UM6P: More than 500 start-up project leaders supported over the last three years
Benguérir – Mohammed VI Polytechnic University (UM6P) has exceeded the milestone of 500 start-up project leaders supported over the last three years, through its various programs at all stages of maturity (pre-incubation, incubation, acceleration or Venture Building).
These young entrepreneurs, Moroccan and international, come from the innovation ecosystems of more than 15 countries, UM6P emphasizes in a press release, stating that several have chosen UM6P’s support to benefit from its proximity to its research centers of excellence, its talented students and its links with the industrial world. StartGate, the UM6P start-up campus, currently hosts 12 support programs for the launch and development of start-ups, with a dual objective: Create a pipeline of future entrepreneurs by supporting idea holders to launch their project and/or their company, and serve as a springboard for the most mature start-ups by offering them access to international markets and investment, adds the same source. In order to increase its capacity to accommodate project leaders from Morocco and Africa more broadly, StartGate plans to expand to an area of 30,000 m², adjoining the UM6P Benguerir campus. These programs, explains UM6P, are developed with renowned national and international partners. For example, the Explorer program in partnership with the MIT Sandbox program of the prestigious American University “MIT” supports project leaders from five Moroccan universities, public and private. The Moroccan Retail Tech Builder (MRTB), comprising 4 programs dedicated to retailers and co-created with the Ministry of Industry and Commerce and the OCP Foundation, has set itself the goal of accelerating the digitalization of the Retail sector in Morocco. More than 40 projects have been chosen to be supported to date. U-Founders, the incubation program for students, researchers and entrepreneurs and which lasts from 6 to 24 months, has supported more than 105 startups in around fifteen verticals to date. UM6P has also partnered with Plug&Play, Silicon Valley’s global innovation platform, which accelerates the most mature Moroccan startups and gives them access to many international investors. UM6P is also leveraging its two investment funds: UM6P Ventures and Bidra to invest in future unicorns, mainly in the fields of agriculture, water, mining and energy. “This step marks a turning point in our contribution to the development of innovative national entrepreneurship. It also demonstrates that the culture of innovation is rooted in Moroccan youth. Because behind our value creation, there is also a community whose components reflect the spirit of initiative within Moroccan society. 30% of our project leaders are women and 50% are students. Entrepreneurship is also a powerful lever for socio-economic empowerment,” stressed Yassine Laghzioui, Director of Entrepreneurship & Venturing at UM6P, quoted in the press release. In parallel with this support, the Mohammed VI Polytechnic University has also hosted open innovation events for large Moroccan groups such as the OCP Group, Royal Air Maroc or the National Office of Railways (ONCF) during this period, concluded the same source.
2024-09-08 03:17:23