Egypt is seeking to strengthen its startup ecosystem by helping technology companies capitalise on opportunities created by artificial intelligence (AI), with a focus on developing scalable solutions that address real-world challenges, Ahmed Elzaher, CEO of the Information Technology Industry Development Agency (ITIDA), said.
Speaking at the opening of Techne Summit Alexandria 2026 on behalf of Minister of Communications and Information Technology Raafat Hindy, Elzaher said Egypt is working to help startups develop, test, and scale AI-enabled products and services.
The event was attended by Sweden’s Ambassador to Egypt Dag Juhlin-Dannfelt, Khalil Hassan Khalil, Chairman of the General Division for Digital Economy and Technology at the Federation of Egyptian Chambers of Commerce, Techne Summit Founder Tarek El Kady, as well as investors, entrepreneurs, and technology executives.
Elzaher said AI is giving smaller teams access to capabilities that previously required significant resources, while also increasing competition among startups.
“If everyone can access the same AI models, the question becomes: what makes your company different?” he said, pointing to customer insights, specialised data, industry expertise, and strong customer relationships as increasingly important sources of competitive advantage.
Elzaher highlighted opportunities for Egyptian startups in sectors including healthcare, education, fintech, agriculture, and government services, where an understanding of local market needs can serve as a foundation for solutions with regional and global potential.
He noted that the opportunity lies not only in adopting AI, but also in turning the technology into products and services that address real problems and generate sustainable, scalable value.
Egypt’s ICT sector recorded 19.2% growth, according to ITIDA, highlighting the sector’s contribution to the economy and the potential for Egyptian companies to move further into higher-value technology products and services.
Elzaher identified four priorities for enabling startups to capitalise on AI opportunities: skills, resources, real-world applications, and scale.
He pointed to initiatives aimed at strengthening AI capabilities, expanding access to cloud and computing resources, and enabling startups to test their solutions with customers.
These include ITIDA’s StartIT and AWS programmes, incubation and acceleration support through Creativa Innovation Hubs, partnerships with Plug and Play and 500 Global, and the Venture Ready programme implemented with GIZ.
He also highlighted preparations for an AI competition in cooperation with a government ministry, which will give startups and innovative teams an opportunity to develop solutions to real-world challenges.
Elzaher said developing a product is only the first step, noting that startups also need viable business models, investment readiness, market access, and the ability to scale.
ITIDA’s approach is aligned with Egypt’s National AI Strategy 2025–2030, whose second phase targets supporting the creation of 250 AI-based startups by 2030.
Elzaher also encouraged entrepreneurs to engage with EgyptInnovate, the national innovation and entrepreneurship platform, by sharing their needs, experiences, and suggestions for improving support programmes and services.
He stressed that understanding entrepreneurs’ challenges and incorporating their feedback is essential to developing support mechanisms that remain responsive to market needs.
