9 Egyptian Flat6Labs Startups Embark on Gulf Tour with StartEgypt
This diverse startup squad came from various sectors such as education, healthcare, transport and renewable energy.
UK-funded StartEgypt is launching an entrepreneurial roadshow programme, taking nine Egyptian Flat6Labs startups on a week-long trip to Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Bahrain, Khobar and Riyadh. On their tour, the emerging startups promoted their innovative work and pitched ideas to potential investors.
The roadshow kicked off in the United Arab Emirates, where the teams got first-hand market insights while visiting the headquarters of Washmen, Careem and Astrolabs, as well as attending the renowned GITEX conference. The companies then moved to Bahrain, where they introduced themselves into the market through different sessions led by the Bahrain Economic Development Board (EDB), Tamkeen and StartUp Bahrain.
The cohort graced the Greek Campus in Khobar where they pitched their companies to Saudi investors in part of an investor-mixer event. Lastly, the trip concluded in Riyadh, where the startups met with representatives from the Saudi Arabian General Investment Authority, and the Small and Medium Enterprises General Authority to expand their knowledge about the country’s market while visiting the city’s biggest co-working space, ‘The Space’.
“The UK’s investment in the startup scene in Egypt is part of our wider commitment to support Egyptian entrepreneurs. StartEgypt has succeeded in putting Egyptian companies on the regional map. I hope this success continues, and offers business solutions to local and global markets,” says Sir Geoffrey Adams, the British Ambassador to Egypt. The startups participating in the roadshow include:
Chefaa: an online platform and a mobile application to order and deliver prescribed medication to patients. Chefaa aims to facilitate and guarantee the delivery of prescribed medicine to the users’ doorsteps.
Vrapeutic: VRapeutic specialises in developing virtual reality software for therapeutic purposes, with a current focus on autism, ADHD, and cerebral palsy. Their product is comprised of software modules that address motor, cognitive, social, and academic skills.
Interact: InterAct Labs develops interactive technology solutions such as infrared, image processing, electronics, and software. These solutions enable users to control various digital platforms; Monitors, Virtual Reality, Hologram, and IoT devices. Interact aims to increase engagement and effectiveness through enhanced user experience. The first line of products transforms static surfaces to be interactive.
UNTAP: Untap is a submission management system used by organisations to easily launch and manage online prize-based competitions and calls for applications. UNTAP provides a customisable platform that has all the necessary application and judging workflows. Through hosting competitions and calls for applications, they help organisations tap into innovative talent and solutions.
Go Ejaza: A social travel platform helping Arab travelers’ book, plan and share their trips. GoEjaza focuses on offering an integrated travel experience. It provides travelers with information and inspiration about the travel destinations. This is done through browsing other Arab travelers’ experience in an organised and effective way. In addition, it provides the first of a kind trip-planning tool in the Arab world that can be utilised for planning a trip from A to Z in one place within a few minutes.
Taskty: An online marketplace for home services that is currently serving 3 cities in Egypt; Cairo, Alexandria, and Tanta and providing 14 different services such as house cleaning, electricity services, and insect control. Taskty is responsible for managing payments, recording reviews and selecting the best service providers to ensure top quality.
Tagaddod: Tagaddod is a renewable energy and waste management startup, started in February 2013 and operating in Cairo –Egypt. Currently focusing on clean fuels, Tagaddod is working on Biodiesel production from Waste Vegetable Oil.
Tyro: Tyro is a language and exam prep-based tutoring platform focused on providing a personalised experience to all of our students. Tyro provides private & group sessions with highly qualified instructors. Tyro conducted more than 7,000 paid sessions over 4 countries delivered by 50 professional instructors.
ILLA: Illa is a digitally operated multi-sized platform that provides transportation and distribution services. The framework starts from creating, controlling and developing the match-making process between the truck drivers and distributors. The two-sided operations process is designed to enhance the customer experience on the demand side while investing in the development of the supply-side for the sake of reaching high quality of service.
“Since its inception, StartEgypt was poised to support startups at Flat6Labs Cairo. That is why the 'accelerate' component was carefully designed to include an international and regional roadshow in order to provide the opportunity for startups to reach their potential,” says Hassan Mansi, Programme Director at StartEgypt.
Initially launched in November 17, StartEgypt is a UK-funded programme sponsored by the British Embassy in Cairo, in partnership with the International Finance Corporation (IFC) and Flat6Labs. The programme includes a 2 million pounds grant to support and develop thousands of Egyptian entrepreneurs through a number of opportunities, activities, and a unique incubation programme.
Last year, StartEgypt gracefully sponsored six Flat6Labs Cairo staartups to attend London Tech Week, where the companies had the opportunity to showcase their innovations to potential customers and suppliers.
