Ethiopia Secures Three-Year Deal with JICA to Power Startup Growth

A three-year initiative to strengthen Ethiopia’s startup landscape has officially kicked off with a partnership between the Ministry of Innovation & Technology (MiNT) and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).

The agreement sets the stage for a technical cooperation project tailored to elevate the startup ecosystem. Kenuske Oshima, Chief Representative of JICA Ethiopia Office, and Bayissa Badada (PhD), State Minister of Innovation and Technology, represented their respective institutions.

Titled the Startup Ecosystem Enhancement Project in the Eastern African Region, the program will also be implemented in Kenya and Tanzania, signaling a regional approach to ecosystem development.

Taddesse Anbesse, Head of the Startup Desk at MiNT, said that a public call for technical experts will be issued in the coming months to support the project. He believes this effort will address longstanding barriers facing local founders. “This will be much more comprehensive than previous projects,” Taddesse told the media.

For Ethiopian startups, the initiative offers the promise of better research capabilities and stronger institutional support as JICA will lead the creation of a National Master Plan, conduct research and analysis, and initiate pilot projects with ecosystem partners.

The program will also prioritize building MiNT’s internal capacity to better serve startups. While the full budget details are still pending, Taddesse confirmed that a high-level agreement is in place, with a project design matrix is expected to follow after technical teams are recruited.