Egypt's Prime Minister, Dr. Mostafa Madbouly, visited the Creativa Innovation Hub in Giza, accompanied by Dr. Amr Talaat, Minister of Communications and Information Technology, and Eng. Adel El-Naggar, Governor of Giza. The visit underscores Egypt's commitment to empowering startups, fostering digital innovation, and developing future-ready talent.
The delegation toured state-of-the-art training and innovation labs, designed to accelerate startup growth and equip young talents with in-demand skills in digital manufacturing, AI, 2D/3D design, and software development. These facilities play a pivotal role in driving Egypt's digital transformation agenda and positioning the country as a leading regional hub for technology and entrepreneurship.
Global Partnerships Driving Egypt's Innovation Ecosystem
Dr. Amr Talaat highlighted the ministry's strategic partnership with 500 Global, one of the world's largest startup investors, to operate the Digital Innovation hub in Giza. This collaboration reinforces Egypt's position as a key player in the global startup ecosystem, offering cutting-edge resources and mentorship programs that enable entrepreneurs to scale regionally and internationally.
During the visit, the Prime Minister explored the Maker Diploma Program, launched under the Egypt Manufactures Electronics initiative in collaboration with Sana'a Tech. The program enables young innovators to transform their ideas into market-ready smart products through intensive training and rapid prototyping.
Strengthening the Startup & Entrepreneurship Ecosystem
Eng. Ahmed El-Zaher, CEO of ITIDA, highlighted the agency's strategic efforts in driving the growth of Egypt's tech startup sector and fostering an entrepreneurial mindset. He outlined key initiatives within the Creativa Innovation Hub, including:
- Advanced technology training programs designed to equip young talents with in-demand digital skills.
- Entrepreneurship support initiatives, such as awareness sessions, mentorship programs, and industry-led seminars.
- A strategic partnership with Cairo University's Faculty of Computers and Artificial Intelligence, aimed at nurturing student innovation, fostering creative thinking, and supporting graduation projects.
ITIDA also facilitates networking events and collaborative workspaces, enabling freelancers, entrepreneurs, and innovators to connect, exchange knowledge, and build high-impact ventures.
Scaling Startups through Global Partnerships
El-Zaher emphasized ITIDA's collaboration with 500 Global, a leading startup accelerator, to operate the Digital Innovation Centre in Giza. This partnership delivers a structured entrepreneurship support framework, including:
- A startup bootcamp to help early-stage founders refine their ideas and develop prototypes.
- A business accelerator program tailored for startups in the growth stage, providing mentorship and market access.
- A knowledge transfer initiative that equips Incubator / Accelerator Managers with global best practices through specialized training camps.
El-Zaher added that several government and private incubators and accelerators in Cairo and other governorates have benefited from the program, including the General Authority for Investment and Free Zones, Flat6labs, "Athar," "Bridge," the American University, the Japanese University, Nile University, and Banque Misr.
This has contributed to empowering local business accelerators and their personnel by providing knowledge and best global practices in this field, as the Prime Minister listened to testimonials from graduates of the programme.
Showcasing Egypt's High-Growth Startups
Dr. Madbouly engaged with founders of prominent Egyptian startups, benefiting from ITIDA's support and 500 Global's expertise. Success stories include:
- EGROBOTS: an agritech startup leveraging AI-powered robotics for early crop disease detection, enhancing food security.
- Stakpak: a deep-tech startup pioneering AI-driven DevOps solutions, optimizing software operations.
- Dayra: a YC-backed fintech company developing a financial operating system (OS) that powers businesses of all sizes to access seamless financial services. Dayra has leveraged ITIDA's startup support programs to secure new partnerships, gain expert advisory support for scaling, and explore regional expansion opportunities, including Kenya.
- MEDOC: a healthtech startup transforming medical records management, integrating healthcare services into an AI-powered platform serving over 200,000 users.
- Qayedny: a matchmaking hub where learners, freelancers, and startups connect through a unique TimePoint system for skill development, collaboration, innovation, and success.
