Morocco is rich in experiences but for decades, many of them lived offline, fragmented, and invisible to the wider world. From mountain guides and surf instructors to cultural curators and event organizers, thousands of professionals have operated outside the digital economy, limited by discovery, payments, and operational tools.
Wanaut was built to change that.
Founded in 2019and based inCasablanca, Wanaut is a digital discovery and booking platform reimagining how sports, tourism, and cultural experiences are created, managed, and accessed across Morocco. At its heart, the startup is above tickets or reservations, it is about unlocking human potential through technology.
A Founder Driven by Inclusion, Not Just Innovation
At the center of Wanaut’s story is Ayoub Koutar, Co-founder and CEO, a technologist with a strong belief that digital infrastructure should serve people, not exclude them.
Trained as an engineer, Koutar earned a Master’s degree in General Engineering from IMT Nord Europe in France in 2016. His early career took him through some of Europe’s most structured corporate environments, including roles as anindustrial safety engineer at Total and astrategy analyst at the Renault–Nissan Alliance.
Yet despite the stability of corporate life, something pulled him back.
Koutar saw a gap between Morocco’s extraordinary experiential wealthand the limited tools available to those who create it. Guides struggled with visibility. Organizers managed bookings manually. Payments were inconsistent. Data was almost nonexistent.
Wanaut became his answer.
Building the Infrastructure Behind Experiences
Co-founded alongside Simo Tberand Florent Heitzmann, Wanaut was designed as more than a marketplace. The team envisioned a full operating system for experience creators.
Today, the platform offers:
- A discovery marketplace for sports, tourism, and cultural events
- Smart reservation and capacity management
- Automated invoicing and online payments
- Real-time analytics dashboards
- Customizable form creation tools
- A social layer connecting creators and participants
From mountain expeditions and surf trips to festivals, exhibitions, and local tours, Wanaut aggregates and structures experiences that were once scattered across WhatsApp groups and informal networks.
For organizers, this means autonomy and professionalism.
For users, it means trust, clarity, and access.
Technology as a Tool for National Storytelling
Wanaut’s ambition goes beyond bookings.
In April 2025, the startup produced “De l’Atlas au sommet du monde”, a documentary following six Moroccan mountaineers on their ascent to the summit of Mount Everest. The project was a cultural statement.
It aimed to spotlight Moroccan achievement, resilience, and possibility, especially for young people who rarely see themselves reflected in global narratives of excellence.
This initiative captures Wanaut’s deeper philosophy: digitization is also about representation.
A Broader Institutional Vision
Koutar’s commitment to ecosystem building is evident beyond Wanaut.
In 2021, he helped establish theMoroccan Federation of Sports Professionals, where he served as Secretary General and Chairman of the Studies and Monitoring Commission until 2023. The role allowed him to work at the intersection of policy, sport, and professionalization, an experience that continues to shape Wanaut’s approach.
A Platform Built by a Complementary Founding Team
While Koutar leads vision and strategy, Wanaut’s execution rests on a balanced founding trio:
- Ayoub Koutar (CEO): Strategy, ecosystem building, and platform vision
- Simo Tber (Co-founder): Project management and business development, also involved with Direct Lemon
- Florent Heitzmann (COO): Operations and execution across the booking platform
Together, they form a French-Moroccan founding team grounded in both global tech standards and local realities.
Traction, Competition, and the Road Ahead
Wanaut operates in a competitive global landscape that includes players like Eventbrite, BookMyShow, and StubHub. But its differentiation lies in local depth, not global breadth.
The startup has:
- Raised approximately $544,000 in seed funding, including backing from Augustulus Ventures
- Built a platform serving sports, tourism, and cultural professionals across Morocco
- Positioned itself as a system of record for experiences, not just an events list
As Morocco prepares for a new tourism cycle driven by AFCON 2025 and the 2030 World Cup, the demand for structured, bookable, and digital-first experiences is set to rise sharply.
Wanaut is already there.
Why Wanaut Matters
Wanaut is building infrastructure.
By digitizing experiences, empowering creators, and connecting communities, the startup is quietly shaping how Morocco’s stories are lived and shared with the world.
In a market where experiences are becoming the new currency of travel, Wanaut is positioning itself as the platform that ensures no story remains offline.
