Egypt’s government is increasing its financial backing for early-stage tech companies, with its long-running incubator programme, Start IT, more than doubling its support package. Startups accepted into the programme will now receive EGP 480,000 (approx. €14,500), a significant increase from the previous EGP 180,000.
The initiative, run by the Technology Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center (TIEC), a division of the Information Technology Industry Development Agency (ITIDA), also includes a boost in technical resources. Each startup will get $10,000 in Amazon Web Services (AWS) credits, double the former amount. The changes were announced as ITIDA welcomed the 47th cohort of startups to the incubator.
The move signals a deliberate effort by the Egyptian government to strengthen its domestic startup ecosystem and make its early-stage ventures more resilient and competitive.
A new platform to cut startup costs
A key part of the announcement was the launch of Start IT Perks, a digital platform providing incubated startups with discounted access to essential business services.
The goal is to lower the high operational burn rate that often hinders early-stage growth. The platform includes partnerships with local service providers for talent acquisition (Talents Arena, Sprints, Techie Matter), cybersecurity (The WhiteGuard), legal services (Qayedeny), and logistics (Camion), among others. By centralising these resources, the incubator aims to let founders focus more on product development and market entry.
The programme has also introduced a dedicated AI enablement component, offering specialised training and expert advisory sessions to help founders integrate artificial intelligence into their products and operations.
The new cohort
Eight startups have joined the latest one-year incubation cycle, developing solutions across healthtech, logistics, education, and e-commerce. The new companies are:
- Cluster: A B2B healthtech platform designed to manage and streamline the pharmaceutical supply chain.
- Mystery Bag: A consumer app aimed at reducing food waste by allowing stores to sell surplus inventory.
- Converse2Note: An AI-powered tool that transcribes and structures doctor-patient conversations into coded medical reports.
- Coccarohome: An e-commerce marketplace connecting female artisans making home décor directly with consumers.
- Sportyano: A platform for managing sports academies, discovering talent, and facilitating contracts.
- LRNOVA: An AI-driven tool for creating educational content.
- TANKER: A digital system for monitoring and managing fuel consumption for commercial vehicle fleets.
- eDariba: A fintech platform simplifying digital tax compliance for SMEs and freelancers in Egypt.
State-backed acceleration
Launched in 2013, Start IT is one of Egypt’s oldest government-backed incubation programmes. It provides a full-year package that includes funding, co-working space, technical and business mentorship, and go-to-market support.
The increased funding and expanded support structure reflect a broader strategy by ITIDA to not only spark innovation but also provide the practical, long-term infrastructure needed to help startups scale and attract further investment. This hands-on government involvement is a core feature of Egypt’s push to establish itself as a leading technology hub in the Middle East and Africa.