Konza Technopolis today hosted a high-level North African innovation forum aimed at positioning Kenya as a strategic gateway for North African startups seeking expansion into Sub-Saharan Africa.
The forum, IPDAYS (Inno’Preneurs Days), is Tunisia’s premier innovation platform established in 2022 to advance innovation, intellectual property (IP) commercialization and startup growth across Africa.
The IPDAYS Nairobi x Silicon Savannah Startup Fair 2026 is in Kenya for the first time, through a partnership between Konza Technopolis, RedStart Tunisie, Seketak, Fie Labs and GAK Advisory. The event brought together six Tunisian startups, more than 60 Kenyan startups, investors, policymakers and ecosystem enablers from Kenya, Tunisia and Egypt for discussions, networking, training workshops and investment linkages.
The forum provided matchmaking and international exchange opportunities through business-to-business (B2B), Business to Consumer (B2C) meetings, investor pitches and policy briefings designed to facilitate market entry and strengthen cross-border innovation partnerships.
In his opening remarks, Konza Technopolis Chief Executive Officer John Paul Okwiri asserted that Africa must embrace partnerships to provide a soft landing for startups entering East Africa and Sub-Saharan Africa.
“For Konza Technopolis, this occasion is more than a gathering; it is a statement of intent that Africa’s digital future will be built through collaboration, innovation and partnerships. Innovation must be protected, commercialized, financed and supported through skills development if Africa’s startup ecosystem is to thrive,” said Okwiri.
He further noted that African innovation ecosystems have operated in isolation for years, limiting opportunities for growth and international collaboration.
According to Konza Technopolis, intellectual property is a key driver of innovation, investment and economic transformation, because it gives innovators and creators the confidence to turn ideas into commercially viable solutions.
Douja Gharbi, CEO of RedStart Tunisie Accelerator, said the forum marks a significant step in strengthening cooperation between African innovation ecosystems.
“We were in Kenya close to one year ago on a trade mission, and today we return to deepen collaboration, align roadmaps and create scalable pathways that support startup growth across borders,” she said.
Assem Kamel, CEO of Seketak Solutions, said the initiative builds on the success of previous editions held in Tunisia, Cairo and Abidjan, which connected African startups to new business and investment opportunities.
Konza, Microsoft launch AI skills programme to empower women in digital economy
Key discussions at the forum focused on market entry strategies, financing cross-border expansion, policy alignment and building resilient innovation ecosystems across Africa. This engagement reflects the growing momentum for intra-African collaboration under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), which aims to create a single African market for goods, services and digital trade.
A major highlight of the event was the signing of a collaboration agreement between Konza Technopolis, RedStart Tunisie and Seketak to formalize collaboration on startup exchange programmes, soft-landing initiatives, joint acceleration programmes, capacity building and ecosystem development.
Konza Technopolis is leveraging Kenya’s advanced digital ecosystem, innovation-friendly environment and strategic location to support the expansion of Tunisian startups into Kenya and the wider Sub-Saharan African market.
In 2025, Tunisian Ambassador to Kenya H.E. Anouar Ben Youssef revealed that 15 Tunisian companies were expanding into the Kenyan market as a gateway to East Africa, highlighting Kenya’s growing role as a regional business and innovation hub.
The partnership is expected to strengthen innovation linkages between Kenya, Tunisia and Egypt, while creating opportunities for startups seeking regional market expansion and investment partnerships.
The startup fair comes a day after President William Ruto assented to the Technopolis Bill, 2024, which establishes a legal framework for the development of technopolises across Kenya. The legislation is expected to support innovation ecosystems, attract technology-driven enterprises and streamline governance and compliance procedures, further positioning Kenya as a regional technology and innovation hub.
Kenya continues to emerge as one of Africa’s leading innovation destinations due to its strong digital infrastructure, vibrant entrepreneurial culture, progressive policy environment and growing investor interest in technology-driven enterprises.
