Tunisia-Based WildyNess Secures Pre-Seed Funding To Grow Its Community-Based Tourism Model

Tunisian traveltech startup WildyNess has closed an undisclosed pre-seed funding round that was co-led by France-based Bridging Angels and the California-based African Diaspora Network (ADN). 

Founded by Achraf Aouadi and Rym Bourguiba in Tunis in 2021, WildyNess connects travelers with local experiences developed in collaboration with tourism micro-entrepreneurs, operating as a business-to-consumer (B2C) and business-to-business-to-consumer (B2B2C) travel marketplace. 

In an interview with Inc. Arabia, Aouadi traced the company’s beginnings back to a shared obsession with authentic travel experiences. “We’re both computer science engineers who got the travel bug early on in our careers," he shared. "After visiting over 70 countries together, we realized the one thing travelers, including ourselves, were desperately seeking was authenticity—real connections with local people, eating local food, and meeting the producers and artisans behind it all." 

However, while those experiences were plentiful, the founders noticed a disconnect between demand and accessibility. “We saw this huge gap: travelers were struggling to find and book these experiences online," Aouadi said. "On the other side, we saw that while 80 percent of visitors are looking for activities online, less than five percent of these amazing local providers had any way of being booked. So, we built WildyNess to bridge that gap. We started in Tunisia, and today, due to our expansion work, Rym and I are based between the UAE and Tunisia.” 

From that mission came a model that challenges the conventions of global travel platforms. What truly sets WildyNess apart is its hybrid structure, built to go beyond traditional travel aggregators. “When you look at traditional platforms, even the giants, they are essentially aggregators for mainstream attractions," Aouadi pointed out. "They’re built for volume. Our community-based tourism marketplace is the complete opposite.” 

Aouadi went on to explain that WildyNess’s dual approach is designed to benefit both travelers and local providers. “For the traveler (B2C), we don’t just ‘list’ tours," he says. "We co-create unique, off-the-beaten-path experiences with local communities. This gives travelers access to authentic culture, from a fishing trip using UNESCO-heritage techniques to immersive homestays, which are simply not available on mainstream sites. For the provider (B2B2C), we are an empowerment platform. Traditional platforms lack local expertise. We, on the other hand, provide our local micro-business partners—the guides, the artisans, the guesthouse owners—with technology, marketing support, and training. So, while a traditional platform just takes a commission, we build the supply chain from the ground up, ensuring tourism revenue flows directly into the local communities that need it most.” 

After four years of operating WildyNess on their own resources, it was only now that the founders decided to bring in external capital. “From the beginning, we knew that if we were to raise capital, it had to be from partners who understood our ‘why’—that our mission for social impact is not a charity, it’s a powerful and scalable business model,” Aouadi said. According to him, both Bridging Angels and the African Diaspora Network were impressed by the startup’s traction and focus. “We didn’t approach them with just an idea; we approached them with a proven, bootstrapped business that is also scalable and does create impact," he shared. 

Aouadi also noted that the African Diaspora Network’s involvement felt particularly aligned. “We are part of the diaspora ourselves, and our core mission is to empower local African communities and preserve cultural heritage," he said. "They immediately understood that our vision went far beyond Tunisia.” As for Bridging Angels, he said, “They saw the data. They saw the relentless discipline and the scalable, high-margin model in a market (sustainable experiences) that has been almost completely overlooked. They, and ADN, are not just investors; they are strategic bridges to the international markets we are now targeting.” 

While much of the region’s venture funding has flowed toward fintech, WildyNess has captured attention by proving the potential of sustainable, community-driven tourism. “For fundraising in a ‘less mainstream’ vertical, our traction was our only language," Aouadi said. "We couldn’t just pitch a fintech model. We had to prove the market existed by bootstrapping to over $300,000 in organic sales. My advice [for other founders who are fundraising] is to stop pitching and start proving. Your passion gets you started, but your resilience and your traction are what will get you funded.” 

The new investment is set to support the development of WildyNess' technology platform, while also fueling its  expansion into markets like Saudi Arabia, UAE, Oman, and Algeria. From Aouadi's perspective, each of these markets presents unique opportunities, with Saudi Arabia presenting “the most exciting market” for the company. “The Kingdom is investing heavily in its 2030 vision to become a global tourism hub, but their focus is on promoting their ‘untold heritage,'" he explained. "This is a perfect match for WildyNess. The demand is for the exact ‘off-the-beaten-path’ adventures we specialize in, which are not currently being served at scale.” 

The UAE, on the other hand, presents a different kind of opportunity for the company. “The demand here is different," Aouadi said. "It’s a mature market, but the tourists and large expat population are actively seeking authentic escapes away from the mainstream attractions.” As for other nations that are on his startup's radar, Aouadi pointed to Algeria as well as a “rich untapped country,” noting that it is now beginning to simplify its visa process. “It’s the definition of an emerging destination, which is our specialty," he said. He also highlighted Oman, saying, “This market is ideal, because its infrastructure is ready for our market entry. It requires the least effort to deploy our model and tap into its established, high-quality sustainable tourism offerings.” 

But even as it scales, WildyNess is making use of a structured model in order to not lose its community-centric ethos. “Our expansion strategy is not a simple ‘copy-paste,'" Aouadi explains. "It’s a dedicated, three-step process, starting with market research (we conduct an in-depth analysis of local trends and partners), followed by pilot programs (we will launch pilot programs with local micro-businesses in each country to co-create the first set of innovative experiences), and local empowerment (we will recruit and train a local country manager). Our model is not just a website; it’s an empowerment playbook. We scale by teaching local partners how to use our technology and meet quality standards. That is how we protect the authenticity and community-focus as we grow.” 

Aouadi clearly has strong values grounding his entrepreneurial journey, but he admits that it hasn't been an easy ride--and that's what he wishes to pass on to other aspiring founders. “If I’m being truly honest, the best advice I can give is that nothing prepares you for this," he said. "Last October, I left the corporate world at Bosch and my life in Germany to go full-time on WildyNess. I thought I was ready for the startup grind. I wasn’t.” For Aouadi, the transition was one of the hardest experiences of his life. “No matter how much you plan, nothing prepares you for the moment you’re on your own, with no guaranteed salary, when you are 100 percent responsible for your own time and the company’s survival," he shared. "This past year has been filled with ups and downs... and if I’m being truly honest, more downs than ups. I struggled badly with managing my time and the sheer weight of what’s at stake.” 

But it was also not until he hit rock bottom that Aouadi was able to truly learn the lessons that he needed to continue to build WildyNess into the platform that he wanted it to be. “I pushed myself to the absolute limit, worked until I had nothing left, and I touched the bottom," Aouadi shared. "But here’s the thing about hitting the bottom: you find out what you’re really made of. So my advice is to understand that this journey is the hardest thing you will ever do. I’m finding my way up again now. I’m rebuilding, not just the company, but myself, my own processes, and my resilience.” 

Pictured in the lead image are WildyNess co-founders Achraf Aouadi and Rym Bourguiba. Image courtesy WildyNess.