. Local partners in Senegal include the General Delegation for Rapid Entrepreneurship of Women and Youth (DER/FJ), Ignite.E, Concree, Dakar American University of Science and Technology (DAUST), and Ecole Supérieure Polytechnique de Dakar. In Morocco, partners include TECHNOPARK Maroc (MITC), Morocco Numeric Fund, and Kalys Ventures.
OST aims to bridge African ecosystems with global opportunities, fostering an environment where African entrepreneurs can access world-class resources and become global players addressing continental and international challenges.