Côte d’Ivoire Launches Ivoire Tech Next 15 and Ivoire Tech Scale Up to Accelerate Digital Startups and SMEs

September 22, 2026
Africa, SMEs, Tech, Youth

Côte d’Ivoire Opens a New Chapter for Digital Startups and SMEs

Côte d’Ivoire is stepping up its efforts to build a stronger technology and innovation ecosystem with the launch of two national programmes designed specifically for digital businesses.

On 29 July 2026, the Ivorian Minister of Digital Transition and Technological Innovation, Djibril Ouattara, officially launched Ivoire Tech Next 15 and Ivoire Tech Scale Up in Abidjan at the Sofitel Hôtel Ivoire.

The two programmes are designed to support 30 digital companies in total, comprising 15 digital startups under Ivoire Tech Next 15 and 15 established digital SMEs under Ivoire Tech Scale Up. The launch took place under the supervision of Robert Beugré Mambé, Prime Minister of Côte d’Ivoire, and marked what the ministry described as the first concrete programmes activating the country’s Startup Act.

What Is Ivoire Tech Next 15?

Ivoire Tech Next 15 is targeted at digital startups operating in Côte d’Ivoire that have already moved beyond the earliest stages of development and are considered ready to take a significant step forward.

The programme is designed to select 15 innovative digital startups that have been operating for at least one year and have an established and growing revenue stream, an innovative product or service, and the potential to reach another stage of growth.

For eligibility, a startup must have its headquarters in Côte d’Ivoire, the founders must also hold a majority stake in the company, while the business must be up to date with its tax and social obligations.

This makes the programme different from a conventional idea-stage entrepreneurship competition. The focus is on startups that already have evidence of business activity and are looking for structured support to accelerate their development.

Ivoire Tech Next 15 carries a genuinely inspiring, forward-looking mission. Minister Djibril Ouattara described it as;

“the most agile force the Ivorian economy possesses, capable of inventing, testing, and scaling quickly wherever the needs are most pressing, and stating that through Ivoire Tech Next 15 the state has chosen to invest in fifteen of them to convert that innovative capacity into growth, qualified jobs, and concrete solutions for Ivorians”

Djibril Ouattara

That shows a genuinely powerful and optimistic commitment, and it signals sectoral diversity too: fintech, agritech, and other priority digital sectors are all represented among the fifteen eventual laureates, reflecting the structural challenges the country hopes to transform into scalable opportunities.

What Is Ivoire Tech Scale Up?

Ivoire Tech Next 15 focuses on promising startups, Ivoire Tech Scale Up is aimed at digital SMEs that are already established and are ready to expand.

The programme will select 15 digital SMEs that meet more demanding business and financial requirements. According to the official government announcement, eligible companies must be Ivorian businesses with between three and five completed financial statements.

At least 75% of the company’s capital must be held by nationals, while the company must have recorded an average annual turnover of FCFA 500 million over the previous three to five years. At least 65% of that turnover must come from digital activities.

The business must also already commercialise a product, employ at least 10 people, and be up to date with its fiscal and social obligations. These requirements show that Scale Up is intended for businesses that have already demonstrated commercial traction rather than companies still searching for a viable business model. It shows that the government is not simply chasing flashy headlines, it wants to identify companies with real commercial traction and help them cross into a genuinely competitive regional and international tier.

The Ministry of Digital Transition and Technological Innovation says the support will be structured around four major areas: stronger corporate governance, deployment of artificial-intelligence agents financed by the state, connections with major companies and financiers, and expansion into the wider UEMOA and ECOWAS markets.

The AI component is particularly significant because it goes beyond simply encouraging businesses to experiment with artificial intelligence. The ministry says the programmes will support the deployment of AI agents financed by the state within participating businesses.

Why Côte d’Ivoire Is Making This Move

The programmes come against the backdrop of a growing digital economy in Côte d’Ivoire. The Ministry of Digital Transition and Technological Innovation says the digital sector currently contributes between 6% and 8% of Côte d’Ivoire’s GDP, with a national objective of reaching 10% by 2030. The ministry also says 78% of SMEs identify financing as their primary obstacle to growth.

That financing challenge is particularly important for businesses attempting to move from startup or early-growth stages into larger regional companies. Rather than focusing solely on funding, the two programmes combine business support, technology adoption, market access, investor connections and regional expansion.

The government says the Scale Up component is targeting the creation of between 300 and 500 qualified jobs. The Ministry describes them as part of the implementation of Côte d’Ivoire’s Startup Act, formally established through Law No. 2023-901 of 23 November 2023 on the promotion of digital startups.

The legislation created a framework intended to encourage the creation and development of innovative digital businesses in the country. The two programmes therefore represent a more practical stage of that policy framework, translating the broader startup legislation into structured support for companies already operating in the market.

The Ministry has placed the programmes among the 40 structural projects contained in its 2026–2030 digital roadmap. The programmes form part of a wider national digital strategy built around seven pillars and 40 structural projects.

The seven areas include strengthening connectivity, transforming public administration digitally, developing technological innovation, promoting artificial intelligence, strengthening digital skills, developing e-commerce and reinforcing cybersecurity and digital trust.

Conclusion

Côte d’Ivoire’s launch of Ivoire Tech Next 15 and Ivoire Tech Scale Up represents a significant new push to accelerate the country’s digital startup and SME ecosystem. The programmes will support 30 digital businesses for 24 months, with 15 startups targeted under Ivoire Tech Next 15 and 15 established digital SMEs targeted under Ivoire Tech Scale Up.

Their support model combines governance strengthening, state-funded AI deployment, access to major companies and financiers, and regional expansion across UEMOA and ECOWAS.

With applications now closed following the 20 September 2026 extension, attention turns to the evaluation and selection process. The government had indicated that the selected companies would be announced toward the end of September in Abidjan.

The next major development will therefore be the identification of the 15 startups selected for Ivoire Tech Next 15 and the 15 digital SMEs selected for Ivoire Tech Scale Up. Until that announcement is officially made, claims about specific winners, companies selected or the final ranking of applicants should be treated cautiously.

For now, Côte d’Ivoire has planted a hopeful, energetic flag in Africa’s crowded digital economy race, and the next 24 months will reveal whether that flag marks a true turning point or simply another well-meaning false start.

Follow Amebopreneur for the latest on Nigeria’s tech ecosystem, startup funding opportunities, and the cross-border partnerships shaping Africa’s innovation future.