216 Capital, Plug and Play Team Up To Launch EUR 50 K Accelerator For Tunisian Startups

Tunisia’s startup scene just got a powerful new backer. Local venture capital firm 216 Capital has teamed up with Silicon Valley innovation giant Plug and Play to launch a six-month accelerator designed to push homegrown startups onto the global stage.

Called the 216 Capital Venture Accelerator, the program will take in up to 20 startups, offering them EUR 50 K in seed funding, with the chance to secure follow-on investment if they stand out.

Founders are also expected to gain access to tailored mentorship from international investors and coaches, alongside direct integration into Plug and Play’s global ecosystem of venture capitalists, mentors, and corporate partners.

“By joining forces with Plug and Play, we are giving local founders the tools to structure their businesses, raise capital, and access international markets,” said Dhekra Khelifi, a partner at 216 Capital. For Tunisia, it’s a chance to prove that its talent can compete at Silicon Valley standards, without leaving home.

However, beyond mentoring and funding, the accelerator is designed with more ambitious goals in mind. It aims to mobilize greater investment in local startups by channeling resources through 216 Capital and Plug and Play Africa Ventures.

It also aims to position Tunisia as a key hub for innovation in Africa and the MENA region, a place where global investors know they’ll find talent worth backing. And perhaps most importantly, the program seeks to inspire a new generation of success stories that can achieve international visibility, proving that Tunisia’s innovation economy is more than a local experiment; it’s a player on the global stage.

“Tunisia has already proven its ability to produce globally relevant innovations,” said Yves Cabanac, Managing Director for France, Benelux, and Africa at Plug and Play. “With this programme, we want to accelerate that momentum—identifying high-potential startups, aligning them with global standards, and opening new flows of capital into the country.”

Backed by Smart Capital and the ANAVA fund of funds, the accelerator is a part of Tunisia’s national strategy to strengthen its entrepreneurial ecosystem. The long-term ambition is to transform Tunisia into a sustainable, competitive hub that can rival the region’s established tech players and connect Africa’s talent with global markets.

If the strategy works, the country could become a gateway where investors, founders, and global corporations converge, tapping into a talent pool that has often been overlooked.

For founders, that means the chance to sidestep the usual roadblocks, limited funding, scarce mentorship, and fragmented networks, and instead tap into a support system built to accelerate growth. For Tunisia, it could mark the moment the country stops exporting talent and starts exporting success stories.