AfriLabs Executive Director Visits Mauritius to Foster Startup Ecosystem Growth

In September, Anna Ekeledo , the Executive Director of AfriLabs , visited the Mauritian Startup Ecosystem. She met with key stakeholders and attended an ecosystem event hosted in her honour and led by Michel C. , CEO of LA PLAGE FACTORY at Coworking Port Louis . At the event, she had the opportunity to network with influential figures from the ecosystem, such as founders, incubators, investors, the government, hubs, and seasoned entrepreneurs. Representatives from various startup incubators attended the gathering, including Trampoline, Turbine, Linearc, and Mauritius Africa FinTech Hub . Also in attendance were representatives from Mo Angels , the Economic Development Board Mauritius (EDB), Mauritius Research and Innovation Council (MRIC), Cap Business, FEDERATION OF INNOVATIVE & NUMERIC ACTIVITIES IN MAURITIUS (FINAM), Graines de Boss , and La French Tech Mauritius , alongside local startups.

During the ecosystem event, Anna shared insights on tackling startup challenges in Africa and emphasized Mauritius' potential as an innovation hub. She also heard from the country’s innovation stakeholders present, their experiences building ventures, funding them, the policies empowering them, and the challenges they face.

Prior to the event, Anna and Michel met with key ecosystem leaders such as Baljinder Sharma, an investor and member of the India Africa Business Network board. The discussions explored India's potential role in supporting the broader African ecosystem and how Mauritius could serve as a conduit for Africa-India investment and collaboration.

They also met with the Mauritius Research and Innovation Council (MRIC) and the Economic Development Board (EDB) to discuss opportunities for Mauritius to enhance its startup ecosystem. Present at the meetings were Professor Theesan BAHORUN, PhD, G.O.S.K , Executive Director at MRIC, Dr Vickram Bissonauth, Head of National SME Incubator Scheme (NSIS), Mr. Veepre Kureeman, Manager of Global Outreach at EDB, Archana Audit, Manager of ICT & Digital Services at EDB and others.

AfriLabs is proud of our community in Mauritius and excited about the opportunities in this East African country. We are happy to have supported Yugo, a Mauritius-based startup, through Catalytic Africa , a matching fund for early-stage startups. We are looking forward to expanding our interventions in Mauritius and building bridges with this promising country across the continent.