Morocco’s UM6P Incubated 500 Startups in the Past Three Years

Rabat – Morocco’s Mohammed VI Polytechnic University (UM6P) announced that it has incubated over 500 startups over the past three years through its startup campus StartGate.

In a statement, UM6P explained that it had supported the 500 startups at all stages of maturity including pre-incubation, incubation, acceleration, or venture building from over 15 countries.

StartGate is currently home to 12 programs that support the launch and development of start-ups with the objective of creating a pipeline of future entrepreneurs by helping young entrepreneurs launch their companies. UM6P’s incubator also offers mature start-ups access to international markets and investment.

The university also announced that it plans to increase its capacity to host project holders from Morocco and Africa. StartGates plans to extend its campus by 30,000 square meters.

Noting the range of programs the incubator offers, UM6P explained that the incubation programs are developed with a multitude of international partners including prestigious universities such as MIT. Called “MIT Sandbox,” the program aims to support project holders from five Moroccan universities the public and private.

The MIT-UM6P program provides expertise and mentorship in addition to funding of up to MAD 250,000 ($28,320) with the goal is to help each startup develop a prototype and find its first customers.

In the past three years, UM6P has also launched a cluster of four incubating programs called the Moroccan Retail Tech Builder (MRTB). The program is dedicated to startups working in retail and was co-created with the Industry and Trade Ministry and OCP Foundation. It has covered 40 startups.

In addition to supporting startups, StartGate provides support for students with innovative ideas. Through its U-Founders, an incubation program for students, researchers, and entrepreneurs, which lasts from 6 to 24 months. The program has so far supported more than 105 startups in 15 different fields.

UM6P has also partnered with Silicon Valley’s global innovation platform Plug&Play. Through their collaboration, the two entities supported some of the most promising Moroccan startups and linked them to international investors. In November 2020, UM6P became home to the first office of Plug&Play in Africa.

The Moroccan university 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.

Commenting on the new milestone, Director of Entrepreneurship & Venturing at UM6P, Yassine Laghzioui, said: “This step marks a turning point in our contribution to the development of innovative national entrepreneurship.”

The new milestone also demonstrates that the UM6P’s “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 socioeconomic empowerment,” he added.

In parallel 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).