The revamped platform aims to create promising opportunities to connect startups with local and international investors and help them attract investments. It will feature an interactive, data-driven map with open-source data.
Speaking at the opening of the Techne Summit 2025 held at
the Library of Alexandria from October 4-6, Talaat said the platform will
provide information on key players in the Egyptian entrepreneurship ecosystem
and a summary of their activities.
This will allow investors to review companies, compare the
technological value-added they offer, and provide them with access to financing
markets.
The Minister noted that the platform will include an AI-powered
chatbot to offer technical, technological, and economic consultation to
entrepreneurs. It will also feature a categorized services directory for each
stage of a startup's growth, identifying government, non-governmental, and
civil society entities that provide financial, technical, or training support.
The platform currently has over 70,000 users, with efforts underway to double
this number soon.
The event was attended by Alexandria Governor Lieutenant
General Ahmed Khaled Said, Swedish Ambassador to Egypt Dag Juhlin-Dannfelt,
President of the Federation of Mediterranean Chambers of Commerce and Industry Ahmed
El Wakeel, and other prominent business leaders.
In his address, Talaat highlighted that investments in ICT
sector startups have increased sevenfold over the last five years (2020-2025)
compared to the 2015-2019 period. This growth, he explained, reflects the
growing dynamism of Egyptian startups, the sector's creative activity, and its
ability to attract investment, noting Egypt's improved ranking in the Global
Innovation Index.
Talaat explained that one of the three pillars of Egypt's
Digital Transformation strategy focuses on supporting creative performance,
assisting entrepreneurs in turning their ideas into tangible reality, and
expanding startup operations both locally and internationally. He pointed out
that the number of "Creativa" digital innovation centres has grown
from just three in 2018 to 24 centres across 21 governorates, with work
continuing to open the remaining centres nationwide.
The Minister detailed efforts to grant startups access to
technology, skills and expertise, funding, and international markets. He noted
that nearly 790 companies across the Creativa centres have received support,
including training and access to technical labs. Over the past 18 months, 69
companies have been incubated and enabled to produce prototypes in the centres'
labs.
Talaat stated that the number of annual trainees has risen
from 4,000 in 2018 to 480,000 during the last fiscal year, with plans to
increase this to over 500,000 annually across various ICT specializations.
He highlighted the importance of access to funding as a key
support measure, noting the Ministry's partnership with global accelerators Plug
and Play and 500 Global. After launching collaboration in Cairo, the
partnership expanded to Upper Egypt, starting with the Creativa Aswan centre
last year to host networking forums for investors and startups in the region.
The second phase of this expansion will cover the Delta, Canal Zone, and
Alexandria this year.
The Minister also mentioned the Start IT program, which
supports startups with financial and in-kind packages of up to one million EGP
per company, including cash and up to 500,000 EGP in cloud computing services
from Amazon Web Services. Additionally, the Creativa Incubation program offers
up to 400,000 EGP in support over a nine-month incubation period. He added that
annual plans also target enabling startups to access international markets and
exhibitions, such as the Web Summit in Portugal, which will feature 24 Egyptian
companies this year.
Governor Said affirmed that hosting Techne Summit 2025 in
Alexandria embodies Egypt's ambitious vision for an innovation-based future,
creating a global platform to discuss the latest technological developments.
The Swedish Ambassador praised the bilateral cooperation
between Egypt and Sweden in innovation, noting the presence of Swedish
companies in the Egyptian tech sector as a key outcome. He expressed hope for
further collaboration, highlighting Sweden's national AI strategy aimed at
using the technology for public benefit.
Following the opening, Minister Talaat, Governor Said, and
the Swedish Ambassador toured the startup exhibition held on the sidelines of
the conference.
The Techne Summit 2025 covers various topics, including technical education, corporate innovation, architecture and real estate, investment, e-commerce, sports tech, gaming, health tech, fintech, and media and marketing tech, with 70 countries participating.