Hosted on the campus the StartGate has Benguerir and supported by UM6P Ventures and the Ibn Rochd Foundation for the Sciences et l’Innovation (FIRSI)this program is intended to be a springboard for transforming innovative ideas into successful businesses, ready to conquer international markets.
Much more than just a program, “The Forge” offers a structured and integrated environment. The selected entrepreneurs will benefit from tailor-made support, combining high-level mentoring, advanced technological infrastructures and access to international networks. A conducive framework which promotes not only entrepreneurial success, but also development staff of the participants, by capitalizing on their resilience and their leadership capacities, support the project promoters.
In a statement to the press, the Director of Entrepreneurship and Venturing and CEO of UM6P Ventures, Yassine Laghziouiimmediately emphasized that this ambitious project aims to support the founders of startups in their entrepreneurial journey, from ideation to international expansion.
“By relying on a structured ecosystem and world-class infrastructure, ‘The Forge’ aspires to make Morocco a true center of innovation in Africa and to reveal future Moroccan unicorns and African countries”, he noted, before assuring that this program will provide startups with all the necessary resources to generate a lasting impact and lay the foundations for future Moroccan and African unicorns.
To support entrepreneurs, he indicated that “The Forge” offers an immersive residency of 9 to 12 months, structured around four phases, allowing them to realize their ideas while accessing global markets.
And to specify that, in a first phase, it is a question of transforming concepts into viable projects thanks to a clear structuring, secondly, developing prototypes in the laboratories of the UM6P, thirdly, connect startups to financing and strategic opportunities and finally support the regional and international expansion of the most promising projects.
Located in the heart of StartGatethe campus dedicated to innovation and entrepreneurship, this innovative program aims to promote local skills while strengthening Morocco’s role as an innovation hub in Africa.
By bringing together diverse profiles, the program aims to build a dynamic community of founders capable of meeting economic and social challenges on a regional and international scale.
