The Japan International Agency (JICA) has announced it has launched a project aimed at supporting and developing startup ecosystems in emerging markets.
JICA coordinates official development assistance for the Japanese government in developing countries.
The project, Next Innovation with Japan; NINJA for short is a startup support project that will be developed and executed in about 5 experimental countries which will include Kenya, Nigeria, Ghana, and Ethiopia.
The project will be focused on supporting innovative startups through business competition and incubation/acceleration programs in the targeted countries, as well as business matching support and policy advocation.
Keiji Katai, Head of Project NINJA said, “NINJA in Africa is designed to promote innovation for sustainable and inclusive development in Africa targeting at pre-seed/seed-stage entrepreneurs.
“In collaboration with various ecosystem stakeholders including investors, corporates, academia and governments, NINJA in Africa aims to support 50 investment-ready startups by the end of 2023,” he added.
