EMpact has a presence in multiple markets around the world. For its initial foray into Africa, the company has chosen Côte d’Ivoire.

As part of its launch in West Africa, EMpact, an American investment firm that fosters entrepreneurial initiatives of young talents to accelerate startups serving vital value chains in frontier markets, has selected the Institut National Polytechnique Félix Houphouët-Boigny (INP-HB) and the International University of Grand Bassam (IGUB) in Côte d’Ivoire as its academic partners.

The program is designed to spark innovations in the agricultural value chain and promote sustainable practices, not only in Côte d’Ivoire but across the West African region, where the studio intends to expand. In this context, both current students and alumni from partner universities and others will benefit from entrepreneurial guidance through a hybrid training program provided by the partner academic institutions and EMpact’s global program. Following the training, there will be an incubation phase succeeded by a startup accelerator offering ongoing mentorship and continuous training to the participants.

For the Ivorian partners, particularly INP-HB, this program is poised to play a pivotal role in the development of agricultural entrepreneurship and, consequently, the African economy, which is heavily reliant on this sector.

“We believe in the fundamental role that entrepreneurship plays in the development of a country. One of the main challenges facing our countries is job creation and the placement of our young graduates. This partnership is a relevant response to the growth in student unemployment as it strengthens links between our research system and the valorization of outcomes through innovative companies. Agriculture, which remains one of the key pillars of development in African countries, is the primary beneficiary. Entrepreneurship is gaining unprecedented momentum in our region, which makes this partnership even more relevant and timely for us,” stated Moussa Diaby, the Director-General of INP-HB.

In West Africa, EMpact will follow the model already being used in Guatemala, Central America. By 2025,  EMpact plans to incorporate other frontier markets, such as those in Central Asia, and begin to interconnect these markets through the cross-pollination of ideas, capitalizing on their inherent similarities and complementarities.

Vanessa Ngono Atangana