Meet the Finalists of the 2024 Edition of Egypt’s Entrepreneur Awards

While the world of entrepreneurship is often inundated with technical terminology and a relentless focus on securing funds, Egypt’s Entrepreneur Awards (EEA) stands out by honouring pioneers who are establishing enterprises across a diverse range of sectors.

Whether it's the culinary innovators behind local eateries, fashion visionaries crafting indigenous labels that resonate on a global scale, entrepreneurs in the creative field reshaping the content landscape, or individuals who are fostering dynamic enterprises inspired by Egypt’s rich arts and cultural heritage, the EEA recognizes those who exemplify diligence, passion, innovation, and continual advancement. And the finalists this year are just as innovative and disruptive as ever…

CATEGORY | INDUSTRY DISRUPTOR EXCELLENCE

JURORS:

Ahmed El Alfi - Chairman, Sawari Ventures 

Ale El Shalakany - Managing Partner, Acasia Ventures 

Hanan Abdel Meguid - Founder & CEO, Kamelizer

FINALISTS:

Mahmoud Elzomor - Co-founder & CEO ILLA, Logistics Holding

Alaa Jarkas - Cofounder & CCO ILLA, Logistics Holding

Ahmed Sakr - Cofounder & COO ILLA, Logistics Holding

Scaffolding the success of other brands, ILLA enables FMCG (Fast-Moving Consumer Goods) brands to have a direct relationship with the retailers, significantly cutting their costs.

Muhammad Gawish - Cofounder & CEO, iSchool

Mustafa Abdelmoneim - Cofounder & CFO, iSchool

Ibrahim Abdullah - Cofounder & Board Member, iSchool

iSchool believes that coding has become more than just a skill - it is an essential tool through which to navigate the modern world. The company teaches children how to code to help them get an early start on our digitised world.

Islam Khalil, CEO, Poultry Sync

Neamat El Tazi, COO, Poultry Sync

Amira Islam, CTO, Poultry Sync

With the goal of streamlining poultry processes to ensure maximum efficiency and production, Poultry Sync prioritises farm-to-fork traceability.

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CATEGORY: Fashion Vanguard

JURORS:

Mohamed Talaat - CEO, Concrete

Paolo Roviera - Chief Creative Officer, Furla

Mayssa Wasfi - Founder & CEO, MW Fashion Consultancy

FINALISTS:

Yara Yassin - Co-Founder, Up-Fuse

Since its inception in 2013, Up-Fuse has been dedicated to pioneering a future in sustainable fashion, recycling plastic bags and bottles into stylish bags, clothing and jewellery.

Dina El Mosalami - Chief Creative Officer, Pepla

Farah El Mosalami - Chief Operating Officer, Pepla

Omar El Azhary - Chief Financial Officer, Pepla

Swimwear brand Pepla is dedicated to that tropical life, crafting modest swimwear for both men and women that brings a pop of colour to every beach in Egypt (and worldwide).

Mostafa Magdy - Founder & CEO, Palma

Having cemented itself as a go-to brand for quirky statement pieces, go-to basics and bespoke accessories, Palma is a brand that has made its way into every girl’s closet.

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CATEGORY: Outstanding Youth Entrepreneur of the Year

JURORS:

Amr Mansi - Founder, EEA; Founder & CEO, ievents

Onsi Sawiris - Co-Founder & Managing Partner, HOF Capital

Ayman Abbas - Chairman, ADES International Holding

FINALISTS:

Abdelrahman Hassan- CEO, Fati’s

Fatma Hassan - Co-Founder & Executive chef, Fati’s

Fati’s started with a girl, a love for pastry, and a dream to bring a skill-based doughnut revolution to Egypt. It has since infiltrated our social media feeds and our homes in a record breaking amount of time.

Hussein Shahbender - Founder, SIGHT

Crafting stylish streetwear that’s strongly inspired by founder Hussein Shahbender’s undying sense of adventure, SIGHT has made a name for itself on Egyptian streets.

Yoeil Ashraf - Founder & CEO, Progressio

Wasseem Ghaly- Co-Founder & Director of Business Operations, Progressio

George Gabra- Co-founder & Director of Technology, Progressio

Ever geared towards progress and growth, Progressio Solutions believes in the potential of products - so much so that they bring them to success.

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CATEGORY: Fintech

JURORS:

Ahmed Nafie - CEO, Masria Digital Payments (MDP)

Inji Amr Borai - Country Manager, Mastercard

Sherine Shohdy - Head of Egypt Office & Regional Director (North Africa), British International Investment

FINALISTS:

Himanshu Shrimali - Co-Founder & CEO, Menthum

Ismail Sarhank - Co-Foudner & COO, Menthum

Menthum is a breath of fresh air amid a range of upcoming fintech startups, allowing users to find new ways to make money.

Abdullah Assal - CEO, Sahl

Ahmed Othman - CPO, Sahl

Ibrahim Assa l- CTO , Sahl

Sahl’s app is pioneering easy and at-home bill-paying by allowing users to charge their electricity cards from home using only their phone.

Saeed Talat - CEO & Head of Commercial Team, Klickit

Hisham Ibrahim - Co-Founder & Head of Growth Strategy, Klickit

Youssef Galal - Co-Founder & Head of Technology, Klickit

Walid Abou ElNour - Head of Finance & Operations, Klickit

With a primary focus on education, Klickit facilitates seamless digitised payments to make your necessary purchases more bearable.

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CATEGORY: Sports & Wellness

JURORS:

Seif El Wazery - Chairman & CEO, Estadat Sports Investments & Vice Chairman, Sports United

  Moataz El Etreby - Founder & CEO, Blue Ribbon Egypt

  Maged Helmy - CEO, Wadi Degla Holding

FINALISTS:

Ali Ismail - Founder & CEO, Move

With locations all over Egypt, Move Gym & Fitness carries an agenda of wellness across the country.

Khaled Nagy - Co-Founder & CEO, SR Padel

Seif Abousenna- Co-Founder & COO, SR Padel

Long ahead of the curve, SR Padel got on the padel train in 2017, and have since been committed to providing an exceptional sporting experience across a portfolio of 17 locations.

Tamer Yousry - CEO & Holder of 95% of Company Shares, Timeout Sports Management

To help athletes keep their eyes on the prize, Timeout Sports Management agency manages their business careers with years of expertise up their sleeve.

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CATEGORY: Environmental Sustainability

JURORS:

Ahmed Shalaby - President & CEO, Tatweer Misr 

Mohamed Mansour - Co-Founder & CEO, Infinity Group

Pakinam Kafafi - CEO, TAQA Arabia

FINALISTS:

Mousa Khalil - CEO, Mozna

In opposition to the constant drilling of our foods with manufactured solutions and an overload of chemicals, Mozna creates organic liquid fertilisers that are gentler on us and on the planet.

Zeina Salama- Co-Founder & Managing Director, Tulima Farms

By utilising an entirely hydroponic farm system, Tulima’s produce is pesticide-free and climate-positive.

Wael AlNoby - CEO, Becom

Aya Sedky - CO, Becom

Becom digitises the process of recycling, making it as simple as clicking a button on a website to have your trash collected, recycled and financially compensated for.

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CATEGORY: Digital Solutions & CX Experience

JURORS:

Hisham El Nazer - Managing Director, Google Egypt & MENA, New Market Expansion

Omar El Sahy - GM Amazon, Egypt

Shehab Marzban - Co-Founder & Managing Partner, Camel Ventures

FINALISTS:

Mohamed Adam - CEO, Rawmart

Ibrahim Osman - CCO, Rawmart

Mohamed Soliman - COO, Rawmart

To help constructors and realtors enjoy seamless construction procedures, Rawmart is an e-commerce platform for raw building materials.

Ahmed Mahmoud - CEO, Dxwand

Mahmoud Gomaa - CGO, Dxwand

Dxwand believes in the power of human conversations, particularly the power these conversations can play in marketing schemes. They help brands generate AI assistants that can respond to customers effectively and in real-time.

Ahmed Fouad Abaza - CEO & Co-Founder, Synapse Analytics

Galal Loay El Beshbishy - COO & Co-Founder, Synapse Analytics

When approaching big decisions, it can be difficult to consider all the options in a short amount of time. Synapse creates AI products that enable enterprises to make fast decisions based on the available data.

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CATEGORY: Art to Business

JURORS:

Amir Fayo - Brand Architect, Amir Fayo Consultancy 

Tarek El Ganainy - Founder & CEO, TVision for Media Productions

Hisham Mahdy - Founder & CEO, Cairo Design Week, Mental Flame

FINALISTS:

Abdelrahman Selim - Co-Founder & CEO, 2oolameme

Sarah AbouelKhair- Co-Founder & CEO, 2oolameme

Believing in the power of play, gaming company 2oolameme is constantly looking to create new board and card games to help populate our tabletops.

Yasmine Medhat Ramadan - CEO & Managing Director, Bazarna

Bazarna is a community initiative dedicated to nurturing the local brands of tomorrow by spotlighting them in events.

Mohamed Younis - Founder & Managing Director, Art Cairo

With a mission of navigating the contemporary art scene in Egypt, Art Cairo - originally known as Egypt International Art Fair - leads crowds towards the modern Cairene art scene.

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CATEGORY: Quick Serve Heroes (QSR)

JURORS:

Ahmed Seddik - CEO, Board Member & Sports Entrepreneur, Alamar Foods Company 

Alaa Hashem - Founder & Executive Partner, Transcendium 

Omar Fathy - CEO, Thrive for Restaurant Management

FINALISTS:

Amina Akef - Founder & CEO, Koffee Kulture

Hassan Akef - Founder & CEO, Koffee Kulture

Koffee Kulture has made itself a staple in Cairenes’ lives because of its delicious coffee, which is served fast and, for even more convenience, in a can.

Mohamed Hisham Abou Bakr - Co-Founder, JJ’s

Seif Tarek Abou Bakr - Co-Founder, JJ’s

Despite being most popular for their burgers, JJ’s is committed to an array of fast food items that are guaranteed to draw in peckish passersby, including concoctions like taco burgers.

Wael El Shorafa - Founder & CEO, Willy’s Kitchen

A classic choice, Willy’s Kitchen has been serving up burgers as well as their own brand of locally-made cola.

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CATEGORY: Disruptive Duo

JURORS:

Moataz Kotb - Co-Chair, AmCham Entrepreneurship and Innovation Committee; CEO, CultArk

Gamal Abou Ali - Board Member, AmCham Egypt; Partner, Hassouna and Abou Ali Law Offices Sherif Kamel - Dean, School of Business, American University of Cairo (AUC) 

Nada Shousha - Co-Chair, AmCham Investment and Capital Market Committee; Vice Chairman, Egyptian American Enterprise Fund

Amal Enan - Committee Member, AmCham Entrepreneurship and Innovation Committee; Chief Investment Officer, American University in Cairo (AUC)

FINALISTS:

Aly El Tayeb- Co-Founder & CEO, Shift EV

Hesham Radwan- General Manager, Danone Egypt

Ever wonder why your neighbourhood supermarket doesn’t run out of Danette? Well, that’s thanks to Shift EV, the company electrifying fleets in emerging markets in Egypt.

Amr Abodraiaa- Founder & CEO, Rology

Mahmoud El Defrawy- Co-Founder & CMO, Rology

Moaaz Hossam - Co-Founder & CBO, Rology

Mohamed Saber - Medical Science Liaison Immuno-oncology, Astrazeneca 

Moaaz Hossam - Digital Business Partner, Astrazeneca

Rology and AstraZeneca’s collaboration brings exciting updates to the healthcare industry by creating innovative AI-powered teleradiology solutions.

Yasser AbdelGawad - Co-Founder Yodawy

Seif El Din Fayek - Head of Medical Network, Metlife

The partnership between Yodawy and Metlife comes from a need to simplify the process of accessing medication. Through the Yodawy app, MetLife saves its users from the tedious and lengthy application process by personalising the experience using a MetLife card.

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CATEGORY: Content Innovation

JURORS:

Ahmed Younis - Chief Creative Officer, Publicis Communications KSA & Egypt

Amy Mowafi - Co-Founder & CEO, MO4 Network

Mohamed Hefzy - Scriptwriter & Founding Director, Film Clinic

FINALISTS:

Sherif Tamim - Managing Partner FR Studio, Flavor Republic

Hoda El Sherif - CEO, Flavor Republic

Rasha Saleh - Managing Partner for Content, Flavor Republic

In our time on social media, one thing has made itself clear: people love to see food. But the process of seeing food is very intricate, and it is one Flavor Republic has gotten down to a tee.

Kareem AbouGamrah- CEO, Peace Cake

Randa Habib - Account Director & Head of Client Servicing, Peace Cake

Ahmed Youssef - Commercial Director, Peace Cake

Marwan Imam - Content Lead, Peace Cake

Peace Cake is widely adored for being quirky, simple and nostalgic, playing on our shared consciousness as a community to bring us to tears with laughter. Their content creation team constantly has people wondering how they do it in the comments.

Ramez Youssef - Co-Founder & Chief Commercial Director, Tayarah

Mohamed El Bassiouni - Co-Founder & Managing Director, Tayarah

Playing on the element of shock, Tayarah prides themselves on being a leading agency in creative content and nontraditional advertising.

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CATEGORY: Rising Star

JURORS:

Ahmed El Sewedy - President & CEO, El Sewedy Electric S.A.E 

Ahmed Habib - President & CEO, Harvest Holdings & Founding Member, EO Cairo

Aladdin Saba - Founding Partner, BPE Partners 

Thuraya Ismail - CEO, Mentor Arabia Foundation

  Neveen El Tahri - Chairperson, Pyramids, Delta Inspire, The Pyramid 138 Private Equity, & Delta Shield Investment 

Hussein Rifai - Serial Entrepreneur & Founder of Ventures 

Onsi Sawiris - Co-Founder & Managing Partner, HOF Capital

Dina El Mofty - Founder, Injaz Egypt 

Wael Fakharany - CEO, Edenred Middle East

FINALISTS:

Salem Nabil Ghanam - CEO, Agrican

With precision at the forefront of everything they do, Agrican revolutionises crop care by creating precision-specific spraying robots.

Salma Tammam - Co-Founder & CEO, Reme-D

Aly Magdy - Co-Founder & Head of Automation, Reme-D

With an awareness of the importance of accuracy in the process of diagnoses, Reme-D is a deep-tech startup dedicated to the innovative manufacturing of speedy, accurate diagnostic solutions.

Adham El Khadem- Founder & CEO, Venu 

To accommodate the various get-togethers, workshops, and summits happening across Cairo all year round, Venu is a platform that allows users to browse hundreds of potential venues and allows other users to host theirs.

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CATEGORY: Product Design Innovation

JURORS:

Alia El Tanani - Co-Founder, Living in Interiors

Mohamed Farouk - Chairman & CEO, Mobica Group 

Karim El Hayawan - Design Principal, Design Point Interiors

FINALISTS:

Reem Hamed - Founder, Ramla

Fashion house Ramla designs stylish footwear that is built to last, and eager to protect the Cairene foot; their designs are breathable, picturesque and protective.

  Abdelrazek Aly - Founder & CEO, Bonocle

Ramy Abdulzaher - Founder & COO, Bonocle

Innovative in its inclusion, Bonocle is the first-ever braille entertainment platform for blind people, which can be navigated through a small handheld device that acts as an immersive controller.

Salsabeel Amin - Founder & Chief Designer, SAL

SAL is all about lightbulb ideas - not in a sense that they’re hasty or chasing empty inspiration, but in the sense that they create innovative lighting solutions to fit our spaces and needs (aesthetic and otherwise).

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CATEGORY: Global Reach Excellence

JURORS:

Ahmed Tarek Khalil - General Manager, Allianz Middle East Ship Management

Farida Khamis - Chair of Oriental Holding Company

Mubarak Al Mansoori - President, Snacking Business & Government Relations, Agthia Group PJSC

Maged Helmy - CEO, Wadi Degla Holding

FINALISTS:

Mohanad Khedr - Managing Partner, Linah Farms

Specialising in the notoriously valuable medjool date, Linah Farms has created a name for itself worldwide as people from all over the globe seek their fruit.

Dr. Ahmed Osman - CEO, Technobit

With premium quality waterproofing materials and limited liability, Technobit is an attractive suitor to global clients.

Mohamed Ali - Founder & CEO, iLock

With a recognition that electrical safety is one of the pinnacles of creating a safe home, iLock provides the highest level of security in their electrical connections.

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CATEGORY: Local Hero

JURORS:

Tawfik Diab - Chairman & CEO, Cairo Financial Holding

Riad Armanious - CEO, EVA Pharma

  Sally El Guindi - Strategy, S&OP & Activity Management Director (MENA), Mars

FINALISTS:

Marwan Abbas - Co-Founder & CEO, Halo

Hossam Essam - Co-Founder & Managing Partner, Halo

Ibrahim Wahdan - Co-Founder & Managing Partner, Halo

Beloved by fitness fiends and chronic office snackers alike, Halo has made a name for itself by making low-calorie, high-fibre snacks available at every corner supermarket.

Madonna Nassif - Co-Founder & Managing Director, Bubblzz

Ola Al Sakaa - Co-Founder & Managing Director, Bubblzz

Since their inception, Bubblzz have slowly but surely been infiltrating every Egyptian home’s bathrooms and closets with mostly natural skin and hair care solutions.

Yasmine Sherif Fikry - Co-Founder & CEO, Raw African

Dalia Sherif Fiky - Co-Founder, Raw African

Dina Sherif Fikry - Co-Founder, Raw African

Dedicated to using exclusively natural materials, Raw African has made it big with its hair follicle booster and other hair care products.