Egyptian Startup Bahtinet Wins at Global Student Entrepreneur Awards

Egypt-based sustainability startup Bahtinent has won first place in this year’s Global Student Entrepreneurs (GSEA) for the Middle East, Pakistan, and Africa (MEPA). The competition, which provides a global platform for student entrepreneurs to showcase their innovative businesses while pursuing their college or university education, witnessed a total of 1,357 applicants from 39 countries across the globe.

As the only Egyptian startup participating in the regional competition, Bahtinet had to compete against finalists from Africa, Lebanon, Pakistan, and Kuwait. Some of the startups they competed against operated in the fields of recycling, medicine, software technologies, and education, amongst others.

While the competition provided Bahtinent with global recognition, it also enabled it to receive invaluable coaching and mentorship from Entrepreneurs’ Organization (EO) and the INJAZ team in Egypt, propelling its growth and driving sustainable change.

“Competing in this global competition has solidified our mission to create sustainable solutions for marine conservation and empowered us to continue pushing the boundaries of innovation,” Yara Yousry, Co-Founder of Bahtinet, tells StartupScene. “The GSEA experience has been a life-changing journey, affirming our vision and inspiring us to make a lasting impact on our oceans and communities.”

Founded in December 2022, Bahtinet aims to revive Egypt’s fishing communities by providing sustainable and biodegradable nets made from banana tree waste. To date, Egypt has accrued about 1.8 million tons of banana waste, which is usually left to rot or decompose. Bahtinet is aiming to transform said waste into sustainable fishing nets. According to the startup, these nets reduce costs by five times compared to nylon alternatives while maintaining high durability and effectiveness.