• Tunisia CDC launches MAIR for greentech scale-up

• Program targets commercialization-stage startups, SMEs

• Tunisia startups raised $6.6 million in 2025

Tunisia’s Caisse des Dépôts et Consignations (CDC) on Tuesday announced the launch of the first cohort of the MAIR program, Market Access for Impact and Resilience. The financing mechanism targets greentech startups and small and medium-sized enterprises in the commercialization phase.

The program aims to support industrial scale-up, facilitate initial market entry, and strengthen revenues for selected companies.

MAIR prioritizes sectors linked to the green transition, including renewable energy, sustainable mobility, eco-construction, waste management, sustainable agriculture, water technologies, energy efficiency and biodiversity. By providing financing at a stage when funding needs increase for industrialization and commercialization, MAIR seeks to bridge the gap between seed funding and full commercial rollout.

MAIR is deployed under the GreenTECH initiative led by Smart Capital and integrated into the Greenov'i project. The project is funded by the European Union through the Tunisie Verte et Durable program and implemented by Expertise France in collaboration with the International Center for Environmental Technologies of Tunis, the Ministry of Environment, and the Ministry of Economy and Planning.

Financing architecture

The mechanism forms part of a broader financing framework that also includes VAIR, Venture Acceleration for Impact and Resilience, which supports startups in the ideation phase as they develop proofs of concept. The overall program plans to fund 32 early-stage startups and support 10 startups and SMEs in accessing markets, with a target of roughly 300 direct jobs in green transition sectors.

The launch comes amid limited funding for Tunisia’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. According to Wamda’s annual report, Tunisian startups raised $6.6 million across 13 deals in 2025, below levels recorded in several other Middle East and North Africa markets. In that context, public instruments dedicated to impact-driven innovation are positioned as key support mechanisms for early-growth companies.

By targeting industrial segments linked to the green transition and focusing on companies at a later stage of development, MAIR aims to strengthen the ability of Tunisian startups to turn innovations into marketable products and secure a sustainable position in their markets.

Samira Njoya