Fez — Morocco will have a strong voice in TV5MONDE’s new pan-African entrepreneurship program. The show is called “Les Nouveaux Boss” (“The New Bosses”) and has attracted more than 1,000 applicants. Alongside A’Salfo, Nicole Sulu, and Claude Borna, Yassine Laghzioui will coach finalists during an eight-week residency called “La Station,”(“The station”) where workshops, masterclasses, and real-world challenges will compress a year of learning into prime-time television.
The season culminates with ten finalists pitching an international investor jury led by Elisabeth Moreno, Hasnae Taleb, and Ali Mnif. Episodes air weekly at 21:00 from December 5 to January 23 on TV5MONDE Maghreb-Orient and stream free on TV5MONDE+.
Why Laghzioui’s role matters
Laghzioui is Chief Entrepreneurship and Venturing Officer at Mohammed VI Polytechnic University and CEO of UM6P Ventures, the corporate venture arm that backs science-based startups. He is also founder of Phova Technology and a frequent mentor to deep-tech and AI-driven companies.
His work places him at the intersection of venture investment, venture building, and founder coaching across Africa. That background makes him a pivotal mentor for “Les Nouveaux Boss,” where execution and investor readiness can decide a startup’s future.
Recent profiles describe how Laghzioui’s teams help founders validate markets, secure first customers, and structure seed-stage governance. In interviews, he has argued that universities should not only teach entrepreneurship but also build companies with founders through venture-building tracks like UM6P’s “The Forge.”
Framing entrepreneurship as an applied science, he pushes founders to turn constraints into product advantages. That ethos mirrors the series’ promise to celebrate the art of “débrouille” (hustling) as a motor for innovation.
A first-of-its-kind francophone competition
“Les Nouveaux Boss” bills itself as the first global-reach TV competition dedicated to African innovators. From more than 1,000 applications in Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, Morocco, and the DRC, only 16 made the cut. The finalists will live and work together while mentors stress-test their ideas and prepare them for investor scrutiny. The format combines character-driven storytelling with practical sprints on problem framing, unit economics, go-to-market, and pitch discipline.
Behind the scenes, the show is backed by a broad public-private coalition. Partners include Orange in telecoms, Ecobank and Visa in finance, Air France for mobility, and UM6P as scientific partner.
The Alliance des Patronats Francophones, the French-African Foundation, and Bpifrance add institutional weight. For TV5MONDE, which distributes to 400 million households and 200 countries through its linear channels and TV5MONDE+, the format extends a long-standing mission to showcase francophone cultures while speaking to a global, mobile audience.
What to watch for from Morocco
Producers have teased a diverse cohort with founders tackling climate-smart agriculture, digital payments, circular economy materials, and creator-economy tools.
With Laghzioui in the mentor lineup, viewers can expect rigorous attention to product-market fit, industrial scalability, and research-to-market bridges that draw on Morocco’s growing deep-tech ecosystem. His presence also anchors the series in a moment when the North African country is positioning itself as a regional hub for venture creation and investment.
Moroccan audiences may also recognize investor Hasnae Taleb on the final jury. His role will be to pressure-test strategy and capital efficiency before awarding the season’s top honors. The show’s cadence mirrors how many startups actually grow: intense bursts of learning, rapid iteration, and public feedback. For founders who are still in the shadows, the broadcast and streaming footprint offers rare visibility and a live lab for customer discovery.
How and when to watch
“Les Nouveaux Boss” premieres Friday, December 5, at 21:00 on TV5MONDE Maghreb-Orient and will be available the same day on TV5MONDE+. New episodes arrive weekly through January 23. Viewers across Morocco can follow the season on linear TV or stream on the free platform to track how the 16 founders evolve under the guidance of Laghzioui and his fellow mentors.
If the format succeeds, it could become a recurring pipeline that links francophone talent to investors and markets, with Morocco and its venture ecosystem playing a central role. For now, all eyes are on “La Station,” where Yassine Laghzioui’s brand of hands-on mentorship will meet the continent’s next generation of builders.
