Egypt is strengthening its technology and startup ecosystem as the government seeks to attract more investment, support entrepreneurship and accelerate the development of an innovation-driven digital economy.
Minister of Communications and Information Technology Raafat Hindi opened the sixth edition of the Tech Invest Egypt conference in Cairo on September 7, 2026, under the theme “Empowering Competencies, Developing Investments.”
The conference brought together government officials, technology companies, investors, entrepreneurs, startups and academic institutions. It was organised by the General Division for Digital Economy and Technology at the Federation of Egyptian Chambers of Commerce in strategic partnership with the Information Technology Industry Development Agency (ITIDA).
Hindi said the government considers entrepreneurship a key pillar of Egypt’s digital economy and is working with the business community to address challenges facing startups, particularly access to financing, business expansion, market opportunities and the ability to attract and retain skilled talent.
The government is developing mechanisms intended to help promising startups establish themselves, grow and expand within Egypt before entering regional and international markets. The broader digital economy strategy focuses on accelerating digital transformation, localising technology, developing digital skills, strengthening infrastructure, improving governance and creating an environment that supports investment and innovation while maintaining digital sovereignty.
Hindi also highlighted Egypt Digital Innovation Hubs, which operate in more than 20 governorates. The hubs provide entrepreneurs with skills development, entrepreneurship programmes, incubation, technical and legal consulting, marketing support and connections with investors.
The ministry is also working to provide infrastructure that enables innovative companies to securely integrate with government systems. This is expected to create opportunities for GovTech startups to develop solutions that can improve public services.
Artificial intelligence was another major focus of the conference. Hindi said Egypt needs to move beyond discussions about AI’s potential and focus on the safe and responsible deployment of AI applications across government and the private sector.
He highlighted Egyptian AI applications and models focused on areas including language processing, speech-to-text, translation and healthcare. These include the experimental Egyptian large language model “Karnak” and applications such as “Loghat” and “Belmasry.”
The government is also working to make advanced computing resources available to researchers and developers, enabling them to create solutions with intellectual property that can be commercialised and taken to international markets.
Hindi further announced plans for a competition aimed at encouraging entrepreneurs and startups to develop AI-powered solutions with developmental impact. Selected solutions would initially be piloted within a government ministry, with successful models potentially expanded to other government entities.
The announcement comes as Egypt’s ICT sector records strong growth. The sector achieved a 24.3% growth rate in the fourth quarter of the 2025/2026 financial year, described as its highest growth rate on record.
Outsourcing exports reached $5.1 billion by the end of 2025, while the government is targeting $8 billion by 2028. The strategy also includes efforts to expand outsourcing, localise electronics manufacturing and increase domestic value addition.
During the conference, Hindi toured an exhibition showcasing startups and innovators developing AI and digital transformation solutions. He praised the technologies being developed by Egyptian entrepreneurs and reaffirmed the government’s commitment to supporting their growth and expansion.
The conference also featured discussions on IT investment, corporate AI strategies, startup growth and financing, as well as Egypt’s Personal Data Protection Law and its executive regulations. Networking sessions connected entrepreneurs with incubators, accelerators and other organisations supporting innovation.
