20 new entrepreneurs join Le Phare, the social incubator of the CMA CGM Foundation

In line with the CMA CGM Foundation's commitments to access to education and the fight against poverty, Le Phare has selected 20 entrepreneurs with innovative solutions in these areas.

This year, for the first time, Le Phare’s 3 hubs in Marseille, Guadeloupe and Côte d’Ivoire simultaneously launched a joint call for projects. For this new cohort, this unprecedented format attracted more than 100 applications from all over the world.

Selected projects will benefit from 9 months of tailored support, which includes access to a coworking space, daily follow-up, and mentoring provided by dedicated CMA CGM staff members. In addition, project leaders will have the opportunity to connect with potential partners through the extensive network of the CMA CGM Group and its Foundation.

The 20 projects selected this year offer a variety of approaches and themes. In addition to educational innovation, which remains a key pillar of Le Phare, 7 projects are specifically dedicated to responding to food and cultural poverty, a key focus of the CMA CGM Foundation. In addition, 13 projects in this new cohort are led by associations.

Tanya Saadé Zeenny, President of the CMA CGM Foundation: "Education is at the heart of the CMA CGM Foundation's commitment. Our actions aim to improve access to education for all and to promote the professional integration of young people who are from the labor market. With the creation of our social incubator Le Phare, we also support young entrepreneurs and project leaders with a strong social impact. This support accelerates the development of innovative solutions, whether carried by startups or associations, in Marseille, the Antilles, and Côte d'Ivoire."

At the beginning of October, Le Phare’s Marseille Hub of Le Phare will move to Grand Central, a new space in the heart of the city center. This modern environment will provide the 10 Marseille laureates with suitable premises and workspaces adapted to their needs. Grand Central will also host ZEBOX, the international startup accelerator founded by Rodolphe Saadé, creating an environment conducive to innovation for the incubated projects.

Launched in 2021, Le Phare has already supported 3 cohorts representing 55 entrepreneurs in Marseille, Abidjan, and Pointe-à-Pitre.

Last year, for the 3rd cohort, 18 entrepreneurs were supported by Le Phare. Some of them were awarded prestigious prizes during their incubation period: Jules Sitruk (Protis Club) was listed in the Forbes 30Under30 ranking, Olivier Oullier (Inclusive Brains) won the Inventor of the Year award from Les Échos, and Alexandre Pastor (Melting Pot) won the Deloitte Prize.

Particular attention has also been paid to consolidating the financial strategies of the associations, enabling them to significantly increase their capacity for action. Finally, several of these projects continue to work closely with the CMA CGM Foundation on specific actions that will be announced shortly.