University Mohammed VI Polytechnic will host the second edition of the DeepTech Summit (DTS) on May 8–9, 2025, at its Benguerir campus. Under the theme, ‘Redefining Progress: How AI is Transforming DeepTech Innovation’ this year’s summit explores the foundational role of Artificial Intelligence in reshaping scientific, entrepreneurial, and industrial innovation across Africa and beyond.
In line with UM6P’s commitment to pioneering applied innovation tailored to African contexts, the summit serves as a platform for collective experimentation and dialogue between science, industry, and society.
Deeply embedded in the university’s mission to support scientific entrepreneurship, this edition introduces a range of tailored instruments to accelerate DeepTech startups. Through pitch sessions, curated matchmaking activities—such as the CVC Track, Pitch Me in the Dark, and Reverse Pitch—and direct engagement with venture capitalists, angel investors, and corporate funds, the event fosters high-impact interactions between innovators and financial, industrial, academic, and institutional partners.
By convening researchers, entrepreneurs, investors, and institutions around a dynamic programme of keynotes, thematic panels, and interactive workshops, the Summit seeks to chart the contours of a technology-driven transition that is both inclusive and rooted in the realities of emerging African ecosystems. More than a forum for ideas, the DeepTech Summit acts as a launchpad for action, designed to bridge emerging technologies with investment opportunities.
A key innovation this year is the DTS Prize, which highlights groundbreaking startups leveraging advanced technologies to address critical challenges in sectors like healthcare and renewable energy. The prize also honors venture capital firms whose strategic commitments are enabling the emergence of a new generation of African innovators. Selected from over 150 applications, the finalist startups will gain increased visibility, structured support, and access to funding opportunities. A special award will recognize an initiative led by an African ecosystem, reinforcing the Summit’s ambition to anchor the continent in global scientific and technological transformation.
The 2025 edition of DTS takes a forward-looking stance on today’s disruptive shifts. Artificial Intelligence, once considered merely an optimisation tool, now occupies a central role in DeepTech innovation processes. As tech ecosystems evolve, this convergence demands a reassessment of development models, investment priorities, and cooperation mechanisms.
