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ENTREPRENEUR LIFE

The Real Deal With General Partner at Algebra Ventures Laila Hassan

03 Aug 2022
Laila Hassan, General Partner at Algebra Ventures and Venture Partner at 500 Startups MENA, shares how blindingly bright success stories may not be as important as tales about overcoming failures. [...]
Executive Insights ft Mohamed Sekkina, General Manager talabat Mart

Executive Insights ft Mohamed Sekkina, General Manager talabat Mart

28 Jul 2022
StartupScene sits with the General Manager of talabat Mart to get his insights on what it takes to drive growth in one of the most competitive sectors in one of the region's most challenging markets. [...]
The Real Deal With SOLO Founder & CEO Georgina Merhom

The Real Deal With SOLO Founder & CEO Georgina Merhom

18 Jul 2022
Georgina Merhom, founder and CEO of SOLO - an international business financial management platform founded in Egypt - tells us why sometimes the best thing you can do is “take no for an answer." [...]
THE REAL DEAL: An Op-Ed By Thndr’s Co-Founder Ahmad Hammouda

THE REAL DEAL: An Op-Ed By Thndr’s Co-Founder Ahmad Hammouda

10 Jul 2022
“I decided to write this op-ed sharing the pitch we used to raise $20 million, along with some key learnings I accumulated throughout the fundraising process.” [...]
EXECUTIVE INSIGHTS: Episode 3 ft. Youssef Salem, CFO of SWVL

EXECUTIVE INSIGHTS: Episode 3 ft. Youssef Salem, CFO of SWVL

06 Jul 2022
StartupScene caught up with Youssef Salem at the recent EEA Talks, during which we had the chance to ask him about the inner workings of his much-debated strategy. [...]
EXECUTIVE INSIGHTS: Ep 2 ft. Fares Akkad, Regional Director for Meta

EXECUTIVE INSIGHTS: Ep 2 ft. Fares Akkad, Regional Director for Meta

29 Jun 2022
During the recent EEA Talks, StartupScene sat down with Akkad to talk all things Web3 and metaverse in the MENA region. [...]
EXECUTIVE INSIGHTS: Episode 1 ft. Omar El Sahy, GM of Amazon Egypt

EXECUTIVE INSIGHTS: Episode 1 ft. Omar El Sahy, GM of Amazon Egypt

21 Jun 2022
In the first episode of 'Executive Insights', GM of Amazon Egypt, Omar El Sahy, gets grilled about the historic acqusition of Souq by Amazon, and the future of e-commerce in Egypt and the Middle East. [...]
Cairo Co-Working Trailblazer CO-55 Launces New Branch With New Goals

Cairo Co-Working Trailblazer CO-55 Launces New Branch With New Goals

15 May 2022
CO-55 launched three years ago with its eyes set on learning, growing and expanding. Now, they're spreading the experience with a second branch at Square One Mall at New Cairo. [...]
Amrita Sethi: Art Dubai, Sending SoundBYTEs & Reversing the Metaverse

Amrita Sethi: Art Dubai, Sending SoundBYTEs & Reversing the Metaverse

23 Mar 2022
In this special guest contribution, Dubai-based artist, Amrita Sethi, reflects on her participation in Art Dubai, nestled in a city that she believes can be the crypto and NFT capital of the world. [...]
9 of Cairo's Coolest Co-Working Spaces

9 of Cairo's Coolest Co-Working Spaces

21 Nov 2021
From 20th century villas to garden rooftoops, these are Cairo’s most unique co-working spaces, places prime for entrepreneurs to kick-start their road to success. [...]
ThndrXStartUpSceneRetreat: Celebrating One Year of Thndr

ThndrXStartUpSceneRetreat: Celebrating One Year of Thndr

31 Oct 2021
To mark their first anniversary, Investment platform looked to StartupScene for a different kind of celebration… [...]
Hakawati Launches New Podcast Series ‘Startup Confessionals’

Hakawati Launches New Podcast Series ‘Startup Confessionals’

22 Jul 2021
The Beirut-based podcast network’s latest project will see founders from across the MENA region open up about their entrepreneurial journeys. [...]
What I Did Next: Malak Fouad Looks at Life’s Pivotal Moments

What I Did Next: Malak Fouad Looks at Life’s Pivotal Moments

25 May 2021
Seasoned storyteller, Malak Fouad, speaks to StartupScene about her philosophy and trajectory, two things she she channels in her podcast series, 'What I did Next’. [...]
In Conversation with Neveen El Tahri: Egyptian Investment Veteran & Founder of 138 Pyramids

In Conversation with Neveen El Tahri: Egyptian Investment Veteran & Founder of 138 Pyramids

07 Feb 2021
The founder of development finance initiative, 138 Pyramids, talks Egyptian youth, the art of listening and the ego of entrepreneurship in this candid StartupScene interview. [...]
Hacking Women’s Online Safety, How Arab Women Technologists Are Taking on the Challenge

Hacking Women’s Online Safety, How Arab Women Technologists Are Taking on the Challenge

28 Aug 2020
Google’s Women Techmakers program brought 35 women tech experts from the Arab World to hack the issue of online violence, and raise awareness on online safety for women. [...]
10 Best Entrepreneurship Courses in the MENA Region

10 Best Entrepreneurship Courses in the MENA Region

13 Aug 2020
From the basics to intricate advanced levels, wherever you are on your path to mastering entrepreneurship, these courses will sure add to your expertise as a business leader. [...]
12 Podcasts By Arab Creators Every Entrepreneur Should Tune into Right Now

12 Podcasts By Arab Creators Every Entrepreneur Should Tune into Right Now

10 Aug 2020
The art of storytelling is alive and well, and the podcast industry continues to lead the way. We’ve selected our top listens for entrepreneurs, ranging from inspiring industry insights to stories of spectacular startup failures... [...]
9 Podcast Episodes Featuring Stories of Powerful, Inspirational Women, Available on Anghami

9 Podcast Episodes Featuring Stories of Powerful, Inspirational Women, Available on Anghami

24 Jul 2020
In business and in life, the stories of powerful women breaking barriers, challenging misconceptions, and making history are a constant source of inspiration. Here are 9 we recommend you listen to on Anghami. [...]
International SMEs Day: 5 Ways to Support Your Local SMEs Through Google Maps

International SMEs Day: 5 Ways to Support Your Local SMEs Through Google Maps

27 Jun 2020
Help support your local SMEs and startups on International SMEs Day with only a few taps and swipes on Google Maps. [...]
9 Must-Read Biographies to Inspire Every Entrepreneur

9 Must-Read Biographies to Inspire Every Entrepreneur

11 Jun 2020
Learn from the best stories of great woes and even greater triumphs. [...]
10 Fiction Books Every Entrepreneur Should Read Right Now

10 Fiction Books Every Entrepreneur Should Read Right Now

15 May 2020
From light and humorous to dark and serious, there’s a work of fiction to inspire every entrepreneur. [...]
13 Films & Shows Every Entrepreneur Should Watch Right Now

13 Films & Shows Every Entrepreneur Should Watch Right Now

18 Apr 2020
From biographical tales of unsung heroes to catastrophic crises, have yourself an informative and inspiring Netflix & Chill. [...]
Entrepenelle Launches Free Online Workshop Programme Geared Toward Women in the Ecosystem

Entrepenelle Launches Free Online Workshop Programme Geared Toward Women in the Ecosystem

09 Apr 2020
Whether you’re a business owner, aspiring entrepreneur, or simply inquisitive, the Egyptian startup has something for everyone. [...]
Endeavor Releases Free Crisis Management Resources For Social Impact Entrepreneurs

Endeavor Releases Free Crisis Management Resources For Social Impact Entrepreneurs

07 Apr 2020
The global non-profit has published a full library of resources you can refer to, to help keep your business or initiative afloat during the current pandemic. [...]
#StartupSceneWFH: We Find Out How Entrepreneurs Across the Region Work from Home ⁣

#StartupSceneWFH: We Find Out How Entrepreneurs Across the Region Work from Home ⁣

06 Apr 2020
From Dubai to Cairo, we ask some entrepreneurs to share with us their setups to #WFH. [...]
10 Webinars and Online Talks from the Ecosystem to Fill Up Your Quaran-time This Week

10 Webinars and Online Talks from the Ecosystem to Fill Up Your Quaran-time This Week

05 Apr 2020
The ecosystem is alive and well - at least online. Platforms from all across the region are hosting insiders and experts from every industry to bring you riveting insights, directly to your screen. [...]
PIVOTING IN A PANDEMIC: Egypt’s Fitness Entrepreneurs Built an Industry From Scratch. Now What?

PIVOTING IN A PANDEMIC: Egypt’s Fitness Entrepreneurs Built an Industry From Scratch. Now What?

04 Apr 2020
We speak to the biggest Egyptian fitness entrepreneurs to find out how the young industry was so quick to shift online, and what the current crisis could mean for its future. [...]
THE COST OF CORONA ft. Cornelius (Con) O’Donnell, Partner & COO Elves

THE COST OF CORONA ft. Cornelius (Con) O’Donnell, Partner & COO Elves

03 Apr 2020
“The mantra right now is survival of the quickest. Hope for the best but plan for the worst.” Serial entrepreneur Cornelius O’Donnell shares his advice in this candid conversation about businesses and startups surviving the Coronavirus crisis. [...]
Egyptian AI Pioneer Rana ElKaliouby's Debut Book Launching in April

Egyptian AI Pioneer Rana ElKaliouby's Debut Book Launching in April

17 Jan 2020
The artificial intelligence (AI) pioneer’s memoir explores humanity through the dehumanisation of technology, and is available for preorder. [...]
10 Podcast Recommendations We Got from 10 Entrepreneurs at #RiseUpSummit19

10 Podcast Recommendations We Got from 10 Entrepreneurs at #RiseUpSummit19

19 Dec 2019
We asked some of your favourite entrepreneurs and business figures what their favourite podcasts are. [...]
Laptops and Flip-flops: Vezeeta Opens In The Egyptian North Coast

Laptops and Flip-flops: Vezeeta Opens In The Egyptian North Coast

25 Jul 2019
Out of office, but not really. [...]
Magnitt Partners With The Jordanian Entreneurship and Innovation Association

Magnitt Partners With The Jordanian Entreneurship and Innovation Association

02 Jul 2019
The agreement will promote Jordanian businesses abroad. [...]
Between Chaos and Boredom, How Do Company Retreats Find The Thin Line? We Ask El-Re7la

Between Chaos and Boredom, How Do Company Retreats Find The Thin Line? We Ask El-Re7la

03 Jun 2019
How do retreats really affect teams? [...]
CO-55, An Egyptian Co-Working Space That Shrinks And Expands With Startups

CO-55, An Egyptian Co-Working Space That Shrinks And Expands With Startups

13 May 2019
Because it’s all about that startup philosophy. [...]
The Lebanese Are Biking To Work On April 17th

The Lebanese Are Biking To Work On April 17th

11 Apr 2019
16 percent of productive time is killed on roads and 70 percent of travel time is wasted in traffic, but The Chain Effect wants to turn things around. [...]
Social Media Day Invited Digital Marketing Agencies For A Retreat A Few Months Before The Summit

Social Media Day Invited Digital Marketing Agencies For A Retreat A Few Months Before The Summit

01 Apr 2019
Ending with a bang, a team went home with a EGP 12K cheque. [...]
On Valentine’s Day, We Ask 3 Couple Co-Founders What It’s Like Working With Their Partners

On Valentine’s Day, We Ask 3 Couple Co-Founders What It’s Like Working With Their Partners

12 Feb 2019
Love is in the air, who do we pitch it to? [...]
A Deep Dive Into Egyptian Tech Startup Instabug's Recent Retreat To Nepal

A Deep Dive Into Egyptian Tech Startup Instabug's Recent Retreat To Nepal

05 Dec 2018
Omar Gabr, Instabug’s CEO, tells us how the startup’s annual retreats have helped boost their growth. [...]
On Halloween, We Ask 5 Entrepreneurs What Scares Them The Most About Egypt’s Startup Landscape

On Halloween, We Ask 5 Entrepreneurs What Scares Them The Most About Egypt’s Startup Landscape

30 Oct 2018
For the ecosystem is dark and full of terrors. [...]
The Lebanese Entrepreneur Who Jumped From Broker, to Poker, to DaddyFoody

The Lebanese Entrepreneur Who Jumped From Broker, to Poker, to DaddyFoody

11 Oct 2018
Serial Entrepreneur Brahms Chouity talks to Startup Scene’s editor Leena ElDeeb about how his businesses have switched and turned with the rise of the internet age, while defeating cancer. [...]
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UAE's Construction Tech Startup Procurified Raises $1.1M Seed Round

Founded in 2019 by Marc Lemmens and Rupert Tait, Procurified aims to connect buyers to their vendors to automate the very manual excel and [...]

KSA-Based Food Delivery Startup Barakah Raises $300k in Pre-Seed Round

Barakah is creating the first discounted surplus marketplace in Saudi Arabia, enabling businesses to monetise unsold food, and allowing [...]

Egypt-Based 'Sigma Fit' Selected Amongst Top 50 Africa Business Heroes

The Africa's Business Heroes competition - a philanthropic programme to recognise impactful entrepreneurs - has chosen the tech-wear [...]

How Stllr Network is Introducing Freelancing 3.0 to the Middle East

Capitalising on the rising trend of freelancers in the Middle East, Stllr Network is a first-of-its-kind platform dedicated to connecting [...]

Egypt’s B2B E-Commerce Platform OneOrder Secures $6.5 Million

The new funds will help OneOrder address supply chain inefficiencies facing Egyptian restaurants by allowing them to buy all of their food [...]

The Real Deal With SOLO Founder & CEO Georgina Merhom

Georgina Merhom, founder and CEO of SOLO - an international business financial management platform founded in Egypt - tells us why [...]

10 Edtech Startups Transforming Education in the MENAP Region

The Middle East and Africa's edtech market is expected to reach $7 billion by 2027, as schools across the region continue adopting [...]

The Real Deal With General Partner at Algebra Ventures Laila Hassan

Laila Hassan, General Partner at Algebra Ventures and Venture Partner at 500 Startups MENA, shares how blindingly bright success stories [...]

Egypt's Fintech Boom in Numbers

The Fintech Investment Focused Landscape Review surveyed 148 fintech startups and 26 investors and accelerators to cover all aspects of the [...]

The Rise & Fall of Airlift Technologies - An Insider Analysis

Less than a year since its record-breaking $85 million dollar raise, the delivery service is shutting down. EquiTie founder Ahmed El Hamawy [...]

9 of Cairo's Coolest Co-Working Spaces

From 20th century villas to garden rooftoops, these are Cairo’s most unique co-working spaces, places prime for entrepreneurs to kick-start [...]

How Nawy is Using Tech to Unlock Real Estate Investment for the Masses

StartupScene sits down with members of the founding team of a proptech startup that is looking to break down barriers and inject innovation [...]

How Egypt’s Comin is Harnessing Tech to Take Insurance into the Future

Digitisation was seeped into every corner of our lives - but what about insurances? We speak to General Partner of Comin, Roger Zaccar, to [...]

Egyptian Fintech Khazna Chosen for Bill Gates-Funded Accelerator

The Last Mile Money Accelerator aims to supercharge fintech startups making an impact. [...]

Egypt Chosen Among Six African Nations to Host Unicorn Group Incubator

The Lagos-based Unicorn Group is seeking nnovative ideas, startups and early-stage companies in tech and tech-enabled sectors. [...]

UAE's Construction Tech Startup Procurified Raises $1.1M Seed Round

Founded in 2019 by Marc Lemmens and Rupert Tait, Procurified aims to connect buyers to their vendors to automate the very manual excel and [...]

KSA-Based Food Delivery Startup Barakah Raises $300k in Pre-Seed Round

Barakah is creating the first discounted surplus marketplace in Saudi Arabia, enabling businesses to monetise unsold food, and allowing [...]

Egypt-Based 'Sigma Fit' Selected Amongst Top 50 Africa Business Heroes

The Africa's Business Heroes competition - a philanthropic programme to recognise impactful entrepreneurs - has chosen the tech-wear [...]

How Stllr Network is Introducing Freelancing 3.0 to the Middle East

Capitalising on the rising trend of freelancers in the Middle East, Stllr Network is a first-of-its-kind platform dedicated to connecting [...]

Egypt’s B2B E-Commerce Platform OneOrder Secures $6.5 Million

The new funds will help OneOrder address supply chain inefficiencies facing Egyptian restaurants by allowing them to buy all of their food [...]

Egypt-Based Social Commerce Platform Sharwa Raises $2 Million Pre-Seed

Founded in 2022 by Alaa Shalaby, Hassan Elshourbagi, and Mohamed Hanafy, Sharwa allows customers to purchase essential household items like [...]

Egyptian Marketing Platform Convertedin Raises $3 Million Seed Round

Founded in 2019 by Mohamed Atef, Mohamed Fergany and Mustafa Raslan, Convertedin aims to support brands and businesses drive e-commerce [...]

Egypt’s B2B E-Commerce Platform OneOrder Secures $6.5 Million

The new funds will help OneOrder address supply chain inefficiencies facing Egyptian restaurants by allowing them to buy all of their food [...]

How Stllr Network is Introducing Freelancing 3.0 to the Middle East

Capitalising on the rising trend of freelancers in the Middle East, Stllr Network is a first-of-its-kind platform dedicated to connecting [...]

UAE's Construction Tech Startup Procurified Raises $1.1M Seed Round

Founded in 2019 by Marc Lemmens and Rupert Tait, Procurified aims to connect buyers to their vendors to automate the very manual excel and [...]

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