A strong network, smart strategies and plenty of potential: the STRIDE export programme is helping Tunisian start-ups like Cynoia and Fabskill to establish themselves internationally. What opportunities the African markets are offering and why collaboration is the key to success:
Just a year ago, the Franco-Tunisian start-up Cynoia was only active in Tunisia und France. Recently, a Cynoia team has also started working in Senegal – thanks to the STRIDE expansion programme. Cynoia offers a dynamic B2B collaboration solution that centralises digital tools into a single platform, helping businesses manage information overload, reduce technostress, and enhance productivity with minimal effort. The start-up has already established credibility by securing clients including leading Tunisian mobile phone providers Tunisie Telecom, ooredoo, and Orange.
As part of STRIDE, 60 promising Tunisian start-ups were supported on their international expansion journey: From bootcamps to business diagnostics, international market expansion, IT advisory or global peer to peer exchanges – in eight months, the startups were intensively prepared for their entry into international, primarily African markets.
Five of the 60 start-ups, including Cynoia, which showed particularly good prospects for international expansion, benefited from intensive expansion trips to selected African countries, partner meetings and legal advice in a second phase.
© Westerwelle Start up Haus Tunis
Africa represents a vast and dynamic potential for growth. As Africans ourselves, we share a natural proximity to the region – not just geographically, but culturally and relationally. There’s something truly special about African businesses collaborating and uplifting one another. The shared culture and understanding pave the way for more authentic connections and sustainable partnership.
Nessim Bouzrati, Head of Sales Cynoia
Summarising the company’s motivation to open up other African markets and create employment there with the help of the STRIDE programme.
© Westerwelle Start up Haus Tunis
We knew that expanding internationally would be a tough challenge, but it’s a step we’re ready to take. This journey has driven us to rethink our approach – building strategic partnerships, embracing cultural differences, and navigating the complexities of global growth.
Rafaa Chawali, Head of Marketing at Fabskill
Fabskill, a recruiting platform powered by artificial intelligence, is also one of the five startups that benefited from particularly intensive and personalized support. Fabskill has successfully opened a representative office in Rwanda as part of STRIDE.
STRIDE is a flagship program that brings together African innovations and ecosystems to learn from each other, partner with each other and to create jobs in the growing IT sector of Africa.
