Published on: 3 October، 2026
Eng. Ahmed El-Zaher, CEO of the Information Technology Industry Development Agency (ITIDA), participated in the opening of Techne Summit Alexandria 2026, representing Eng. Raafat Hendy, Minister of Communications and Information Technology, alongside Dag Juhlin-Dannfelt, Ambassador of Sweden to Egypt; Eng. Khalil Hassan Khalil, Chairman of the General Division for Digital Economy and Technology at the Federation of Egyptian Chambers of Commerce; Eng. Tarek El-Qady, Founder of Techne Summit; and a number of technology and entrepreneurship ecosystem leaders, investors, and representatives of startups.
In his opening remarks, El-Zaher said artificial intelligence is creating new opportunities for startups in Egypt, while simultaneously raising the bar for competition. He noted that making AI models widely accessible does not necessarily mean that companies have equal capabilities to compete, adding that the more important question has become: What will differentiate a company and make its products sustainably valuable and difficult to replace?
He pointed out that AI is already changing the way software is developed, products are designed, and services are delivered to customers. It is also giving startups and small businesses capabilities that previously required significant resources. However, the accelerating pace of competition is forcing startups to focus on factors that extend beyond technology itself, including a deep understanding of the problem, specialized data, sector expertise, and customer relationships.
El-Zaher said Egypt has significant opportunities for innovation across key sectors, including healthcare, education, fintech, agriculture, and government services. He stressed that entrepreneurs’ understanding of the local market and user needs gives them an opportunity to develop solutions that deliver real value, and then turn that knowledge into products capable of succeeding in regional markets and expanding internationally.
He emphasized that the objective is not simply to develop companies capable of using AI tools, but to support them in turning these technologies into products, services, and solutions that address real needs and create sustainable, scalable value.
El-Zaher also noted that Egypt’s communications and information technology sector recorded a growth rate of 19.2%, underscoring the importance of increasing the contribution of Egyptian companies to this growth by developing more high-value solutions and services.
Four Pillars for Supporting Startups on Their Growth Journey
The ITIDA CEO outlined four key pillars for helping startups capitalize on opportunities created by AI and advanced technologies: knowledge and skills; resources for research, development, and experimentation; opportunities to deploy solutions in real-world environments; and, ultimately, the ability to scale.
He explained that building technology startups requires talent capable of selecting the right AI tools, evaluating their outputs, and integrating them into products that are efficient and secure. He highlighted the efforts of the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology and its affiliated entities to provide training, professional development, and technical capacity-building programs.
El-Zaher also highlighted the growing importance of providing startups with access to computing capabilities, cloud services, and technical expertise. He explained that programs and partnerships launched by the Ministry and ITIDA aim to expand startups’ access to these resources, alongside the government’s efforts to develop digital infrastructure, computing capabilities, and data centers, including its partnership with AWS through the StartIT program.
He stressed the importance of enabling startups to test their products in real-world environments, noting that securing a first customer gives a company an opportunity to validate its product’s value and obtain real-world feedback that can help improve it.
In this context, he revealed that the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology is preparing to launch an AI competition in cooperation with one of the ministries, focusing on real-world challenges. He called on startups and innovative teams to prepare to participate and submit practical solutions that combine technological capabilities with a genuine understanding of user needs.
From Product Development to the Ability to Scale
El-Zaher said building a product represents the beginning, rather than the end, of a startup’s journey. Companies need a sustainable business model, a clear understanding of operating costs, and readiness to secure investment and scale.
He highlighted the role of ITIDA’s incubation and acceleration programs in supporting companies through these stages, including the Creativa Innovation Hubs, as well as international partnerships with organizations such as Plug and Play and 500 Global. He also pointed to the Venture Ready program, launched in the Delta region in cooperation with GIZ to support startups during the growth stage and prepare them for investment.
He stressed that the evolution of the entrepreneurship support ecosystem requires moving beyond helping companies launch and develop products toward supporting their ability to test solutions, reach customers and markets, attract investment, scale, and compete.
AI as Part of Egypt’s National Strategy Objectives
El-Zaher explained that these efforts fall within the framework of Egypt’s Digital Strategy and align with the implementation of the National Artificial Intelligence Strategy 2025–2030, whose second phase aims to support the creation of 250 AI-based startups by 2030.
He noted that rapid advances in AI technologies are enabling smaller teams to develop new applications and solutions, emphasizing the importance of directing these capabilities toward real-world needs and building products capable of generating economic value and reaching markets.
EgyptInnovate Connects Innovation and Entrepreneurship Ecosystem Stakeholders
As part of efforts to strengthen connections across the innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem, El-Zaher showcased the updated version of EgyptInnovate, which was officially launched in February 2026 as Egypt’s first integrated national platform for innovation and entrepreneurship.
In this context, El-Zaher invited startups and entrepreneurs to engage through the EgyptInnovate platform, share their proposals and needs, and identify opportunities for improving programs and services to make them more responsive to their requirements.
ITIDA Supports 10 Startups Exhibiting Under Its Pavilion at Techne Alexandria
On the sidelines of the summit, Eng. Ahmed El-Zaher toured the accompanying exhibition alongside the Swedish Ambassador to Egypt and the Chairman of the General Division for Digital Economy and Technology. He reviewed the latest solutions and products developed by participating startups, emphasizing the importance of providing platforms that enable companies to engage directly with investors, customers, and potential partners.
ITIDA is participating as a strategic partner of the summit through a pavilion showcasing 10 technology startups benefiting from the agency’s various programs. The pavilion provides these companies with an opportunity to present their products and solutions to investors, business representatives, and entrepreneurs, while opening new avenues for collaboration, partnerships, and market access.
The participating companies are KoCyber, STEMulator, Fabritec, Aman 7, Dackatra, Just2Pay, Polaris GRC, Dragons, Syncode X, and EVRAID. They represent a diverse range of sectors, including cybersecurity, edtech, software as a service (SaaS), proptech, healthtech, fintech, AI solutions, business automation, deep tech, and electric mobility.
The participation reflects the diversity of solutions being developed by Egyptian startups to address practical needs across multiple sectors, while leveraging advanced technologies to develop applicable and scalable products and services.
ITIDA’s participation in Techne Summit Alexandria 2026 comes as part of the agency’s efforts to support technology startups across different stages of growth and expand their access to knowledge, resources, customers, investment, and markets, helping them build sustainably valuable products and strengthen their ability to compete locally, regionally, and internationally.
