More than 500 start-ups accompanied by UM6P

Mohammed VI Polytechnic University (UM6P) announces that it has reached the milestone of 500 start-ups accompanied, during the last 3 years, by 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. Many have chosen UM6P's support to benefit from its proximity to research centers of excellence, its talented students and its links with the industrial world.

StartGate, UM6P's start-up campus, is currently home to 12 programs that support the launch and development of start-ups, with a twofold objective: to create a pipeline of future entrepreneurs by helping idea holders launch their project and/or company, and to serve as a springboard for the most mature start-ups by offering them access to international markets and investment.

In order to increase its capacity to host project holders from Morocco and Africa more broadly, StartGate intends to expand to an area of 30,000 m², juxtaposing the campus of Benguerir of UM6P.

These programs 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 5 Moroccan universities, both public and private.

The Moroccan Retail Tech Builder (MRTB), comprising 4 programs dedicated to retailers and co-created with the Ministry of Industry and Trade 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 selected for support to date.

U-Founders, the incubation program for students, researchers and entrepreneurs, which lasts from 6 to 24 months, has so far supported more than 105 startups in some 15 verticals.

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 numerous 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.

On this occasion, Yassine Laghzioui, Director of Entrepreneurship & Venturing at UM6P, said: "This milestone 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.

In addition to this support, Mohammed VI Polytechnic University has also hosted open innovation events for large Moroccan groups such as the OCP Group, Royal Air Maroc and the Office National des Chemins de Fer (ONCF).