Shell Foundation welcomes Yamaha Motor to Africa Corporate Innovation Program to accelerate collaboration between Japanese corporates and African startups

Scale Partnerships Transporters East Africa West Africa Electric Vehicles

London, United Kingdom, 9 September 2026 – Shell Foundation, an independent charity that empowers underserved customers to raise their incomes while lowering emissions, today welcomed Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd. as a corporate partner in the Africa Corporate Innovation Program (ACIP), an initiative delivered in partnership with Double Feather Partners (DFP) to unlock collaboration between Japanese corporates and African startups.

Through ACIP, Yamaha Motor will collaborate with selected startups and local partners to explore and conduct proof-of-concept pilot projects for new mobility services across selected East African Markets. The pilots will assess commercial and operational viability, partnership models and societal impact across three themes: electric mobility; mobility financing; and mobility ecosystem operations.

Yamaha Motor has operated in African markets since the 1960s and launched its Mobility Service Business in 2020, expanding its focus beyond vehicle ownership to mobility access and services. Through ACIP, the company will explore how collaboration with African startups can support the development of new mobility solutions that improve access to transport, logistics and economic opportunities.

The programme is supported by funding from the UK Government’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) through the Research on Infrastructure in Developing Economies (RIDE) programme. It is jointly designed and implemented by Shell Foundation and DFP, combining catalytic funding, programme delivery expertise and local entrepreneurial innovation to test practical, scalable solutions that can improve access to mobility and economic opportunity while supporting lower-emission transport.

The Africa Corporate Innovation Program was launched to help global corporates and African startups work together through structured proof-of-concept pilots, building evidence for longer-term commercial partnerships and future scale-up. The programme brings together corporate capabilities, entrepreneurial innovation and catalytic capital to test practical solutions in African markets and create pathways to sustainable business growth.

Startup selection, proof-of-concept design and implementation are planned through December 2026, followed by evaluation of pilot outcomes and impact measurement in March 2027. Based on the results, Yamaha Motor will explore longer-term business development and strategic partnerships with participating startups and local partners.

About Shell Foundation

For 25 years, Shell Foundation an independent charity registered in England and Wales, has empowered underserved customers to raise their incomes while lowering emissions. The Foundation supports early-stage innovations; helps the best of them to reach millions of people; and de-risks capital to prove those models are commercial at scale. Across Asia and Africa, the Foundation enables resilient prosperity among three core groups of people: smallholder farmers, transporters, and micro-entrepreneurs. Find out more at https://shellfoundation.org/ Find out more at https://shellfoundation.org/

About the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office

The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) is the UK government department responsible for diplomacy, international development and consular services, working to promote British interests and tackle global challenges worldwide.

About Research on Infrastructure in Developing Economies (RIDE)

The RIDE Programme accelerates applied research and innovation responding to the prioritised needs of LMICs, while helping mobilise private finance to overcome chronic underinvestment. The FCDO though UK International Development is the primary funder and is complemented by co-financing from Shell Foundation the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and Canada’s International Development Research Centre (IDRC). It is comprised of 3 pillars: Research, managed by the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ), the World Resources Institute (WRI), and the Transport Research Laboratory (TRL): generates policy-relevant, demand-driven evidence on transport systems and the mobilisation of private finance, Partnerships, also managed by GIZ, WRI, and TRL: identifies research demand and facilitates uptake into practise through leveraging expert networks and establishing Communities of Practice, and Transport Innovation Hub, managed by Shell Foundation: provides a platform to test, refine, and scale early-stage transport solutions that address Emerging Markets’ needs. As of September 2025, CASEE-supported partners had enabled 829,690 farmers to access energy-related products, technologies or services and had leveraged £229 million in additional finance, helping to scale climate-smart agricultural solutions and strengthen food systems. The programme also generates practical evidence and learning to inform more effective approaches to agricultural innovation and investment.

About Double Feather Partners

Founded in 2018, Double Feather Partners is a venture capital and advisory firm focused on Africa. The firm specializes in co-creation design and capital linkage, supporting Japanese corporates in launching and scaling businesses in African markets. About Yamaha Motor Yamaha Motor has operated in African markets since the 1960s and launched its Mobility Service Business (MSB) in 2020, focusing on expanding access to mobility through diverse service. Working with local partners, MSB is expanding opportunities to use vehicles without the need for ownership and improving access to transportation and employment opportunities. As of September 2025, CASEE-supported partners had enabled 829,690 farmers to access energy-related products, technologies or services and had leveraged £229 million in additional finance, helping to scale climate-smart agricultural solutions and strengthen food systems. The programme also generates practical evidence and learning to inform more effective approaches to agricultural innovation and investment.