Mohammed VI Polytechnic University (UM6P) has announced that the launch of Impulse, a best-in-class startup acceleration program, with the support of OCP Group and its subsidiary OCP Africa.

Designed with MassChallenge, a global accelerator organization, with a unique non-profit, zero equity and impact focused model, Impulse will be scouting talented entrepreneurs in the fields of Agritech, Biotech, Nanotech, and Mining Tech, and will be accompanying them with a sharp and bold value proposition.

Impulse is a 12-week acceleration program that will help entrepreneurs take their startups to the next level and bridge connections with OCP Group, Mohammed VI Polytechnic University (UM6P), MassChallenge and their ecosystems.

Among the benefits for startup taking part in the program: A cash prize of $ 250,000 to be shared on the Demo Day between winning startups, access to financing through a set of national and international investment funds and business angels, access to UM6P’s infrastructure and laboratories, study trips in Boston and Lausanne, and access to a 430 m² co-working space.

Applications to enter the IMPULSE program will close on October 1, with the accelerator beginning January 15, 2020, and Demo Day scheduled for April 8, 2020.

When is the program? (See detailed timeline below)

  • June 26 2019:  Applications open
  • July – September 2019:  Applications African Tour
  • October 1, 2019:  Applications close
  • November 2019:  Finalists Announcement
  • January 15, 2020:  Accelerator Program Start
  • March 2020:  Swiss Bootcamp
  • March 2020:  US Bootcamp
  • April 2020:  Demo Day & Awards Ceremony

What’s in it for startups?

Ten startups will be selected to participate in an intensive, 12-week acceleration program in Morocco, where they will receive:

  • Mentoring and coaching offered by OCP experts, UM6P professors and doctoral students and mentors of theMassChallenge network and the entrepreneurial ecosystem
  • Access to business opportunities via OCP Group, OCP Africa and UM6P networks
  • An equity-free cash prize of USD 250,000 to be shared between winning startups
  • Access to UM6P amenities: Fablab, experimental laboratories and living laboratories equipped with state-of-the-art equipment enabling startups to develop and test prototypes of their products and services
  • Study trips to the ecosystems of Boston (US) and Lausanne (CH)
  • Access to a 430 m² co-working space, equipped with the necessary facilities and equipment to enable startups to work on their businesses
  • Access to financing through a set of national and international investment funds and business angels

Apply here and visit the website for more details.

Musa Suleiman
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