Focus of the First Edition: The Hippo Museum
Located in Annaba, the Hippo Museum is a unique archaeological and cultural landmark with immense historical value but untapped potential in terms of visitor engagement, digital presence, educational programming, and economic sustainability. DAMJ seeks to address these challenges by bringing together the museum’s leadership, innovation experts, and entrepreneurial minds to co-develop solutions that can modernize, digitize, and elevate the museum experience.
Program Phases:
1. Target Institution Selection The Hippo Museum was selected for its cultural significance and its potential for development through innovation. A diagnostic review is conducted in collaboration with the museum's team to define its key challenges and development areas. 2. Participatory Workshop ("Pre-DAMJ Lab") An in-person workshop gathers museum representatives, sector experts, and solution designers. Together, they identify priority issues and co-design innovation challenges to be tackled by startups. 3. Open Call for Solutions An open innovation challenge is launched, inviting startups and small enterprises to submit precise, impactful solutions. The focus is on realistic ideas that align with the museum’s operational context. 4. Mentoring & Evaluation Over the course of 10+ days, selected participants receive remote or on-site mentoring on:
Solution refinement
Business modeling
Presentation skills
Crafting mutually beneficial partnership proposals Startups then pitch their solutions to an expert jury including museum staff and independent evaluators. 5. Investor Day (New in this edition) In this phase, external investors are invited to explore funding opportunities for the most promising collaborations. These may include digital tools, visitor technology, or tourism products with potential for commercialization and scalability. 6. Integration & Expansion Winning solutions are supported to enter into Proof of Concept (PoC) agreements or pilot partnerships with the museum. If successful, they may be fully integrated into museum operations or scaled across other institutions with similar needs.
Expected Outcomes:
Tangible innovation implemented inside a historical institution
Real contracts or agreements between startups and an established entity
A new model of collaboration between tradition and innovation
Increased visibility and modernization of the Hippo Museum
Opportunities for investors to back scalable cultural innovation