212 Founders (CDG Invest)

212 Founders is the flagship startup investment and support programme of CDG Invest, the private equity and venture capital arm of Groupe Caisse de Dépôt et de Gestion (CDG), a Moroccan public institution managing $3 billion in assets. The programme launched in 2019 and operates from Casablanca (CFC) and Paris (Station F), connecting Moroccan startups to international markets and bringing international startups into Morocco.

The programme runs two tracks. Expand212 backs Moroccan startups with up to 13 MDH (~$1.3M) in equity and support for international expansion, including market discovery trips, learning expeditions, and fundraising assistance. HQ212 offers approximately $1M in equity to international startups landing in Morocco, with local market access, networking, and legal advisory. CDG Invest has financed 12 startups at seed and 2 at Series A, with a 100+ partner network spanning Europe, MENA, and Africa. Notable portfolio companies include Inyad (scaled to hundreds of thousands of merchants across MENA), Freterium (logistics across MENA and Indonesia), and PayTic.