Supporting Women Entrepreneurs in Mauritania

Investing in Innovation
Kosmos Energy makes many of our social investments through the Kosmos Innovation Center (KIC) programs in Ghana, Senegal and Mauritania. These programs reflect our belief that by nurturing the next generation of entrepreneurs and facilitating innovation in sectors beyond oil and gas, we can meaningfully contribute to the creation of healthier and more diverse economies in our host nations. The KIC provides expert training, mentorship and seed funding through customized programs led by local experts.

Creating More Opportunity in Mauritania
The flagship program at KIC Mauritania is the annual Innovation Challenge. The program targets entrepreneurs under 40 who operate early-stage startups, providing them with several months of business training and mentorship. Its success was a key factor in KIC Mauritania being recently nominated for the U.S. Secretary of State’s annual Award for Corporate Excellence.

The most recent Challenge featured 16 businesses in either the prototyping or early stages of operation. A jury of business leaders and experts chose eight companies to receive seed funding to help them grow and contribute to Mauritania’s economic development. The winners represented sectors including fashion, the arts, computer training and technology apps.

Encouraging More Women to Participate
We are proud of our positive impact – since 2018, KIC Mauritania has trained over 400 young entrepreneurs, supported 96 startups and contributed to the creation of more than 200 direct jobs – but we are always looking to improve our programs. After noticing a decline in female participation, Kosmos engaged with local stakeholders through surveys and focus groups to understand and address the cause. Feedback indicated that the KIC could consider providing enhanced support for women, such as targeted recruitment, flexibility for caregivers and an introductory session on entrepreneurship to inspire and build confidence.

We listened. In 2019, KIC Mauritania launched the first Women’s Bootcamp. Over the course of seven days, female entrepreneurs received in-depth training on skills and background knowledge needed to develop their ideas, including the entrepreneurship cycle, interpersonal skills, and business analysis. The Women’s Bootcamp has successfully increased female participation in the Innovation Challenge by 20 percent, and one of the most recent winners of the Challenge is a Bootcamp graduate.

Launching the Ra’idat Program
In 2023, the Women’s Bootcamp transitioned into an independent two-month program called Ra’idat (the Arabic feminine plural for leaders or pioneers). The goal of Ra’idat is to provide additional support and resources for female entrepreneurs, including seed funding. Participants receive training on market research, price refinement and pitch development, among other topics, and are encouraged to take advantage of networking opportunities made available throughout the program.

The inaugural Ra’idat supported 15 young entrepreneurs with businesses between ideation stage and five years old, selected from over 100 applicants. Four of the participating teams were awarded seed funding. Kosmos looks forward to continuing this groundbreaking program and to helping more women contribute to participating in and strengthening the economy of Mauritania.