The Italian Trade Agency (ITA) has opened the Kenyan edition of its flagship Lab Innova for Africa ‘Luca Attanasio’ programme at the Trademark Hotel in Nairobi, bringing together 30 of the country’s most promising technology startups for an intensive week of training designed to accelerate their entry into European and international markets.
The launch marks a first for Kenya as a host country for the programme, which has operated across the African continent since 2019 and has to date trained more than 700 companies in 23 editions spanning 19 countries.
Running from June 22 to 26, the Nairobi edition places Kenya at the centre of a growing Italy-Africa bilateral partnership anchored in technology, trade and innovation.
Speaking at the opening, Marco Scoppa, Deputy Head of Mission at the Italian Embassy in Kenya, said “this programme is an example of Italy’s commitment to support innovation here in Africa and Kenya in particular. It is designed to strengthen the managerial, technical and internationalization capacity for startups and innovative companies working in the ICT and digital sectors.”
The initiative is structured in three phases; Following a competitive scouting process, 30 businesses were selected to undergo five days of in-person classroom training delivered by ITA faculty instructors.
The companies will then undergo coaching in July and August 2026, from where 20 delegates will be selected to participate in a five-day Study Tour in Italy in October 2026.
There, they will visit some of Italy’s leading innovation ecosystems including Tecnopolo Tiburtino, Zest and the Amaldi Foundation in Rome, as well as Tecno Group in Naples, CSI Incubatore Napoli Est and Città della Scienza, organisations at the forefront of technology acceleration and international cooperation.
Mercy Kimalat, CEO of the Startup Association of Kenya (ASSEK) said “this programme places Kenyan entrepreneurs directly in front of European markets. We selected the participants from our network, focusing on how their innovations are aligned with the Italian market. Ultimately, the goal is to create jobs, attract investments and technology from the European market.”
Organisers say technology is the central enabler underpinning the programme’s design, not merely as a sector, but as a vehicle for economic transformation.
By equipping Kenyan startups with the managerial and commercial tools to integrate into global value chains, the initiative positions Kenya’s tech community to compete and partner at the European level, rather than simply supply to it.
“From the previous Lab Innova cohort which was in Tunisia, two startups were absorbed into an accelerator programme in Italy which is in line with our aim to foster collaborations between Italian and African startups that lead to the development of new research and products,” noted Francesco Pagnini, Director of the Italian Trade Agency.
For the Kenyan startups involved, the opportunity is in direct exposure to EU market entry strategies, hands-on mentorship from international trade experts and a potential foothold in one of the world’s largest economic blocs.
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