A Moroccan startup is heading to Silicon Valley after winning the country’s first Startup World Cup competition. ORA Technologies took first place at the national final held at Technopark Casablanca. The fintech company will now represent Morocco at the Startup World Cup Grand Finale in California, where it will compete against startups from more than 65 countries.
Founded by Omar Alami, ORA Technologies runs a financial services platform designed to make digital and financial tools more accessible.
LINKA, an open banking startup led by Abdelghani El Jarzini, came second and won the People’s Choice Award. Mama Box, founded by Loubna Lamrani, finished third and received both the Women at Artefact Award and the Women in Tech Award.
The competition attracted 131 applications from startups across Morocco. After several rounds of selection, 10 companies reached the final pitch stage. More than 300 people attended the event and networking sessions.
The figures offer a snapshot of Morocco’s growing startup scene. Nearly two-thirds of applicants were early-stage startups at the pre-seed level, showing a strong pipeline of new ventures looking for funding and support.
Many are also looking beyond the local market. Organisers said 84% of applicants included international expansion plans in their business strategies.
Women entrepreneurs were also well represented. Twenty-seven of the startups that applied were founded or co-led by women. Four women-founded startups reached the final, including Mama Box.
The startups came from more than 15 cities across the country, including Casablanca, Rabat, Agadir, Fez, Kenitra and Tetouan. Organisers said members of the Moroccan diaspora also took part.
Fintech was the most represented sector, reflecting growing interest in digital payments and financial services. AgTech, ClimateTech and HealthTech startups were also among the applicants.
The winner will have the chance to pitch before more than 300 international venture capital investors at the global final in California.
The event was organised by Startup&Angels and Pegasus Tech Ventures and hosted by Technopark Casablanca.
Lamiae Benmakhlouf, managing director of Technopark Morocco, said the organisation remains committed to supporting startups and innovation. Marissa Scott, the US Consul General in Morocco, said the initiative helps strengthen links between Morocco’s startup ecosystem and Silicon Valley.
Startup&Angels says it has supported more than 2,500 startups through over 160 events across 20 countries during the past decade.
