UM6P Ventures
UM6P Ventures is the venture capital arm of University Mohammed VI Polytechnic, providing pre-seed and seed funding to science and technology startups across Morocco and Africa through two funds: Digital Transformation and Deeptech Ventures.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2021
- HeadquartersBenguerir, Morocco
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What UM6P Ventures does
UM6P Ventures is an early-stage venture capital firm headquartered in Casablanca, Morocco, operating as the investment arm of University Mohammed VI Polytechnic (UM6P) with financial backing from OCP Group. Founded on April 27, 2021, the firm invests pre-seed and seed capital — typical tickets range from $100,000 to $500,000 — into science and technology startups in Morocco and the broader African market, with a stated mandate to also serve the Moroccan Diaspora. The firm structures its activities across two distinct funds: a Digital Transformation Startup fund and a Deeptech Ventures fund.
The Deeptech Ventures fund targets startups in Agriculture, Chemicals, GreenTech, and Healthtech, providing capital alongside access to UM6P's research infrastructure (laboratories, experimental farms, prototyping equipment, and the StartGate campus in Benguerir) and to the university's technology-transfer office for IP support. The Digital Transformation fund partners with a network of incubators, accelerators, and co-investors — notably Plug and Play Morocco, Green Energy Park, and MIT Sandbox — to source and co-finance deals. Beyond capital, the firm runs the Venture Builder program, which transitions applied research projects into investable startups with regulatory, IP, and go-to-market support, and the Explorer Program, developed with MIT Sandbox Innovation Fund, which provides university students and researchers with seed capital, lab access, and mentorship.
The disclosed portfolio spans thirteen startups across diversified verticals: FinTech and B2B e-commerce (Chari, PayLik), HealthTech (Zuri Health, Deepecho, Infiuss Health), AgTech and FoodTech (Climate Crop, Akorn Technology, De Novo Dairy), Renewable Energy (ATAREC, with its WaveBeat wave-power solution piloted through Tanger Med), Logistics (Logidoo), Retail/Promotions (WafR), and Industrial Digitalization (OCP Maintenance Solutions, partnered with BCG GAMMA). Strategic partners include Plug and Play, Green Energy Park, MIT Sandbox, Al Akhawayn University, Cadi Ayyad University, UM6P, 1337 School, StartGate, UC Davis African Plant Breeding Academy, and PASET. Revenue (management fees and carried interest) and total fund AUM are not publicly disclosed; the firm is led by CEO Yasser Biaz.
UM6P Ventures firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- UM6P Ventures
- Legal name
- UM6P Ventures
- Website
- https://um6pventures.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2021
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- UM6P Ventures is the venture capital arm of University Mohammed VI Polytechnic, providing pre-seed and seed funding to science and technology startups across Morocco and Africa through two funds: Digital Transformation and Deeptech Ventures.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
UM6P Ventures industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Venture Capital
- NAICS
- All Other Financial Investment Activities (52399)
- SIC
- Investment Advice (6282)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Early-Stage Venture Capital (Pre-Seed/Seed) (FSANAAAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Early-Stage Venture Capital (Series A/B) (FSANAAAB), Sector-Focused Venture Capital (Vertical Specialists) (FSANAAAD), Corporate Strategic Partnership & Ecosystem Investment Arms (FSANAHAF)
Keywords
Where UM6P Ventures is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Benguerir
- HQ country
- Morocco
- HQ region
- Africa
Offices2 records
Markets served
UM6P Ventures business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Investment Returns / Equity Gains: UM6P Ventures generates returns through equity investments in early-stage startups. The firm provides capital to startups at pre-seed and seed stages with investment tickets ranging from $100k to $500k, with potential for follow-on investment in subsequent funding rounds.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Pre-seed and Seed Investment |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels7 records
UM6P Ventures product offering
Product offeringCore offering
UM6P Ventures is an early-stage venture capital firm that operates two funds: a Digital Transformation Startup fund and a Deeptech Ventures fund. The firm invests pre-seed and seed capital ($100k-$500k tickets) in science and technology startups from Morocco and the greater Africa region, providing portfolio companies with access to university research infrastructure, advanced talent sourcing, subject domain expertise, and specialized equipment.
Product overview
UM6P Ventures operates as the investment arm of University Mohammed VI Polytechnic, managing two distinct investment funds: the Deeptech Ventures Fund (providing capital and advanced infrastructure for science-based startups in Agriculture, Chemicals, GreenTech, and Healthtech) and the Digital Transformation Startups Fund (targeting pre-seed and seed digital startups). Supporting these funds, the Venture Builder program helps transition research projects into investable startups, while the Explorer Program (partnered with MIT Sandbox) provides university entrepreneurs with seed capital, labs, and mentorship.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Deeptech Ventures Fund Early-stage venture capital fund providing Deeptech startups with capital, advanced talent sourcing, subject domain expertise, and access to specialized equipment and infrastructure. Focus areas include Agriculture, Chemicals, GreenTech, and Healthtech.
- Digital Transformation Startups Fund Early-stage investment fund targeting pre-seed and seed Digital Transformation startups, providing capital alongside partners from a network of native and international programs including incubators, accelerators, and investors such as Business Angels and venture capitalists.
- Venture Builder Program enabling universities to transition students and researchers from applied research projects to actual startup creation, providing access to capital markets for further funding or profitable exits/buyouts.
- Explorer Program Program developed in collaboration with MIT Sandbox Innovation Fund, providing university students and researchers access to seed capital, world-class labs, and mentorship from a broad network of world-renowned experts. Expanded to partner universities including Al Akhawayn University and Cadi Ayyad University.
Quantifiable outcome
- Funding minimum of 10 startups at seed level within initial partner programs as of 2021
Companies that use UM6P Ventures
Customer profileNamed customers13 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
UM6P Ventures technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
UM6P Ventures partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.
- Plug and PlaycoreGlobal innovation platform headquartered in Silicon Valley partnering with UM6P Ventures to co-launch two acceleration verticals: AgroBiosciences and HealthTech. The partnership provides startups access to Plug and Play's accelerator programs including 40+ hours of workshops, 150+ hours of mentoring, and connection to 450+ corporate partners. UM6P Ventures contributes science-based support system including infrastructure, specialized expertise, and early-stage capital.
- Al Akhawayn University in IfranesupportingPartnership expanding Explorer program access to university students and researchers. University entrepreneurs gain access to early seed capital as projects transition to actual startups.
- Cadi Ayyad UniversitysupportingPartnership expanding Explorer program access to university students and researchers at Cadi Ayyad University, providing early seed capital and mentorship opportunities.
- Green Energy Park (GEP)coreCollaboration to develop entrepreneurship and accelerate scientific innovation in renewable energy and sustainable development. Both institutions combine vertical expertise and leverage broad network of education, research, and industry partners. Five projects in residential energy storage and modular/mobile solar stations were selected for joint investment. GEP provides active role in incubation, mentorship and funding.
- Boston Consulting Group (BCG GAMMA)corePortfolio company OCP Maintenance Solutions partnered with BCG GAMMA, the AI and data science entity of BCG's Casablanca office. Together they offer innovative transformation solutions in maintenance and industrial digitalization for operators in Africa and internationally.
- MIT Sandbox Innovation FundcoreCollaborative partner in the Explorer program providing university students and researchers access to seed capital, world-class labs, and mentorship from globally-renowned experts. Program runs cohorts with teams from partner universities.
- Tanger Med GroupsupportingNational port and logistics player serving as first incubator for ATAREC startup. Through its intrapreneurship program, the Group supports internal talents by providing resources to bring innovative projects to fruition, including wave power solution WaveBeat developed by founders.
- University Mohammed VI Polytechnic (UM6P)coreUM6P Ventures is the investment arm of UM6P university. The university provides learn-by-doing environment equipped with subject matter experts, access to labs and infrastructure, and technology transfer office support for intellectual property.
- 1337 School (1337)supportingAccess to 1337 School's best talent pool to strengthen portfolio companies' technology development capabilities, particularly for software and application development.
- StartGatecoreUM6P's startup campus committed to providing world-class infrastructure and resources to support entrepreneurs. Hosts startup showcase events and provides prototyping, testing, validation and production facilities.
- UC Davis African Plant Breeding AcademysupportingResearch institution represented on panel discussing startup journey from inception, funding, technology licensing, IP strategies, and Venture Builder support at startup showcase.
- Partnership for Skills in Applied Sciences, Engineering and Technology (PASET)supportingRegional partnership contributing to startup ecosystem discussions at UM6P Ventures startup showcase events.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves9 records
Expansion highlights5 records
UM6P Ventures competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Savannah Fund: Early-stage tech VC focused on Sub-Saharan Africa, providing seed capital and accelerator support. Targets similar founder profile and sector mix (digital + science-led), positioning it as a comparable peer in the African early-stage VC landscape.
- Flat6Labs: North African early-stage seed VC and accelerator operating across Tunisia, Egypt, Morocco, and Algeria. Like UM6P Ventures, it runs structured seed programs (typically $50k–$150k tickets) with follow-on support and is one of the most direct competitors for Moroccan seed-stage deals.
- Novastar Ventures: East Africa-focused early-stage VC backing founders solving African mass-market problems. Although East Africa-focused, it competes for the same sector themes (agritech, fintech, healthtech) and pan-African capital pools that UM6P Ventures targets.
- 4DX Ventures: Pan-African early-stage VC investing in pre-seed and seed startups across Africa and the diaspora. Comparable ticket sizes and Africa-wide mandate make it a direct peer for both deal flow sourcing and co-investment opportunities.
- Partech: Pan-African and global early-to-growth-stage VC with active deployment in Morocco and Francophone Africa. Partech competes for the same digital transformation deals in Morocco and brings comparable follow-on capacity and international LP base.
Emerging players
- Kaleidofin: While not a VC itself, Kaleidofin is illustrative of the deeptech/fintech-enabled African companies UM6P Ventures' peers (4DX, Novastar) would fund. Listed to illustrate the portfolio archetype rather than direct competitive overlap.
Regional players
- Algebra Ventures: Egypt-focused early-to-growth-stage VC backing technology startups. While Egypt-focused rather than Morocco, it operates in a comparable MENA/North African ecosystem and competes for similar regional talent and cross-border African deals.
Others
- EIT Climate-KIC: European climate innovation community and accelerator with deeptech focus. While not a direct VC competitor, EIT Climate-KIC provides acceleration support to European/Moroccan cleantech startups that overlap with UM6P Ventures' GreenTech portfolio theme.
- Stanford Mussallem Center for Biodesign: University-linked innovation program in medical devices and healthtech. Comparable model to UM6P Ventures' university-anchored approach (UM6P Explorer + Venture Builder) and supports the same talent-to-startup pipeline in life sciences.
Broad incumbents
- Omar Almousa's Plug & Play Morocco: Plug and Play's Moroccan operation, which partners with UM6P Ventures but also runs independent acceleration programs. As the global innovation platform's regional franchise, it offers comparable accelerator-style support and corporate connections.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
UM6P Ventures social profiles
Digital presenceUM6P Ventures financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
UM6P Ventures leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
UM6P Ventures funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
UM6P Ventures M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments26 records
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about UM6P Ventures
What does UM6P Ventures do?
UM6P Ventures is an early-stage venture capital firm that operates two funds: a Digital Transformation Startup fund and a Deeptech Ventures fund. The firm invests pre-seed and seed capital ($100k-$500k tickets) in science and technology startups from Morocco and the greater Africa region, providing portfolio companies with access to university research infrastructure, advanced talent sourcing, subject domain expertise, and specialized equipment.
Is UM6P Ventures a public or private company?
UM6P Ventures is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was UM6P Ventures founded?
UM6P Ventures was founded in 2021. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is UM6P Ventures based?
UM6P Ventures is headquartered in Benguerir, Morocco, in the Africa region.
How does UM6P Ventures make money?
One revenue line is on record: investment Returns / Equity Gains.
Who are UM6P Ventures's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Savannah Fund, Flat6Labs, Novastar Ventures, 4DX Ventures and Partech. Kaleidofin is listed as an emerging player. Algebra Ventures is listed as a regional player. Others are EIT Climate-KIC and Stanford Mussallem Center for Biodesign. Omar Almousa's Plug & Play Morocco is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does UM6P Ventures have an API?
No public API is recorded for UM6P Ventures.
What industry is UM6P Ventures in?
UM6P Ventures's product category is Venture Capital. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSANAAAA, Early-Stage Venture Capital (Pre-Seed/Seed), with a secondary code of FSANAAAB, Early-Stage Venture Capital (Series A/B). Its NAICS code is 52399 and its SIC code is 6282.