As the world accelerates toward cleaner energy and transport, Morocco is cementing its place on the global clean energy map with a landmark agreement to host Africa’s first battery gigafactory.

Backed by a USD 5.6 B investment from China’s Gotion High-Tech, the project is set to transform the North African kingdom into a major supplier of batteries for electric vehicles (EVs) and renewable energy storage, a strategic leap for both Morocco and the continent.

The gigafactory will be located in Kenitra, northwest Morocco, an industrial hub already home to major carmakers. Construction is underway, with production expected to begin in the third quarter of 2026.

The plant’s first phase will deliver 20 gigawatt-hours (GWh) annually, enough to power hundreds of thousands of EVs. At full capacity, the factory is designed to reach 100 GWh, placing Morocco among the world’s largest producers of advanced batteries.

A Mega-Project with Mega Impact

With a total projected cost of USD 6.5 B, the gigafactory ranks among the largest industrial projects ever launched in Africa. The initial phase alone involves USD 1.3 B in investment and is expected to create 17,000 direct and indirect jobs. Over the course of five development stages, the project is expected to employ more than 10,000 workers directly.

Unlike many assembly plants that depend on imported parts, the Kenitra facility plans to also produce cathodes and anodes, the critical components of lithium-ion batteries. This vertical integration reduces Morocco’s reliance on foreign supply chains and adds a layer of security and cost competitiveness that few other regions in Africa, or even Europe, can currently match.

“This is not just about production capacity,” said Khalid Qalam, Gotion’s Moroccan director, who confirmed that earthworks are complete and construction is set to accelerate. “It’s about building an entire value chain in Morocco that serves Europe, Africa, and beyond.”

Morocco at the Crossroads of the Energy Transition

For Morocco, the gigafactory is a strategic play. The country has spent the last decade diversifying beyond agriculture and textiles, and its automotive sector is already leading its exports, making it Africa’s leading car producer. In 2024, Morocco’s car industry posted record overseas sales of MAD 157 B (USD 15.7 B), cementing its place as the European Union’s top automotive supplier, surpassing China, Japan, and India.

With Europe preparing to ban new fossil fuel cars by 2035, demand for EV batteries is surging. Morocco is uniquely positioned to meet that demand. Around 85% of the gigafactory’s output will be exported to Europe, offering the bloc a reliable alternative to Asian supply routes that have dominated the sector.

The project also strengthens Morocco’s ties with global automakers already present in the country, including Renault and Stellantis, while opening opportunities to serve the fast-growing market for renewable energy storage in Africa and the Middle East.

Overall, the factory aligns with Morocco’s national strategy to retain skilled talent, foster innovation, and reduce economic dependence on traditional sectors. By pivoting toward high-tech industries, Morocco is securing its position in the future global economy.

China’s Strategic Play in Africa

The gigafactory underscores China’s deepening role in Africa’s industrial future. Gotion High-Tech, a leading battery producer, is spearheading the project, but it is not alone. Other Chinese companies, including BTR, CNGR, Hailiang, and Shinzoom, are investing heavily in Morocco’s battery and materials sector, setting up Morocco as a strategic hub for green technology in North Africa.

For Beijing, this is part of a larger strategy: pairing infrastructure and industrial investment to reshape global clean energy supply chains. Morocco’s location just across the Mediterranean from Europe makes it a natural bridgehead for China’s ambitions.

Meanwhile, China’s role in Morocco’s gigafactory is part of a wider push across Africa, where it has steadily expanded from railways and ports to energy and industrial projects in countries like Nigeria.

The implications extend far beyond Morocco. By hosting Africa’s first battery gigafactory, the country is setting a precedent for how the continent can move up the value chain from exporting raw minerals to manufacturing advanced clean technologies.

Ultimately, the Morocco-China partnership is more than an industrial deal. It is a symbol of a new era in which African nations are emerging as active players in the global energy transition. By anchoring the continent’s first battery gigafactory, Morocco has positioned itself as a bridge between Africa, Europe, and Asia in one of the century’s most strategic industries.

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When people think “startup,” they imagine some hoodie-wearing genius building AI in a garage, or inventing the next impossible piece of tech that’ll “change the world.” But innovation doesn’t always come wrapped in code or complexity.

Sometimes, it comes in the form of…a potato. Or a glitter bomb. Or a bag of air. And that’s the thing most people miss. The reason most startup ideas fail is that they’re poorly executed. How an idea is brought to life, packaged, marketed, and monetised can make all the difference.

This same applies to wild ideas. Even the strangest concepts can work when they’re packaged and marketed properly purpose.

And yes, some startups have taken off like that. The products were weird on purpose, but the founders behind them understood their audience and were smart in execution. They leaned into what made their idea unforgettable, doubled down on the absurdity, nailed the pitch and got the right people to buy in.

Although not all started with this intent to reach a broader audience, the success behind some of these startups shows that if you package a product well, you can reach a much wider audience that is willing to go “Take my money,” however weird the idea might be.

Here are ten of the most wonderfully weird, delightfully unexpected startup ideas that took off, even got funded, and in some cases, made a killing.

1. Potato Parcel

Potato Parcel lets you send a message to someone on a real potato. That’s the entire product.

You go to the site, type your message, and they print it on a spud and mail it. It could be a birthday note, a breakup line, or just a picture of your face. It’s absurd on purpose, and people love it for that.

Started in 2015 by Alex Craig, the business grew quickly. In just over a year, they generated over USD 215 K in revenue. When the founder pitched it on Shark Tank, Kevin O’Leary invested USD 50 K for 10% equity. Since then, it’s shipped over 70,000 potatoes worldwide.

Potato Parcel works because it’s a perfect mix of novelty and surprise. It’s a one-time gift that people can’t help but talk about. In a world of boring e-cards and recycled memes, this was just strange enough to break through.

2. Ship Your Enemies Glitter

The concept here is blunt. Pay a small fee and they’ll send your nemesis an envelope filled with loose glitter. It explodes when opened, getting everywhere. You stay anonymous. They get sparkled. Everybody wins. Or loses. Depends on who you ask.

When this site launched in 2015, it went viral overnight. The founder, Mathew Carpenter, received over 2,000 orders in the first 24 hours. He panicked, hated the attention, and sold the site for USD 85 K just days later. The buyer turned it into a long-term business and added new services like confetti bombs and spring-loaded glitter tubes.

This wasn’t about utility. It was about giving people a way to act out their feelings—anonymously, playfully, and with no real consequences. People aren’t buying glitter. They’re buying petty satisfaction.

3. Vitality Air

In the early days, Vitality Air started as a prank. Two Canadian entrepreneurs began bottling fresh air from Banff National Park and selling it online. The packaging looked like something from a health spa, but the product was air.

But in parts of the world where clean air isn’t guaranteed, it hit a nerve. When they launched in China, their first shipment of 500 bottles sold out in under a week. Since then, they’ve expanded to India, South Korea, the Middle East, and the UK.

Each can of air costs around USD 20 to USD 30, with some high-end versions going for more. The brand has grown far beyond novelty. It’s now marketed as a health and wellness item for urban professionals living in polluted cities.

4. Dinner in the Sky

Dinner in the Sky offers a fine dining experience, but suspended 150 feet in the air. A crane lifts a platform where guests are seated, belted into chairs around a table, with a chef and waitstaff in the middle. The menu is high-end. So is the adrenaline.

This started in Belgium in 2006. It sounded like a stunt. But the demand kept coming. It now operates in over 60 countries, hosting everything from private dinners to corporate events and tourism experiences. They’ve partnered with brands like Ferrari and Forbes. The company has since spun off into multiple franchises, licensing the concept around the world.

5. Unagi Travel

Unagi Travel is a Japanese company that runs tours for stuffed animals. Customers ship their plush toy to Tokyo, and it’s taken on guided “tours” of local sights. Along the way, it’s photographed at temples, shops, restaurants, and even trains. The toy comes back with photos and souvenirs.

This isn’t marketed to kids. It’s often used by adults, many of them dealing with anxiety, disability, or grief. The stuffed animals represent emotional comfort, and sending them on a journey becomes symbolic. Some say it helps them feel like they’re part of the trip, even if they can’t go themselves.

Unagi Travel has been covered by CNN, NPR, and the BBC. While exact revenue numbers aren’t public, they’ve handled thousands of plush travellers from over 30 countries.

6. Rent-A-Friend

Rent-A-Friend is exactly what it sounds like. You pay someone to hang out with you. That could mean going to a movie, grabbing lunch, attending a wedding, or just walking around the city. It’s strictly platonic, so no dating or romance. Just time and company.

Founder Scott Rosenbaum originally built it off the back of another business (a dating site), but Rent-A-Friend stood on its own. It launched quietly but picked up traction as loneliness became a more public issue. Not everyone has a circle of friends on standby, and sometimes people just want someone to talk to who won’t judge them or ghost them.

The idea was easy to dismiss at first. But since launching in 2009, the site has grown to hundreds of thousands of registered “friends” worldwide. Some earn up to USD 2 K a week, depending on availability and location. When you look at the way people crave connection, especially in cities where millions live side by side without speaking to each other, it makes sense. Rent-A-Friend stepped into that gap and built a business on something we usually take for granted.

7. Entomo Farms

Entomo Farms raises crickets and turns them into food. As in real food for real people. They grind them into flour, press them into bars, and use them in protein-rich recipes meant to replace traditional meat or dairy sources.

In Western countries, this still turns heads. But in other parts of the world, insects have been on the menu for centuries. What makes Entomo Farms different is that they’ve found a way to present it to new markets as clean, nutritious, and sustainable.

The company started in Canada and quickly positioned itself as a leader in the edible insect movement. It has since raised millions in funding, including a USD 3.7 M investment from investors like Maple Leaf Foods to expand production and distribution. Its cricket protein is now used in over 50 product lines across North America.

8. DoodyCalls

DoodyCalls is a pet waste removal service. You call them, and they show up to clean the dog poop from your yard. That’s the entire business.

It was founded in 2000 by Jacob D’Aniello and his wife after they realised people would pay to have someone else deal with their dog’s mess.

It’s grown steadily for over two decades, expanding across the U.S. and becoming the largest pet waste franchise in the country as pet ownership has exploded, and not everyone wants to deal with the mess. DoodyCalls took an everyday annoyance and turned it into a professional, reliable service.

DoodyCalls handles tens of thousands of service calls per week and was acquired in 2021 by Authority Brands, a major home services conglomerate.

9. Pavlok

Pavlok is a wearable device that shocks you when you engage in a habit you want to stop. If you bite your nails, hit snooze, or scroll too long on your phone, you get a jolt. Not enough to hurt, but enough to make your brain take notice.

Inventor Maneesh Sethi first built a prototype with duct tape and an Arduino. After blogging about hiring someone to slap him every time he used Facebook, the idea blew up. Pavlok raised over USD 284 K on Indiegogo, launched to strong press coverage, and eventually gained over 100,000 users worldwide. They later went on Shark Tank, where Sethi famously turned down Kevin O’Leary’s offer, calling him “Mr. Know-Nothing.” The moment went viral, and so did Pavlok.

It’s based on behavioural conditioning. Do the thing, get the shock. Repeat it enough times, and your brain starts to associate the habit with discomfort.

The concept sounds harsh, but it appealed to people who’ve tried and failed with softer methods.

10. And Vinyly

And Vinyly offers a way to press a loved one’s ashes into a vinyl record. You choose the music or audio. They handle the production. What comes back is a playable record infused with the physical remains of someone you lost.

The founder, Jason Leach, had worked in the music industry and saw a gap for something more meaningful than a standard urn or grave. The idea took off in niche death-positive circles and art communities. They’ve since been featured in VICE, The Guardian, and BBC, and the service costs around USD 4 K–USD 5 K per record, depending on customisation.

It’s not a mass-market service. It doesn’t need to be. And Vinyly found a small group of people looking for a different kind of closure, and it gave them a way to hold onto it.

If you look at every business here, they were born from an idea that sounded uninvestable, unscalable, or just plain weird. Yet each one carved out a customer base and made real money. Some went viral. Some flew under the radar. But they all proved one thing: There’s room in the market for strange ideas, as long as they’re built with care and delivered with intent.

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