The Central Bank of Egypt (CBE) has launched the fourth edition of the FinTech Got Talent competition for university students under the FinYology initiative, organised by FinTech Egypt. The competition aims to recognise the best innovative projects and solutions in financial technology, in collaboration with the Federation of Egyptian Banks (FEB) and the Egyptian Banking Institute (EBI).
The launch of the competition is aligned with the CBE’s commitment to empowering young people, strengthening Egypt’s position as a leading regional hub for financial technology, and building on the successes achieved during the previous three editions.
In this regard, Hassan Abdalla, Governor of the Central Bank of Egypt, emphasised that investing in young talent is not merely an objective the CBE seeks to achieve, but a fundamental pillar of its vision for building the future of Egypt’s banking and financial sector. This is achieved by developing a generation equipped with the knowledge, skills, and capabilities needed to keep pace with rapid changes in the global economy, thereby enhancing the sector’s efficiency and competitiveness.
Eng. Ayman Hussein, CBE First Sub-Governor, and Abdel Aziz Nossier, Executive Director of the EBI, inaugurated the competition, which was hosted by the CBE, in the presence of CBE leaders and senior representatives from the banking sector, as well as representatives from a number of Egyptian universities.
The competition comprises several stages, beginning with university-level qualifiers and culminating in the selection of the top 11 projects. The finalist teams then participated in a comprehensive one-month incubation programme at the DMZ Cairo business incubator, where they received the necessary support and mentorship to refine their ideas and strengthen their readiness for the competition.
At the conclusion of the competition, the winning teams received their awards. FinFamily, developed by students from the Faculty of Computers and Artificial Intelligence at Cairo University, secured first place for its innovative application — an integrated digital platform designed to enhance financial literacy among children aged six to 15 by combining interactive financial education with AI-powered training in both Arabic and English.
Meanwhile, PayRamids, submitted by students from the College of Computing and Information Technology at the Arab Academy for Science, Technology and Maritime Transport (Smart Village branch), secured second place. The application provides an integrated system for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to manage human resources and payroll, while also providing access to short-term financing through banks and licensed financing institutions.
The School of Business Administration at Nile University secured third place with Pockety, a platform delivered through a mobile application and smart bracelet. The solution enables children to set savings goals, monitor their spending, participate in interactive financial challenges, and make secure payments under parental supervision.
The three winning teams also earned the opportunity to represent Egypt in the Arab FinTech Challenge, held as part of the Jordan FinTech Festival 2026, which will take place in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan from September 21 to 24, 2026, with the participation of five Arab countries: Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Qatar, and Palestine.
Egyptian teams have maintained a strong presence and achieved outstanding results in the Arab FinTech Challenge over the past three years, securing first place in the competition held as part of GITEX North Star. In 2025, Egyptian teams reached a notable milestone by securing both first and second places, highlighting the capabilities of Egyptian students and their ability to compete regionally in FinTech and digital innovation.
The FinTech Got Talent competition is the first of its kind in the FinTech field. It was launched in 2023 under the FinYology initiative, which aims to expose students to a practical environment and equip them with the skills and expertise needed to keep pace with global FinTech developments. The initiative also focuses on nurturing students’ creative capabilities across multiple areas to meet the evolving needs of the labour market.
The FinYology initiative currently encompasses 31 Egyptian universities, with 1,060 projects developed with the participation of nearly 24,000 students. These projects receive ongoing support from Egyptian banks, with around 27 banks and financial institutions having supported the initiative over the past years. This support reflects the CBE’s and the banking sector’s commitment to developing young talent, encouraging innovation, and promoting entrepreneurship across the FinTech sector.