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https://explorer.um6pventures.com�https://explorershowcase.um6pventures.com

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  • Program established at MIT over 6 years ago
  • Same mentorship, financial and advising model
  • Over 1250 groups with innovation across many industries
  • Explorer leveraged that experience instead of starting from scratch

Explorer Information Session

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Explorer Modeled After MIT Sandbox Innovation Fund but Customized for Morocco

http://sandbox.mit.edu/news

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Explorer Team

Explorer Information Session

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Operations (Morocco):

Adnane Soulimani (UM6P)

Manager

Loubna Fatine (UM6P)

Program Coordinator/Admin

Mohamed Ismail Ettabi (UM6P)

IT Infrastructure, Summer Program Coordinator

Hajar Kossir (UM6P Ventures)

Workshops/Office Hours

Ikram Labtaini (UM6P Ventures)

Science/Partnership Management

Soulaymane Ezzoubdaoui (UM6P)

Website

Funding/Support/Communications:

Yasser Biaz, Sara Zouaher

UM6P Ventures

Hanaa Imani,

U-Founders

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Operations (MIT):

Marwan Hassoun (MIT)

Executive Director

Emily DaPonta (MIT)

Intern, Program Management

Jinane Abounadi (MIT)

MIT Sandbox Executive Director

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Explorer Information Session

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Entrepreneur

Community

Accessible

ALL  students, researchers and post-docs No winners or losers No failure, just learning

Educational

Designed for a traditional university experience, helps teams pursue entrepreneurial ideas, teaches fundamental venture conxepts

Personalized

Teams are matched with globally and locally experienced mentors and given personalized curricula that moves their ideas forward

Practical

Teams learn by doing, and gain real world experience in moving their ideas from concept to impact in Morocco, Africa and Globally

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Explorer Information Session

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Mentoring, Advising,

Expert Office Hours,

Resources, Workshops, Events

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Spring/Summer Proposals

10K – 50K

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Spring/Summer

Proposals

50K – 250K

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Extension Proposals

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Funding Board

Meeting

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Explorer Showcase

- Opportunity to pitch to large industry/government/funding audience

Fall

Proposals

10K –50K

Funding Board

Meeting

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Fall

Proposals

50K – 250K

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Extension Proposals

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Explorer Showcase

- Opportunity to pitch to large industry/government/funding audience

Explorer Program Structure

Application cycles (Cohorts) a year: Spring/Summer and Fall

2

2

Funding Board meetings a year

2

Showcases per year

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

Jan

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Story So Far – 3 Cohorts

Explorer March 2021 Showcase

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Spring 2020

Fall 2020

Spring 2021

Spring 2020

Fall 2020

Spring 2021

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284

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6

C

Multi-format Mentoring + Funding + Community

GROUP MENTORING

1-1 MENTORING

54 Active Mentors (6 new MIT + 11 new Morocco)

(23 MIT Sandbox Mentors + 31 Morocco Mentors)

https://www.explorershowcase.um6pventures.com/meet-explorer-1

TEAM 4

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Explorer Information Session

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WORKSHOPS

(12 custom workshops offered in Spring 2020)

EXPERT OFFICE HOURS

Teams sign up for expert office hours to get advice in specific areas

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TEAM

World-wide EXPERT

…plus workshops & Expert office hours

Teams attend workshops covering topics important to founders, including:

    • Introductory Entrepreneurship
    • Start up equity
    • Agile Project Management
    • Founder-to-Founder topics
    • Markets
    • Legal and IP

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  • Workshops
    • Joint Workshops between UM6P Explorer and MIT Sandbox Programs
  • Many more from other sources (MIT, U-Founders, StartGate,…)

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Workshops + Office Hours + Other Resouces

  • Physical Space for Teams (StartGate)
  • Prototyping Services (UM6P Fablab and MASciR)
  • Media Services (UM6P Digital Learning Lab)
  • IP and Trademarks (UM6P TTO)
  • More….

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  • 19 Workshops
    • 16 Joint Workshops between UM6P Explorer and MIT Sandbox Programs
  • Many more from other sources (MIT, U-Founders, StartGate,…)

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Workshops + Office Hours + Other Resouces

  • Physical Space for Teams (StartGate)
  • Prototyping Services (UM6P Fablab and MASciR)
  • Media Services (UM6P Digital Learning Lab)
  • IP and Trademarks (UM6P TTO)
  • More….

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Explorer Dashboard – Spring 2021 Cohort

119 Teams

37 1on1 mentoring

17 Group mentoring (4/group)

1 Lecture mentoring (13)

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72 New Teams and 47 Continuing

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Explorer Eligibility

  • Eligibility (see also more details in next section)
    • At least one FULL-TIME team members must be students, researchers or post-docs from UM6P, GEP, MASciR, 1337, YouCode, Hassan II, Al Alkhawayn, Mohammed V, Cadi Ayyad and Technopark
    • MUST HAVE LEADERSHIP ROLE
    • Leaving the institution (graduation/departing) will terminate a team’s eligibility by end of the cohort
    • Summer is considered part of Spring cohort
    • Team members can be added/deleted up to middle of cohort
  • Team absolutely must be committed to Their Business
    • LBMC, Customer Segments, Customer Discovery, Early Adopters

Explorer Information Session

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ELIGIBILITY

  • Have a startup idea already working on
  • Want to start working on an idea is OK
  • Team absolutely must be committed to
    • Project and Educational/Learning experience
  • Clearly defined problem using Innovative technology/idea/methodology/market/service
    • Plan to prove the feasibility
    • Clear milestones - technology vs. market validation
  • Customer Focus: Plan to validate the idea with potential users
  • Budget: Clear proposal

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Explorer Information Session

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The Next Several Months

13

REQUIRED

(OPTIONAL)

Oct

Expert Office Hour & Workshops

Lean Business Model Canvas + Mentor Meeting

Update Budget

Monthly Goals

Kickoff

Nov

Workshop

Mentor Meeting

Assignment #1 (Canvas)

Monthly Report

Expert Office Hour & Workshops

Explorer gSheet Template

Jan

Social Event

Workshop

Mentor Meeting

Business Pitch

Final Report

Expert Office Hour & Workshops

Prepare for Showcase

Dec

Social Event

Workshop

Mentor Meeting

Assignment #2 (Framework)

Monthly Report

Expert Office Hour & Workshops

Communications

Feb

Fall 2021 Showcase

Social Event

Social Event

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Explorer Team Resources

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https://explorer.um6pventures.com/

Password Spring2020

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THE SHOWCASE

https://www.explorershowcase.um6pventures.com/

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Summer Program

An incubator concept (idea -> business)

    • Facilitate you achieving the goals on the next slide (and more)
    • For teams that want to dedicate their summer to their project

Summer 2021

    • 14 Teams Participating and 8 Mentors
    • 11 teams resident at StartGate (20 individuals)
    • 25 Individuals on Stipend, but the entire team can participate and benefit

Run in collaboration with MIT I-Corps Program

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Explorer Funding (Subject to Change)

  • Funding awarded 5K Dhs – 250K Dhs
    • Extremely difficult to get award over 50K Dhs for 1st time teams
    • Over 50K (cumulative) requires funding board level approval
  • No cash awards, funding is in:
    • Services through Explorer (developers/builders/designers/manufacturing)
      • Staffed by Explorer or its partners: GEP, MASciR, Fablab, 1337 and YouCode
    • Fixed stipends for customer travel (stipends ONLY for established team members)
    • Equipment & Material owned by Explorer and loaned to teams
  • Explorer has the last say on awards and reserves the right to modify spending policies
    • See Website for guidelines and Use of Funds.

Explorer Information Session

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For New Teams there are 2 application routes: Under 50K, or Over 50K

Explorer Information Session

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Mentor & Staff Review

Mentor & Staff Review

Dhs Award (see spending policies)

Track and Mentor Assignment

Funding Board Presentations

If < 50K granted

Over 50K Dhs route very difficult for 1st time applicants

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For Renewing Teams, there are 3 application routes: Under 50K, Over 50K and Extending Teams (no new money)

Explorer Information Session

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Over 50K Mentor & Staff Review

Funding Board Presentations

Dhs Award (see spending policies)

Track and Mentor Assignment

Mentor Feedback & Recommendation

If < 50K granted

Mentor Feedback

Self-Assessment

& Re-application

Self-Assessment & Re-application

Self-Assessment

& Re-application

EXIT

EXIT

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Important Deadlines

  • Info Sessions:  July 27, 2021
  • Applications due:  August 6, 2021 (strict deadline)
    • https://explorer.um6pventures.com/apply/
    • Start your application early, you can save and continue
  • Over 50K Dhs Presentations (and select under 50K Dhs):
    • 2nd week of September 2021 (Final Funding Board)
  • Final Decisions: August 31, 2021
  • Kickoff Session: September 28, 2021
  • Cohort Launch:  October 4, 2021

Explorer Information Session

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Explorer Portal�NEW TEAMS

  • Go to Explorer Portal
  • You must first Register for a SurveyMonkey Apply account.
  • Portal IS OPEN
  • Video on how to apply here

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Explorer Information Session

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Explorer Information Session

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Checkout https://explorer.um6pventres.com

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Email explorer@um6pventures.com

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Need more information?

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https://explorer.um6pventures.com�https://explorershowcase.um6pventures.com

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EXTRAS

Explorer Information Session

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Program Snapshot, Completed Cohorts

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Spring 2020

Fall 2021

Spring 2021

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Summer Internships

  1. Must have been included it in your budget and justified
  2. Up to two team members can request up to 1.500 Dhs/Month for a maximum of three months during the summer
  3. Only Students are eligible and will be employed as interns with UM6P 
  4. The team members MUST be planning on working full-time on the project during the summer.
  5. Potential interns MUST have authorization from their academic departments to allow them to take an internship during the summer
  6. Access to space at StartGate in Ben Guerir.

NEXT STEPS:

  • Teams who fulfilled 1-3 above, will be sent a form by end of April to provide 4 and 5 and apply to be an intern with UM6P.
  • Mentorship will be provided several times/week and daily check-in will be required.

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Explorer March 2021 Showcase

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