Othmane Ibnou Ghazala: “Financing is No Longer Enough; What’s Needed is High-Quality, Sector-Specific Support”

For Accelab’s General Manager, Moroccan incubators can only be truly effective if they specialize and provide practical support tailored to start-ups’ needs.

How do you assess today the real effectiveness of incubators and accelerators in Morocco?

Morocco’s ecosystem has made significant progress in recent years. Support structures have multiplied, and programs are generally better organized than before. But over time, it has also become clear that funding alone is not enough. A start-up can raise funds, but without solid support, those resources are often poorly used.

An incubator’s effectiveness depends above all on the quality of its support: the relevance of the content, the caliber of the mentors, and above all how well it matches entrepreneurs’ real needs. Today, start-ups mainly need help with go-to-market, digital marketing, communication, business-model structuring, and preparation for fundraising.

Another important issue is the availability of project leaders. Programs are demanding and time-consuming. If they are not well designed organizationally, entrepreneurs do not participate fully. Without that, even a good program loses impact.

Should we move toward more specialization?

Yes, very clearly—especially for acceleration programs aimed at start-ups that are already mature. Generalist incubators have their usefulness at the ideation stage or in the very first steps, because they provide the basics and a broad view of entrepreneurship. But as soon as a start-up begins generating revenue and structuring its operations, it needs much more targeted support, provided by experts who truly know its sector.

Specialization brings two major advantages. First, more relevant contributors: mentors, coaches, and experts coming directly from the specific field. Second, high value-added networking. When you bring in executives, leading entrepreneurs, or decision-makers from a specific sector, start-ups’ interest is immediate and business opportunities become concrete.

If, for example, you invite Decathlon’s CEO to a sports incubator, the interest is enormous. Likewise, in logistics, having a benchmark leader like the head of Dislog speak represents a considerable opportunity for start-ups. This level of added value is only achievable through specialization.

This sectoral consistency is also highly appreciated by investors, who can better assess projects, compare them with one another, and even envision synergies.

What about Accelab specifically?

At Accelab, we chose to specialize in sporttech. We applied this sector-based approach in a very concrete way, in support, networking, and funding alike.

In particular, we organize Les Jeudis de la Sportech (Sporttech Thursdays), a regular event where start-ups meet directly with key players in the sector: sports federations, equipment manufacturers, companies, former athletes who have become entrepreneurs, and major brands. These meetings often quickly lead to partnerships or contracts.

We also set up dedicated investment committees, bringing together partner funds and banks. Start-ups have fifteen minutes to pitch their project—an exercise we prepare them for intensively throughout the program.

This specialized approach enables entrepreneurs to reach their market faster, structure their growth, and increase their chances of securing funding. In our view, it is one of the most effective levers for strengthening the real impact of support programs in Morocco.