Egypt launches first-ever startup charter with $1 billion funding drive: What you need to know

CAIRO – 7 February 2026: Egypt has unveiled its first startup charter, alongside a unified financing initiative aiming to mobilize $1 billion over five years to support the country’s startup ecosystem.

The “Egypt Startup Charter” was launched at a ceremony embraced by the Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM) in the presence of Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly and Minister of Planning and Economic Development Rania Al Mashat.

What is the ‘Egypt Startup Charter’?

- A national framework to strengthen Egypt’s startup ecosystem.

- Designed to drive competitive, knowledge-based economic growth.

- Aims to create sustainable and high-quality job opportunities over the next five years.

Key Targets

- Support up to 5,000 startups through coordinated pro-entrepreneurship policies.

- Help generate about 500,000 direct and indirect jobs.

- Accelerate international expansion and reduce brain drain by developing local talent.

- Encourage venture capital and attract startup investment.

- Link pressing national challenges to innovative startup solutions.

The $1 Billion Financing Initiative

- A unified funding mechanism to coordinate public financing resources.

- Designed to multiply the impact of available funds by up to four times.

- Targets $1 billion in mobilized funding over five years.

- Backed by government resources, guarantees, and co-investments with venture capital funds and private financial institutions.

What’s In the Charter?

- A unified definition of startups: newly established companies characterized by rapid growth, innovation, and flexible business models.

- A comprehensive government services guide detailing licenses, permits, fees, required documents, and procedures.

- Measures to close regulatory gaps and improve startups’ access to government incentives.

- Introduction of innovative financing tools, including crowdfunding mechanisms.

Support for Scale-Ups and Unicorns

- A new program will be launched to help startups in the growth stage expand operations.

- Support for IPOs, strategic exits, and attracting major international investors.

- Government-backed tools aimed at creating new billion-dollar companies (“unicorns”) in Egypt.

- Assistance for regional and international expansion.

Monitoring and Governance

- The charter establishes a startup policy observatory to track data, assess policy implementation, and analyze challenges facing startups.

How Was It Developed?

- The charter follows more than one year of consultations.

- Involved 15 national entities and over 250 individuals, including startup community representatives, entrepreneurs, and local council memebrs.

- Coordinated under the Ministerial Group for Entrepreneurship.