Promoting Co-Creation with African Startups by Joining the Africa Corporate Innovation Program - Aiming to create new mobility services through collaborations with local startups -
September 9, 2026
IWATA, September 9, 2026 - Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd. (Tokyo: 7272) announced today that it will participate in the Africa Corporate Innovation Program (ACIP), a program jointly implemented by Double Feather Partners Inc. (DFP), Africa-focused venture capital and advisory firm, in partnership with Shell Foundation, a UK-registered charity. Through ACIP, Yamaha Motor will collaborate with African startups and local partners to conduct proof-of-concept (PoC) pilot projects for new mobility-related businesses.
The ACIP is a corporate co-creation and innovation platform run by Double Feather Partners in partnership with the Shell Foundation. It brings together startups addressing societal challenges in Africa and global corporate partners to evaluate the commercial viability and societal impact of business models that can help solve local challenges through real-world trials, while aiming to create and scale sustainable, climate-smart and inclusive businesses. The program is supported by funding from the UK Government's Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) through the Research on Infrastructure in Developing Economies (RIDE) program, and is jointly designed and implemented by Shell Foundation and DFP.
By participating in the ACIP, Yamaha Motor will collaborate with selected startups and local partners across selected East African markets to explore and conduct PoC pilot projects for new mobility services. Specifically, the company will assess commercial and operational viability, partnership models, and societal impact across three themes: electric mobility; mobility financing; and mobility ecosystem operations. These PoCs aim to establish scalable and sustainable business models that improve inclusive access to mobility and economic opportunities while supporting lower-emission transport. Based on the outcomes of these PoCs, Yamaha Motor will also explore longer-term business development and strategic partnerships with participating startups and local partners.
Yamaha Motor has been operating businesses in African markets since the 1960s that have contributed to improving people's quality of life and the development of local communities. In 2020, the Company launched its Mobility Service Business (MSB), a new services business focused not only on the ownership of mobility products but also on their use, complementing Yamaha Motor's existing operations centered on the sale and aftersales servicing of products such as motorcycles and outboard motors. Working together with local partners with the aim of helping people enjoy more fulfilling lives, the Company is expanding opportunities to use vehicles without the need for ownership and offering dependable logistics and delivery services to improve access to transportation and employment prospects. Yamaha Motor's participation in the ACIP builds on these efforts as it seeks to create new value through collaboration with African startups.
The ACIP is a corporate co-creation and innovation platform run by Double Feather Partners in partnership with the Shell Foundation. It brings together startups addressing societal challenges in Africa and global corporate partners to evaluate the commercial viability and societal impact of business models that can help solve local challenges through real-world trials, while aiming to create and scale sustainable, climate-smart and inclusive businesses. The program is supported by funding from the UK Government's Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) through the Research on Infrastructure in Developing Economies (RIDE) program, and is jointly designed and implemented by Shell Foundation and DFP.
By participating in the ACIP, Yamaha Motor will collaborate with selected startups and local partners across selected East African markets to explore and conduct PoC pilot projects for new mobility services. Specifically, the company will assess commercial and operational viability, partnership models, and societal impact across three themes: electric mobility; mobility financing; and mobility ecosystem operations. These PoCs aim to establish scalable and sustainable business models that improve inclusive access to mobility and economic opportunities while supporting lower-emission transport. Based on the outcomes of these PoCs, Yamaha Motor will also explore longer-term business development and strategic partnerships with participating startups and local partners.
Yamaha Motor has been operating businesses in African markets since the 1960s that have contributed to improving people's quality of life and the development of local communities. In 2020, the Company launched its Mobility Service Business (MSB), a new services business focused not only on the ownership of mobility products but also on their use, complementing Yamaha Motor's existing operations centered on the sale and aftersales servicing of products such as motorcycles and outboard motors. Working together with local partners with the aim of helping people enjoy more fulfilling lives, the Company is expanding opportunities to use vehicles without the need for ownership and offering dependable logistics and delivery services to improve access to transportation and employment prospects. Yamaha Motor's participation in the ACIP builds on these efforts as it seeks to create new value through collaboration with African startups.
