Fifteen Egyptian tech startups have been selected for the first batch of the 500 Global in Egypt Scale Up Programme, which aims to assist founders in scaling their businesses.
Run by 500 Global, one of the world’s most active venture capital firms, in partnership with the Egyptian Information Technology Industry Development Agency (ITIDA), the initiative is a seven-week programme dedicated to pre-Series A and Series A startups in Egypt.
Designed to empower founders through personalised mentorship and growth techniques, the programme sets the stage for their future success. The programme kicked off on October 1 at the Creativa Giza Hub, also known as The Factory, operated by ITIDA. It will culminate with the Scale Up Showcase on November 16.
The selected startups include Birdnest, which develops and operates tech-enabled rental properties; Blnk, an AI-enabled digital consumer finance platform that is driving financial inclusion in Egypt; Convertedin, a marketing operating system for e-commerce; Dresscode, a fast fashion business that enables users to find affordable and high-quality fashion; and FriendyCar, a P2P car-sharing operator.
Also taking part are ILLA, a logistics holding group that offers door-to-door solutions for FMCG companies; Khazenly, an omni-channel technology platform for on-demand logistics and fulfilment; MQR, which offers widely accessible, high-quality gathering spaces with hospitality-led service and amenities; Nowlun, an online freight forwarding platform; and NowPay, a fintech startup building a financial wellness platform for employees.
The cohort is completed by O7 Therapy, which is revolutionising wellness and mental health by constructing MENA’s largest all-in-one mental health platform; Orcas, which offers personalised live learning experiences for K-12 Students; Rology, an AI-assisted teleradiology platform; Suplyd, which is building a digital infrastructure for restaurants’ supply chains; and Sylndr, Egypt’s leading used-cars-focused marketplace.
“Despite a challenging global and local macroeconomic backdrop, we found Egyptian founders proving that Egypt remains a thriving technology market in the Middle East and Africa. This was evident in the highly competitive process for the Scale Up programme where we met stellar calibre continuing to build resilient and healthy companies with enormous potential. We aim to provide a nourishing environment for the selected leaders to grow and scale their reach sustainably. The programme brings to Cairo seasoned mentors, investors and exports to equip the founders with needed learnings and support on their growth trajectory” said Amal Enan, Partner at 500 Global.
“With this programme, we aim to develop talent in the region even further for local startups to achieve greater scale, expand in their respective regions, and bring their unique concepts and technologies to consumers and enterprises globally. We’re grateful for ITIDA’s continued partnership in developing Egypt’s startup ecosystem.”
