Explorer Info
A complete overview of how UM6P Explorer operates: program structure, eligibility criteria, the funding process, the summer program, and governing policies. For specific cohort dates, see the homepage.
per cohort
(MAD, in-kind)
this cohort
required
A home for early-stage entrepreneurs
Accessible
Open to students, researchers and postdocs across UM6P and all partner institutions, with no restriction by sector or industry. The program does not rank or select a "best team": every participant stands on equal footing.
Educational
A hands-on curriculum for building a company inside a university environment, from an early-stage idea through to a functioning business.
Practical
Structured around each team's specific venture rather than generic instruction, with one explicit goal: launching a real business.
Personalized
Teams progress at their own pace, with no fixed time limit or formal "graduation." Explorer can be maintained alongside participation in other programs.
Program structure
The program runs two primary cohorts per year, Spring and Fall, complemented by an optional, higher-intensity Summer program available to a subset of participating teams. There are no restrictions on industry or sector for eligibility.
Each cohort concludes with Explorer Showcase, held on the Ben Guerir campus. The most recent edition drew:
Mentorship
Incoming teams are paired with one mentor from the MIT network and one Moroccan mentor, combining international and local perspectives, initially within small groups of approximately four teams. Teams that continue across multiple cohorts may transition to one-on-one mentoring for more focused support as their venture matures.
1st & 2nd-time teams
For teams with a defined project, idea, market, or proposal. Matched with two mentors within a group of approximately four teams.
Advanced teams
Reserved for advanced teams. Matched individually with one or two mentors as the venture progresses.
All mentors participate on a volunteer basis, which is part of why consistent attendance at mentoring sessions is expected of every team (see below). Beyond mentorship, teams have access to workshops, expert office hours held approximately monthly on topics such as intellectual property and incorporation, and facilitated introductions to partner resources, including physical workspace, prototyping services, media production, trademark support, and AWS credits.
What Explorer focuses on
The lean business model canvas, covering customer segments, value proposition, and the overall structure of the business.
Customer discovery through direct interviews that test each hypothesis: a rigorous, evidence-based method applied to venture-building.
Identification of the early adopter, the specific individual or organization most likely to become a first customer. A target market defined as "everybody" is treated as a signal to refine the offering.
Innovation is not limited to patented technology. It may lie in the idea itself, the method, the target market, or in adapting a proven model to the Moroccan market.
Eligibility
Your four mentor sessions
Each team meets formally with its mentors four times per cohort. Consistent attendance is the single greatest determinant of a team's success in the program: mentors participate as volunteers, and unexplained absences remain one of the program's most persistent challenges. Between formal sessions, teams are encouraged to contact their mentors directly for additional guidance.
Canvas & segments
Teams arrive with a completed lean business model canvas, with particular attention to customer segments, and establish monthly goals together with their mentors.
Assumptions
Teams identify 2-3 core assumptions underlying their business, using the Assumptions Framework, and articulate them clearly enough to be tested.
Proof
Teams report on customer interviews conducted to test their assumptions, following a hypothesis-then-evidence approach.
Pitch
Teams develop a pitch deck and begin preparing to present at Explorer Showcase.
Funding & budget
Funding is never disbursed as cash. UM6P pays directly for services such as development, design, prototyping, and manufacturing, delivered by Explorer or partner organizations including GEP, MASciR, Fablab, 1337, and YouCode, as well as for equipment, which remains the property of Explorer and is loaned to teams for the duration of the program. Each request must be justified to mentors and tied directly to venture progress; final approval rests with Explorer.
Requesting funding is entirely optional; many teams begin with mentorship alone and apply for funding once ready. Teams that do request funding are advised to budget for the following 4-5 months rather than requesting a large sum upfront. Budgets may increase at each renewal as the venture matures, up to the program ceiling of 250,000 MAD.
Mid-cohort rules
- Modify how an approved budget is allocated, with mentor approval
- Carry unspent funds forward; it is common for teams not to use their full budget in the early stages
- Increase the awarded maximum mid-cohort, as UM6P allocates funds in advance
- Expect a first-time award above 50,000 MAD without significant review
Summer program
An optional, higher-intensity extension available to a subset of teams, applied for within the main application rather than as a separate process, by requesting a portion of funds as a summer stipend. The program is demanding, involving weekly mentor meetings throughout the summer and substantial customer-discovery work. Not all applicants are accepted.
Each student requesting a stipend must be itemized individually in the budget's other-expenses section, listing name, duration, and amount.
A few things worth knowing
No NDAs. Explorer does not require non-disclosure agreements; given the program's scale, NDAs cannot be enforced in practice. Instead, teams and mentors are expected to uphold a shared standard of respect for one another's ideas. The extent to which a team discloses its work, whether to mentors, other teams in a shared session, or anyone else, remains entirely at that team's discretion. Greater openness generally yields more substantive feedback, though the decision rests with each team.