Stage-specific support key to startup growth
DAR ES SALAAM: STAKEHOLDERS have called for tailored support for startups at different stages of development to help transform innovative ideas into sustainable businesses, citing persistent challenges in accessing finance, markets and business development services.
Speaking on the second day of 2026 Jenga Leo Innovation Forum, stakeholders from government, business support organisations and the private sector called for coordinated interventions tailored to startups’ different stages of development.
Tanzania Women Chamber of Commerce (TWCC) Executive Director, Dr Mwajuma Hamza said entrepreneurs needed different forms of support depending on whether they were developing ideas, launching businesses or expanding existing operations.
“At the idea stage, you cannot tell an entrepreneur to go to a financial institution for a loan. They have no collateral, business experience or transaction history,” she said, calling for grants and innovation facilities to help entrepreneurs test their ideas in the market.
She said established businesses seeking expansion could be connected to banks and other financing institutions once they were adequately prepared to access capital.
Dr Hamza also urged entrepreneurs to strengthen management structures, formalise their businesses and comply with relevant standards to build investor confidence and access wider markets.
National Planning Commission (NPC) Manager of Innovation Mr Gilbert Waigama said the government should create an enabling environment for startups rather than burdening them with excessive regulatory requirements.
He said achieving Development Vision 2050’s ambition of building a 1 trillion US dollar economy and empowered society required collaboration between public and private sector players.
“Government entities need to move from overregulating to being more facilitative and ensuring business growth,” he said.
Mr Waigama identified coordination, appropriate policies and capacity building as key priorities, adding that startups needed to understand their markets and develop sound business models to turn innovative products into commercially viable enterprises.
Meanwhile, Ernst and Young (EY) Manager of Strategy and Transactions, Irene Morris said investors assessed more than promising ideas and business proposals when considering potential investments.
She said entrepreneurs needed to demonstrate their ability to generate sustainable revenue and profits through a clear understanding of customers, secured contracts or meaningful engagement with prospective clients.
Sound governance, tax planning and effective marketing strategies were also essential in demonstrating business sustainability, she added, urging entrepreneurs to move beyond plans on paper and show practical progress.
The forum, organised by Konrad Adenauer Stiftung (KAS) in collaboration with Launchpad Tanzania and AHK Eastern Africa, brought together entrepreneurs, investors, academics, policymakers and development partners to discuss ways to strengthen the country’s startup ecosystem.
