Event Report ”Ethiopia NINJA Acceleration Program Graduation”

JICA and the Ministry of Innovation and Technology of Ethiopia (MInT) held a completion ceremony on August 15, 2023, to share the results of the "Ethiopian NINJA Acceleration Program" which was implemented as part of JICA's Project NINJA (Next Innovation with Japan) [1], which supports startup ecosystem building in developing countries. The event was held in Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia, and online, and brought together about 150 people, including accelerators, international organizations, and startups from Ethiopia, Japan, and abroad.

At the graduation ceremony, the six startups that were selected as finalists shared what they had learned during the four-month business development training and Knowledge Co-Creation Program in Japan. Participants said that they learned the importance of understanding customer needs through the interviews and strategically setting KPI's, which are essential for further business expansion in the future.

After that, the panel discussion was held with the panelists included Mr. Selamyehun of MInT, Mr. Oelofse of Renew Capital, the local contractor for this program, Mr.Pazion of Orbit Health, and Mr. Tigabu of Eshi Express, a startup company. They discussed the importance of further strengthening government-led collaboration among accelerators, incubators, entrepreneurs, investors, and others.

JICA and MInT also shared information on the results of the Ethiopia Startup Ecosystem Survey (click here for the Ethiopia Startup Ecosystem Survey results: https://www.jica.go.jp/english/our_work/thematic_issues/private/information/20230713.html).
At the end of the program, MInT awarded certificates to the six startups, recognizing their hard work and commitment to the program. The event provided a valuable networking opportunity as well as a deeper understanding of Ethiopia and the African startup ecosystem from the learnings of the acceleration program.

At the end of the program, MInT awarded certificates to the six startups, recognizing their hard work and commitment to the program. The event provided a valuable networking opportunity as well as a deeper understanding of Ethiopia and the African startup ecosystem from the learnings of the acceleration program.

Note

1.　Gebeta Software PLC
Product name: Gebeta Maps/Gebeta Kitchens
Sector: Digitization in ICT/ logistics-tech
Established in 2019
Number of Employees: <5
Description: Gebeta Software is a software company working on providing solutions and platforms to facilitate logistics, routing and similar services at an affordable rate.

2.　Fibermart Trading Company
Product name: Fibermart
Sector: Manufacture (Energy)
Established in 2018
Number of Employees: 10+
Description: Fibermart Trading designs and deploy energy kiosks that are powered by solar. They can be used to provide financial access and connectivity for frontier markets. The kiosks have a refrigerator, charging hub and WiFi.

3.　Guzo Technologies PLC
Product name: Guzomap XR Studio
Sector: E-Tourism/VR-Tourism
Established in 2019
Number of Employees: 6-10
Description: Guzo Technologies Plc (Guzotech) is an Internet of Things and XR(Extended Reality) products prototyping startup headquartered in Addis Ababa. Guzotech builds interactive and immersive experiences for enterprises and government institutions.

4.　WeCare Digital Health
Product name: WeCare Digital Health
Sector: Health-Tech
Established in 2021
Number of Employees: 6-10
Description: WeCare Digital Health is a SaaS company with an innovative virtual health consultation service. Their mobile applications, along with their call center, aims to help clients book and consult a healthcare professional of their choice from the comfort of their homes.

5.　Storm Online Technologies/Shemach
Product name: Shemach
Sector: Digitization in ICT
Established in 2022
Number of Employees: 10+
Description: Shemach is a one-stop digital marketplace that connects retailers and FMCG manufacturers. Retailers order products via their platform from the comfort of their shop and receive same-day free delivery.
FMCG manufacturers are then able to obtain real-time market insight and processed data on their retail customers.

6.　Commerce 360 / Taywan
Product name: Taywan
Sector: Retail Tech
Established in 2020
Number of Employees: 20+
Description: Taywan is a B2B E-commerce and financing embedded platform that empowers informal trade and restocking for merchants, retailers, and kiosk across Ethiopia.