Cabo Verde’s Tech Leaders Chart New Course for Startup Act in Virtual Gathering
PRAIA, Cabo Verde. In a decisive step toward finalizing the landmark Cabo Verde Startup Act, tech entrepreneurs, innovation experts, and policy advisors convened for a virtual focus group on July 22, 2025 convened by i4Policy. The intensive three-hour online session aimed to distill the specific challenges and opportunities facing the nation’s burgeoning tech ecosystem, ensuring the new legislation is grounded in the lived experiences of its key stakeholders.
Building on a series of policy hackathons, the online gathering focused on surfacing the real barriers to success across a tech startup’s lifecycle and developing solutions grounded in local experience, to co-create a supportive environment for tech startups, from ideation to global scaling. Participants collaboratively mapped out an ideal startup journey, touching on seven key challenges faced by entrepreneurs: Culture, Human Capital, Governance, Business Support, Financing, Market Access, and Infrastructure.
A central theme was the urgent need for a cultural and mindset shift. Stakeholders called for moving beyond the small domestic market and fostering a global outlook from day one. This includes championing a data-driven approach over decisions based on assumption, or “achismo,” as one participant noted.
“To compete globally, we must cultivate a data-driven culture that values entrepreneurs as national problem-solvers,” stated an innovation expert during the session. “Our mindset must shift from our small domestic market to the entire continent and beyond. Inclusion should not be a buzzword; but the foundation for creating transformative solutions that can scale.”
The discussion highlighted significant regulatory and financial hurdles. Entrepreneurs pointed to cumbersome bureaucracy, a lack of startup-friendly banking services, and a tax system ill-suited for early-stage ventures. In response, they proposed concrete solutions, including tax exemptions for the first two years of operation, the creation of a National Startup Fund, and official recognition of a “Startup Entrepreneur” status to grant priority access to government services.
Another founder underscored the practical difficulties that stifle innovation. “We can have the best ideas in the world, but if we’re buried in bureaucracy and can’t access digital financial services quickly, we fail before we start,” they explained. “Startups need a friendlier fiscal environment, especially in the first two years—simplified regulations, fewer penalties, and real support, not red tape.”
The insights and actionable recommendations from this focus group will directly inform the next draft of the Cabo Verde Startup Act. Organizers confirmed the session was a critical step in ensuring the final policy is a robust and effective tool for building a dynamic, inclusive, and globally competitive tech hub in Cabo Verde.
More about the programme
The Government of Cabo Verde, through a World Bank Fund, is actively developing a strong startup ecosystem.
Through the Digital Cabo Verde Project (DCVP), we are establishing a business-friendly environment by implementing progressive laws, regulations, and policies.
With the support of the Innovation for Policy Foundation (i4Policy), and Miranda & Associados, we are implementing a key component of this initiative, that is the Cabo Verde Startup Act, an important piece of legislation aimed at accelerating the country’s digital economy.