Impulse, a startup accelerator developed by Mohammed VI Polytechnic University (UM6P) in partnership with MassChallenge, has said it will inject $250,000 into winning startups of its just-launched 12- week acceleration program.
Open to Moroccan, African and global startups in Agritech, Biotech, Agriculture, nanotech and mining technologies, Impulse is open to all entrepreneurs and innovators around the world with an “MVP” in the areas of Agritech, Biotech, Mining Tech, and Materials & Nano Sciences.
According to Hicham El Habti, General Secretary of Mohammed VI Polytechnic University: “We are delighted to see Impulse serve as a catalyst for a large-scale and structuring initiative to create an innovation platform that brings together other corporate partners and transforms the African entrepreneurial scene. ”
Apart from the cash prize of $ 250,000 to be shared between winning startups on the Demo Day, the startups will get mentoring and coaching from experts, professors and mentors from OCP Group, UM6P and MassChallenge. There will also be access to business opportunities with the OCP Group of companies. OCP Group was founded in 1920 in Morocco and transformed into a limited company in 2008, is one of the leading exporters of phosphate rock, phosphoric acid and phosphate fertilizers in the world.
The startups will also get access to UM6P infrastructure get into Fablab to enable them to develop and test their products and services as well as get study trips to the ecosystems of Boston and Lausanne.
There will also be access to a 430 m² co-working space and access to financing from national and international investment funds and business angels.
Applications were open on June 26, 2019 and close on October 1, 2019. Acceleration will start on January 15, 2020 and the Demo Day will be on April 8, 2020.
The program is designed with MassChallenge, a global startup acceleration network with non-equity participation focused on impact. Impulse open for Moroccan and international startups with the purpose of creating a consortium that will support the activities of a Moroccan-based innovation pole.
Impulse is open to experts from Moroccan and international entrepreneurial ecosystems wishing to join the program as judges, mentors or lecturers. Experts wishing to join the program are invited to apply on the program website: www.impulse.ma
Matt Lashmar, Managing Director of MassChallenge Switzerland declared: “MassChallenge is delighted to return to Africa with a unique value proposition focused on impact. We look forward to helping UM6P strengthen its ecosystem of entrepreneurship and innovation with our unique capabilities and networks.”
Impulse will hold an information session in Accra for young Ghanaian Agritech startups on Tuesday, 6th August, 2019 at the Kempinski Hotel, at 6pm.