YEEP Business and Tech Week, Spring 2027

Business and Tech Week, March/ April 2027 in Hawassa, Ethiopia

The next visit to Ethiopia is in the pipeline! From 20 to 28 March 2027, we plan to organize the next YEEP Week in Hawassa, Ethiopia. Applications for participants from Switzerland are now open.

Please note that these dates are still preliminary, as the academic calendar of Hawassa University has not yet been published. An alternative schedule is 10 to 18 April 2027. In the application form, you can indicate which dates you are available and which option you would prefer.

On what will we work?

During YEEP Week, Swiss participants will work closely with around 10 Ethiopian start-up teams, involving approximately 20 to 30 students. Most participants come from engineering backgrounds, although students from business and other disciplines will also be part of the programme.

The Ethiopian teams will already have completed a first YEEP Week in November 2026, where they learned how to identify opportunities and develop promising business ideas using Design Thinking. At the beginning of the Business & Tech Week, most teams will still be at an early stage of their entrepreneurial journey, with initial concepts that require further validation, development, and technical refinement.

Swiss participants will be integrated into one or more Ethiopian teams throughout the week. Together, they will support the teams in advancing both the business and technical aspects of their projects.

Typical business-related activities may include:

refining the business model,
validating customer needs through market research,
developing a business plan,
defining a value proposition,
planning market entry and growth strategies.

Technical activities will depend on the specific project and the expertise of the participants. They may include:

developing or improving mechanical prototypes,
electronics and sensor integration,
programming and software development,
CAD design and 3D printing,
testing and improving technical concepts.

The exact assignments will depend on the business ideas selected for the incubation programme. These ideas will be known by the end of November 2026. As part of the programme, we also encourage innovative solutions that contribute to climate change mitigation and sustainability.

Beyond entrepreneurship and technology, intercultural exchange is a central element of YEEP. Participants will spend the week learning from each other, sharing perspectives, and building lasting friendships and professional networks across cultures.

The collaboration does not end after YEEP Week. Swiss participants are expected to provide occasional online coaching and mentoring for their team(s) during the following months, helping them continue to develop their ideas and prepare for future competition rounds or incubation milestones.

YEEP is entirely volunteer-driven. All Swiss facilitators contribute their time on a voluntary basis. In addition to the week in Ethiopia, participants are asked to support a limited amount of preparation beforehand and occasional follow-up activities afterwards. The additional time commitment outside YEEP Week is modest but plays an important role in ensuring the programme's long-term success.

Why should you participate?

The YEEP Week will give you:

A unique opportunity to practice interdisciplinary collaboration in an international context.
An insight in a fascinating country and its culture.
Work on business ideas applying your knowledge and skills
Work for a meaningful cause.
Support in preparation and during the trip by an experienced team.

Online Information Session

If you are interested, please join one of our online information sessions, where you will learn more about this adventure and where you can ask all questions that you might have.

https://bit.ly/YEEP_TB27_Info

Information session take place on the following days, always at 20h Swiss time:

Thursday 17 September 2026
Monday 12 October 2026
Wednesday 28 October 2026
Tuesday 10 November 2026
Friday 20 Novembber 2026
Wednesdy 2 December 2026
Tuesday 8 December 2026

Application

If you want to be part of this adventure, don't miss the deadline to apply by filling out the application form. A YEEP Week usually can handle 8 up to 15 participants. if we receive more application, priority will be given to applicants from our partner schools (see below).

If you want to join this adventure, then apply now by filling out the application form. The application deadline is Saturday, 12 December 2026.

https://bit.ly/YEEP_TB27_Apply

Who is behind YEEP

YEEP is a project of DEVENTURE, an association based in Bern, Switzerland. DEVENTURE is a non-profit organization who offers different projects that promote entrepreneurial thinking and exchange between Switzerland and Ethiopia.

What our former participants say

"It was a perfect opportunity to step out of my comfort zone, engage in intercultural exchange, and collaborate on a meaningful project—learning with and from each other along the way" (Sena - November 2024)

"This experience allowed me to grow both personally and professionally. Working side by side with students from a different culture opened my eyes to new perspectives and showed me the true value of learning through collaboration and shared experiences." (Jenu - November 2024)

"Going to Ethiopia was the craziest adventure of my life. Wonderful new encounters, cultural exchanges, and a truly enriching journey on a human level." (Valentin - April 2026)

"Participating in the YEEP program in Hawassa was a truly unique experience – both professionally and personally. Collaborating with Ethiopian students on real project ideas gave me a completely new perspective on innovation, especially in an environment where resources are limited but creativity is incredibly high. What impressed me most was the mindset. Instead of overthinking, solutions were approached in a very practical and hands-on way. It challenged my own way of working and pushed me to focus more on real impact rather than perfect concepts." (Anett, April 2026)