On September the 5th, E4Impact Foundation opened the new wing of the E4Impact Accelerator in Nairobi (Kenya). The facility, 360 sm wide, will allow the organization to host many more entrepreneurs and startups, opening up to new business sectors.
The E4Impact Accelerator was born in 2018 in Nairobi from the commitment of E4Impact Foundation with Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore and the support of the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS) in order to give a contribution to economic growth of Kenya, in compliance with the Africa Vision Agenda 2023. This service will offer to startups in Kenya a taylored acceleration experience, which is action-oriented and outcome-oriented, with the objective of making business grow, improve their positive impact on the community and facilitate investments and connections with regional and international markets, particularly Italian markets.
As of today, 120 companies have received the acceleration and incubation services that are offered in Nairobi, all of them belong to the key industries of Kenyan economy.
The new spaces, that will host both men and women entrepreneurs ready to take part to the E4Impact accelerator programs, feature an area over 360 sm big allocated for co-working, training rooms, meeting rooms, offices, a kitchen and a cafeteria. By doing so, the 20/30 startups hosted every year within the Accelerator, will have access to a space designated to offer them the best services. Moreover, in every room interactive screen have been installed, together with ad-hoc equipment in the training rooms and the co-working area, as well as projectors and printers.
“The inauguration of these new facilities represents a fundamental goal for E4Impact and for our commitment to Africa’s entrepreneurial development. Thanks to the support of the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS), ENI and Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, we will be able to continue offering to African startups new opportunities to grow and to create employment, reinforcing their social and environmental impact.” said Mario Molteni, CEO of E4Impact Foundation, in an intervention held during the inaugural event.
Furthermore, during the event there was the graduation ceremony of 39 entrepreneurs that had joined the accelerator and incubator program between 2023 and 2024 and that had completed their studies. Moreover, the new participants of the 2024/2025 cohort have been officially welcomed; by the end of September, they will take part in dedicated training with the goal of have a greater impact on their communities and build a sustainable future.
A day full of activities, discussions, and worthy interventions held by multiple special guests, including Giovanni Grandi, Director of the Nairobi branch of the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS), H.E. Roberto Natali, Italian Ambassador to Kenya, H.E. Susan Mang’eni, Prime Secretary of State Department for Kenyan SME’s development, Enrico Tavolini, Managing Director of ENI Kenya, Tally Einav, Representative of UNIDO – United Nations Industrial Development Organization in Kenya, Phelix Rapando from Mastercard, Duncan Onyango from Trademark, Philip Maitha from Kenya Industry and Entrepreneurship Project (KIEP) and Sameer Goyan from The World Bank.
“The E4Impact Accelerator represents a real example of how entrepreneurship can be a starting point to sustainable and inclusive development in Kenya and more broadly in Africa”, claimed Giovanni Grandi, Director of AICS Nairobi, during the event. “The creation of companies and employment, placing particular emphasis on young people, is a crucial part of our development strategy together with Kenya. We are proud to sustain this growth path, in collaboration with the Kenyan government and our partners”.
A heartfelt thank you to all the distinguished guests and participants for having made this day special and to those institutions that for years have been supporting us in the training of impact entrepreneurs in Africa. With the inauguration of these new facilities, E4Impact is taking a further step in the promotion and support of African entrepreneurship in a continent that is meant to grow more and more.