Startup Weekend Cairo Wrap-Up

Hello all my fellow reader!

I'm sorry for not being able to write for soooooo long…its juts that I did TOO much in the past few days.

The American University in Cairo hosted the first ever Startup Weekend Cairo, which kicked off this last Thursday, meticulously organized by a bunch of friends (including myself).

Startup Weekend was a great entrepreneurial experience for several reasons. First, the ability of strangers to work together toward a common goal was inspiring. Another thing I noticed was how much entrepreneurs help each other: people freely lent each other equipment, expertise, and time. The organizers and coaches were experienced and gave participants help and encouragement just when they needed it. Finally, by sharing meals and meeting with participants, we got to know more about the startup scene in Egypt.

To generate the right hype, focus and motivation, we invited Fadi Ghandour, Bo Burlingham, Rashid Ballaa, Mike Ducker, Hany Sonbaty, Hanan Abdul Meguid, Nagi Salloum, Omar Christidis and a number of influential mentors.

On Friday afternoon, 200 participants pitched a total of 59 projects, which quickly slimmed down to a total of 32:

• Wasalny
• Hatgwez
• OffersMap
• E-Tour
• Sharek
• OfferQ
• Bintk
• Maktabty

After the Jury’s (investor panel) deliberations, the winners were…

1. Inkezny
2. OffersMap
3. 7el.me
4. Media Island
5. OMyTime
6. Sporbro

Whether these projects turn into companies with viable products is yet to be seen. More importantly, however, is the atmosphere created and the breadth of dedication these teams put into the learning experience. We are planning future Startup Weekend events in several other locations in Egypt and MENA, so stay tuned.