Benchmarking Egypt’s Startup Ecosystem: A City-Level Analysis from Cairo to Sohag

📊 Benchmarking Egypt’s Startup Ecosystem: A City-Level Analysis from Cairo to Sohag

Despite ongoing economic and political challenges, Egypt’s startup ecosystem is gaining real momentum. This landmark report by enpact dives deep into seven cities—Cairo, Alexandria, Mansoura, Sohag, Assiut, El Gouna, and Suez—offering the most comprehensive, data-backed assessment of Egypt’s entrepreneurial potential to date.

📌 Key Insights from the Report:

• 📈 Egypt ranks among the fastest-growing startup hubs in MENA (as of 2018)

• 🧠 Human capital is strong, yet skills mismatch remains a major barrier

• 💳 Fintech, Cleantech, and Mobility are leading the way in focus sectors

• 🏦 50% of SMEs are unbanked, despite contributing 75% of national employment

• 🏛️ Restrictive funding laws (e.g., 25% capital must come from financial institutions)

• 📋 Bureaucracy and high registration costs discourage formalization

• 🗺️ Subnational hubs like Mansoura, Sohag, and El Gouna are gaining traction

• 🎓 Strategic alignment is needed between universities and innovation hubs

⚙️ The report covers six core domains using the Startup Friendliness Index (SFI):

1. Human Capital

2. Finance

3. Startup Scene

4. Infrastructure

5. Macro-Political & Legal Framework

6. Market Conditions

🎯 Who should read this?
Investors, policymakers, development agencies, ecosystem builders, and university leaders seeking to understand where Egypt’s strengths lie and where targeted interventions could unlock untapped potential.

📥 Access the full report: https://enpact.org
🧭 Publisher: enpact (Berlin)