University Mohammed VI Polytechnic (UM6P) officially inaugurated its presence at STATION F, the world’s largest startup campus, on Thursday, February 27, 2025. The event also celebrated the launch of NextAfrica, UM6P’s acceleration program at STATION F. As the first transcontinental Europe-Africa acceleration program dedicated to Greentech, Agritech, and Healthtech, NextAfrica offers a hybrid approach that combines immersion at Station F with access to UM6P’s infrastructure in Morocco to develop, test, and structure their innovations.

By establishing a presence at STATION F, UM6P strengthens its role as a strategic bridge between Africa and Europe in innovation and entrepreneurship. More than just an institutional presence, this initiative fosters collaboration, knowledge exchange, and cocreation, linking African and European ecosystems around a shared ambition.

The inauguration theme, “Innovating Together: A Bridge Between Europe and Africa to Shape the Future,” reflects this vision of building an intercontinental ecosystem that drives the emergence of groundbreaking solutions. This same vision underpins NextAfrica. Over six months, selected startups will benefit from a cutting-edge entrepreneurial environment at STATION F while gaining access to UM6P’s advanced technological infrastructure through StartGate, its startup-dedicated campus. They will also receive mentorship from African and European experts, along with strategic connections to investors and industrial partners.

“NextAfrica reflects our ambition to create an ecosystem where African and European startups collaborate, innovate, and grow together,” said Fahd Benkirane, Managing Director at UM6P France. “Through our presence at STATION F and UM6P’s strong foothold in Africa, we offer entrepreneurs a unique framework to accelerate their development and address tomorrow’s technological and societal challenges. More than just an acceleration program, NextAfrica is a transformative force that connects talent, investors, and industry players to build sustainable and impactful solutions.”

In alignment with this vision, UM6P Ventures will also establish a presence at STATION F, enhancing funding opportunities for startups and fostering synergies between European and African venture capital ecosystems. “By alternating between STATION F and StartGate, startups will experience a dual immersion—gaining exposure to the European market while staying anchored in an African innovation hub. This initiative reflects UM6P’s vision: to connect talent, infrastructure, and capital in order to nurture the next generation of African tech scale-ups. The goal is not just support; it’s about creating the conditions for startups to validate their technology, accelerate market entry, and secure the funding needed to scale and reach key development milestones,” emphasized Yassine Laghzioui, Director of Entrepreneurship & Venturing at UM6P and CEO of UM6P Ventures.

The event also introduced the first NextAfrica cohort, featuring twelve promising startups from both continents. These startups span two key sectors: HealthTech, represented by Pelican Health, SenseBiotek, VG2D Pharma, Inn’Pulse, NeuralTeks, BlocReg Solutions, iAvicenne, and Rosetta Omics; and AgriTech, represented by Sand to Green, ISTYA, AgroSfer, and IrWise.