Addis Ababa, September 17, 2019 – OCP Group, OCP Africa, and Mohammed VI Polytechnic University (UM6P), to start Impulse start-up acceleration program to build linkages between corporations and start-ups using Agritech solutions to help unlock Ethiopia’s agricultural potential.  Following the success of the Impulse program in Ghana, Nigeria and Ivory Coast, OCP Africa is making a last stop in Ethiopia, to convene with key stakeholders from the agriculture, entrepreneurship and innovation ecosystems. 

The Impulse program is a 12-week acceleration program dedicated to innovative startups in the fields of Agritech, Biotech, Mining tech and Materials Science & Nano Engineering.  Working in partnership with OCP Group, UM6P, MassChallenge and their ecosystems, Impulse uses an impact-focused model to help entrepreneurs take their startups to the next level.

When asked how the Impulse program can positively affect the country’s agriculture sector, Mr. Mehdi Filani, OCP Ethiopia Country Director stated, “the agricultural transformation in Ethiopia represents a unique opportunity for Agritech start-ups and we believe the Impulse start-up acceleration program can add value to develop Ethiopia’s agriculture sector, through innovative technologies.”

The Impulse program targets start-ups operating in fields related to the value chain of OCP Group and UM6P’s research agenda to help Africa’s agriculture sector increase its productivity in a sustainable manner. Representatives from the Agricultural Transformation Agency (ATA), Ethiopia Entrepreneurs Association, Cepheus Growth Capital Partners, Omega Farms, OCP and UM6P, were among the panellists and keynote speakers at the event held at the Sheraton Addis hotel. They discussed the necessity to develop entrepreneurship and innovative ecosystems in Africa and the impact digital technology could have on the agricultural sector in Ethiopia.

Mr. Adnane Alaoui Soulimani, Impulse Program Director, expressed his enthusiasm about the opportunity to present the Impulse Accelerator to Ethiopian entrepreneurs, saying, “Impulse can play a significant role in the acceleration of innovative technologies that are transforming agri-businesses and smallholder farming techniques in Ethiopia, a country where over eighty percent of the population is engaged in agriculture."

Panellists also discussed the different ways acceleration programs such as Impulse could transform African agriculture, and how corporations can create sustainable partnerships with entrepreneurs to create more opportunities for youth and women in the agricultural sector.

The Impulse program offers numerous advantages to accelerate the development of innovative start-ups including mentoring and coaching, access to potential business opportunities, study trips to the ecosystems of Boston and Lausanne, and a USD 250,000 cash prize to be shared between winning start-ups on the demo day.