Expanding Operations in North Africa: Opening a New Venture Studio in Casablanca for Startup Garage
In a strategic move to internationalize and scale the Uzbek startup ecosystem, Startup Garage, Uzbekistan's largest venture studio, has expanded its operations to Casablanca, Morocco. This marks the first time a Central Asian venture studio has ventured into North Africa [1].
The new venture studio aims to serve as a cross-border platform for Central Asian startups looking to expand into global markets, while also providing Uzbek startups with access to regional markets in Africa [1].
Muhammad Khalil, the founder of Startup Garage, stated that the international presence is designed to help Uzbek startups take their ideas to the global stage [1]. The expansion comes at a time when Uzbekistan is intensifying efforts to position itself as a regional hub for technology and innovation [1].
Key elements of Startup Garage's strategy include launching the venture studio in Casablanca as their first North African expansion, establishing a strategic partnership with IT Park Ventures, and offering a comprehensive support mix including strategic guidance, mentorship, and funding access [1].
The partnership with IT Park Ventures and other global accelerators, such as Plug and Play Tech Centre, Draper University, and StartX, provides startups with access to mentorship, broader funding networks, and new markets abroad [1]. This includes the new ties created via the Casablanca studio.
Sukhrob Gaybulloev, the managing partner at AloqaVentures—the primary investor in Startup Garage—described the move as a strategic step toward scaling Uzbekistan's innovation potential [1]. He also expressed confidence that the venture studio will serve as a launchpad for Uzbekistan's most promising startups.
The innovations emerging from Startup Garage have the potential to create meaningful change and position Uzbekistan as a leading innovation hub. More than 10 of the incubated startups by Startup Garage have secured external investments exceeding $2 million [1].
The Uzbek government has made strides in supporting digital transformation, relaxing regulatory barriers for startups, and encouraging foreign investment [1]. GITEX being hosted in Morocco underscores the growing trend of startup hubs emerging in developing markets.
Startup Garage now has two international locations: Doha, Qatar, and Casablanca, Morocco. Since its founding, Startup Garage has incubated over 150 startups, supporting early-stage startups across all 14 regions of Uzbekistan [1]. The Casablanca venture studio will focus on forming partnerships with local investors, accelerators, and entrepreneurs across the MENA region.
The Casablanca venture studio expansion of Startup Garage is a significant step in building an international startup bridge between Central Asia and Africa, fostering global growth pathways for its resident startups and expanding the reach of its venture studio beyond the original Uzbek regional setup [1].
- The expansion of Startup Garage's operations to Casablanca not only aims to serve as a cross-border platform for Central Asian startups to access Africa's regional markets but also provides an opportunity for Uzbek startups to leverage technology and education-and-self-development resources available in the local Casablanca ecosystem.
- With the new Casablanca venture studio, Startup Garage is not only planning to form partnerships with local investors, accelerators, and entrepreneurs across the MENA region to create global growth pathways for their startups, but also intends to play a significant role in the startup ecosystem, contributing to the technology and innovation sector in both Uzbekistan and the North African region.
