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Kama Ethiopia is the engine for structural economic transformation. We bridge the gap between 41+ public assets and the startup ecosystem — turning State-Owned Enterprises into Venture Clients and Ethiopian founders into commercially validated innovators.

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Register Interest Register Interest
Register Interest Register Interest

Cohort 1 Applications Open 15 September 2026

Join KAMA to develop, validate, and commercialize your innovative solutions

Founders & Startups

Bring Your Solution to Market

KAMA supports founders and startups to develop, test, validate, and commercialize solutions through collaboration with Ethiopia’s leading State-Owned Enterprises.

Through KAMA, startups gain access to market insights, technical expertise, mentorship, pilot opportunities, and pathways to commercialization & investment.

Work with Our Enterprises

Explore Partnership Opportunities Across EIH’s Portfolio

KAMA connects startups with EIH’s portfolio of 41+ State-Owned Enterprises across nine strategic sectors to develop solutions, improve operations, and create new growth opportunities.

Explore the enterprises participating in KAMA and discover opportunities for collaboration, innovation, and partnership.

Investors & Private Sector

Discover Ethiopia’s Next Generation of Frontier Startups

KAMA offers access to a pipeline of startups that have developed, tested, and validated their solutions in SOEs business environments and market traction.

The Application Process for Startups

Step 01 – Registration

Submit your startup details, founding team profile, and a short founder grit assessment to demonstrate your commitment, resilience, and ability to execute.

Step 02 – Track Selection

Choose the opportunity pathway that matches your aspirations.
Track 1: SOE Open Innovation Challenge
Track 2: National Innovation
Each startup can only submit one application.

Step 03 – Venture Blueprint

Outline details about your solution proposal by answering the problem you solve, your solution, target customers, market opportunity, and your team’s capabilities.

Step 04 – Psychometric Assessment

Complete a structured assessment covering numerical reasoning, logical reasoning, situational judgement, and general knowledge.

Step 05 – Selection

Applications are reviewed by the KAMA selection committee, and selected founders and startups join Cohort 1.

Got Questions? We’ve Got Answers!

Know More Know More

KAMA is open to Ethiopian founders, startups, and innovators developing innovative, technology-enabled, and scalable solutions. You do not need a registered company, co-founder, or finished product to apply. Individuals can apply, and you do not need to have a team.

You can apply with an idea, prototype, MVP, or more developed solution, depending on the track.

Applicants must be committed to participating throughout the KAMA program journey. Registered startups should generally meet the applicable startup designation criteria under Startup Proclamation No. 1396/2025, including the five-year establishment requirement.

You do not need to have a registered company to apply. KAMA welcomes innovators at different stages, provided they have a relevant solution and meet the requirements of the selected pathway.

KAMA is open to ventures at different stages, from early ideas and prototypes to validated, growth-stage, and scaling ventures. Support will be tailored to the venture's stage and needs.

KAMA meets ventures where they are. Early-stage ventures will be supported on refining and validating their solutions, while more mature startups may focus on enterprise adoption, commercialization, market expansion, partnerships, or investment readiness.

Later-stage startups do not need to restart their journey. Their existing traction, product maturity, customers, and capabilities will be considered, allowing them to focus on the next stage of growth that KAMA can help accelerate.

There is no application or participation fee for selected founders and innovators. KAMA provides access to program support, enterprise collaboration, mentorship, and other resources at no cost to participants.

Applications are evaluated by the KAMA Selection Committee, comprising experts from across the innovation ecosystem, through a transparent, fair, and consistent assessment process using predefined evaluation criteria. Selection criteria vary by track and program stage.

Track 1 – Enterprise Open Innovation is challenge-led. Participating enterprises publish specific business challenges, and startups apply with solutions that address them. Startups can also propose ideas that could add value to a participating enterprise beyond a published challenge. Selected startups work with the enterprise to co-create, develop, test and validate solutions in real enterprise environments, creating pathways to adoption and commercialisation.

Track 2 – National Innovation is solution-led. Startups bring their own solutions addressing national priorities, broader market needs, emerging opportunities and future growth areas, in any sector. This can include solutions relevant to enterprises outside the current cohort. Places on Track 2 are limited.

Track 2 solutions are primarily validated through open-market opportunities. Where a startup proposes working with an enterprise, KAMA facilitates the connection, and relevant expertise, infrastructure, data and other resources may be made available.

KAMA's core program runs for approximately 6–8 months, from enterprise immersion through piloting and commercialization.

Selected innovators will have in-person engagement with their SOE partners during enterprise immersion, co-creation, solution development, and piloting. The specific location and schedule will depend on the participating SOE and program stage.

The core journey includes:
• 4 weeks: Enterprise immersion and solution development
• 3 months: Pilot testing and validation
• 3 months: Commercialization

Post-commercialization support may continue for 3–12 months, based on the venture's needs.

Applicants should be prepared to actively participate throughout the core program support.

KAMA provides hands-on support for founders and startups:

Access to Pilot Environments
Access to SOE environments, pilot opportunities, relevant enterprise resources, and support to develop, test, and validate solutions.

Expert Support
Access to mentors, industry experts, and technical guidance to refine solutions, strengthen business models, prepare for commercialization, and build investment readiness.

Market Access
Opportunities to engage with SOEs as potential customers, partners, and market channels, as well as access to relevant market insights and customer networks.

Investor Connections
Connections to potential sources of growth capital, including EIH and SOE corporate venture capital, angel investors, venture capital firms, and the ESX crowdfunding platform.

KAMA doesn't take equity from participating startups to be part of the program.

However, KAMA provides opportunities to connect with potential sources of growth capital, including EIH and SOE corporate venture capital, angel investors, venture capital firms, and the ESX crowdfunding platform.

In Track 1, SOEs participate as venture clients and innovation partners. They define challenges, collaborate with innovators to co-create solutions, support pilots, and may adopt or commercialize successful solutions.

Where relevant, SOEs may provide access to data, facilities, infrastructure, domain expertise, users, and operational environments.

In Track 2, SOEs will selectively contribute resources and provide relevant expertise, data, infrastructure, facilities, and market insights where appropriate.