Introduction of the first Business Angels Association in Tunisia, with its ecosystem and partners!

1. Carthage Business Angels Ecosystem
Presentation
www.cba.tn
www.wikistartup.tn
www.univenture.org
www.startact.tn
December 2015

2. Table of Contents
Tunisian Context
A sub-optimal Entrepreneurship System
Carthage Business Angels Ecosystem

3. Tunisian Context
 We are living a structural political change which cannot be
dissociated from further economic reforms.
 The current events provide an opportunity to develop a more
transparent and effective economic governance
 In January 2014, the National Constituent Assembly approved
the new constitution (200/217 votes)
 Fighting corruption and strengthening the rule of law
are essential for economic growth and development.
 The already saturated public sector and the hesitant
private sector operators can’t provide immediate
solutions
 The local entrepreneurship ecosystem has a big role in
reducing the pressure on the public sector and
providing new alternatives and employment
opportunities

4. Tunisian context
 An educated and talented Youth
 Tunisian youth (15-24 yeard old) represents 20% of
the 11 million population
 Despite achieving high rates of literacy (97%),
Tuniia’s education sector is failing to meet the
needs and asipirations of the young generation.
 A strategic geographic position in the region
 A wealthy african nation with a strong middle
class
 A dynamic and diversified economy

5. Tunisian context
• A population immersed in ICT: 5 Million internet users at
the end of 2014, approximately 49% of the population
• ICT sector present an important potential in terms of job
and wealth creation
• Knowledge economy development: An opportunity to
seize considering the current country assets and the
important development potential
• A strong capacity for innovation and a large penetration of
technology based products
• The ecosystem is growing with numerous
entrepreneurship support initiatives and organizations.
• Knowledge economy development: An opportunity to
seize considering the current country assets and the
important development potential

6. Table of Contents
Tunisian Context
A sub-optimal Entrepreneurship System
Carthage Business Angels Ecosystem

7. High barriers to doing business, corruption, complex licenses,
rigid labor laws, high taxes, and unfair - competition
Business Registration
Competition
Barriers to exit
Complicated procedural process (Average time of
5.5 months1)
Option for entrepreneurs to operate in the informal
sector (Informal sector represents more than 40% of
the GDP)
An unfair competition the limits the access to
markets and growth potential
Laws and regulations are acceptable but the problem
is their application and enforcement
Rules and procedures set by the law are too costly,
complex and time consuming -> Dealing with
bankruptcy informally

8. Ecosystem Barriers
Financial Support
Structures
Support Strutures
Neither the adequate knowledge nor expertise to
make assessments of financing new projects
Banks can only approve projects that correspond to
the field studied
Subsequent limits on spending, very little cash
money at the start-up phase
Public support structures are fragmented and
disintegrated.
A confusion between the social and economic
mission
An obvious lack of communication and coordination
(No shared database of entrepreneurs and projects)
Technology Transfer Inflexible Intellectual Property registration process

9. Ecosystem Barriers
Education System
Cultural issues
Weak entrepreneurial culture in the universities
Very heterogeneous and often unsuitable teaching
contents
A lack of interdisciplinary and cross-faculty
collaboration
A lack of a strategic approach to foster graduate
entrepreneurship
Misunderstanding of the market needs
Education system based on implementation not in
innovation
Entrepreneurial activity is seen by young graduates
as second-best compared with employment in the
public sector, which offers more job security
National Innovation
Strategy
An unclear vision and an absence of a formalized
national innovation strategy
A weak and incoherent governance

10. Comparing Startup ecosystems
Mature (NYC, London..) Less Developed
Vibrant Startup scene
Tens of startup events every day,
many international events
Some events, but not widely
devolopped, mostly local
Role models and
mentors
Many people with big exits, many
mentors who advice startups for free
Few role models and not widely
access to experienced
entrepreneurs as mentors
Easy access to seed
and
venture funding
Many educated angels and many
VC’s, many international
Few angels and VC’s, almost all
local
Exit opportunities
Easy access to IPO and corporate
buyers
Not easy
Co-working spaces Many Some
Accelerators &
Incubators
25 + per city and leading brands like
TechStars and Startup bootcamp
Few, mostly local

11. Table of Contents
Tunisian Context
A sub-optimal Entrepreneurship System
Carthage Business Angels Ecosystem

12. Partnership
Incubation &
acccelerator
Community
Policy & regulation
Mentors & role
models
Education
& Mindset
Funding
We start indentifying the pillars of a vibrant entrepreneurship
Ecosystem…

13. We are Building the Startup ecosystem in Tunisia
First Business Angels Community
First Private Business Incubator
Research Based Spin-off Program
Business Acceleration program
First private Seed Investment Fund
Acquiring experience in
building Startup
Ecosystem

14. Last four years, we have been focusing on building
basics
 We designed a platform to
empower entrepreneurs with
various programs. It takes a 360
degree approach to providing the
support that entrepreneurs need.
 We have built this ecosytem with
effective vehicles to turn
concepts and ideas into viable
business
 Our ever-expanding network is
the backbone to our programs.
Proactive
sourcing
Funding
Incubating &
Accelerating
Valuable
partnerships

15.  CBA is the first Business Angels community in
Tunisia.
 CBA works to identify and support innovative
projects.
 CBA's mission is to initiate projects in the early
stages and to assist them on several aspects:
 Fund companies in the very early stages
 Enhance the credibility of innovative projects
with other investors
 Coaching innovative entrepreneurs
 Ensure better corporate governance
 CBA is also pioneer in developing programs such as:
Alternative Finance Seminar, Start’Act and
Univenture.
+50 Business
Angels
+400 Start
Ups
screened
+15 Invested
companies
+10MDT
Funding
raised
+150
Pitches
session
It started with the first Business Angels network

16.  CAPITALease Seed Fund is fund with projected size of
15 MDT. It invests into securities and stakes in
capitals of Tunisian business companies qualifying as
seed-stage Innovative Companies with a targeted
average ticket of 500 KDT.
 the Fund's capital will be invested for 50% at least in
Innovative Companies whose activities are in science,
technology, engineering, media and TIC.
 CAPITALease will provide support for innovative
companies in need of substantial equity capital to
finance the industrial phase of their projects.
 We aim to achieve a net return of 15% per year
15 MDT
projected size
An accelerator
offering a High
Quality
Dealflow
Experienced
Managing
Team
Generating &
screening
100 projects
per year
+30 Start
ups to
invest in
We created then our Seed Investment Vehicle

17.  Wiki Start Up is the first private business incubator
in Tunisia dedicated to Innovation aiming to
promote a new generation of World Class Start-ups
and to impact the entrepreneurial ecosystem.
 Wiki Start Up supported several innovative Startups
through technology transfer, mentorship and
technical assistance, and easing access to funding at
the early stage of the project.
 Wiki Start Up strives to effectively do : proactive
sourcing, valuable and sustainable partnerships,
incubating and accelerating businesses to viable
ones.
In parallel with the first private Business Incubator
+20 Incubated
Start Ups
+5
Implimented
programs
+20 Partners
+50
Networking
events
+10 MDT
funding
raised

18.  UNIVENTURE© is a Business Incubation Program that
covers biotechnology, health, agribusiness, energy
and Media & ICT sectors.
 UNIVENTURE aims to enhance research based spin-off
opportunities and ignition of innovative Start-ups,
through a capacity building program combined with
an early stage business plan competition.
 Univenture has been awarded best innovation
support initiative at DOHA forum in May 2014.
 UNIVENTURE was selected among different programs
operating in the entrepreneurial scene in Tunisia to
benefit from the support of CEED (Center for
Entrepreneurship and Executive Development),
+20 Awarded
projects
+30 000 USD
in cash
prizes for
Laureates
+500 hours
of sessions
delivered
Awarded
best
economic
innovation at
Doha Forum
+50
Mentors
&
Speakers
A research based spin-off generation program

19.  Start’Act is a regional startup accelerator program that
fosters and invests in bright and passionate
entrepreneurs with cutting-edge ideas.
 The program provides seed funding, strategic
mentorship, a creative workspace, a multitude of perks,
entrepreneurship-focused business training, and
directly support startups through an expansive network
of partners.
 We offer a short term, high-impact program to kick-off
the evolution of ideas and business plans to effective
and viable business.
 This intensive program aimed at supporting 10
innovative start-ups per year and will enrich
Capitalease’s pipeline.
+30 Dedicated
experts
+20 000 DT in
seed funding
per project
10 Startups
per year
+20 local &
international
partners
+10
business
networking
events
A Business Acceleration Program