After extended success working with DFIs (Development Finance Institutions) on entrepreneurship and innovation programs over the last five years including the Egypt VC Summit, the Scale Up to Green Accelerator, the CVC Builder Program, and many more, Changelabs has now expanded its model beyond DFIs to corporates, offering a new solution that makes startup innovation directly accessible to large companies at accessible rates. This solution includes incubators, accelerators, hackathons, bootcamps, trainings and other innovation programs meant to help corporates gain access to new startup innovation, identify new value-adding partnerships with startups and SMEs, help develop their corporate VC arms, and work towards meeting their ESG goals and objectives.
To kick off this new corporate-focused business offering, Changelabs and Raya Holding for Financial Investment have partnered together in the 3rd cycle of the Raya FutureTech Accelerator to launch the Raya FutureTech Investment Readiness Program – targeting seasoned Egyptian entrepreneurs. The 3-month program aims to prepare Egyptian founders to raise VC funding by providing technical training from global experts, connecting them with new customers and corporate partners, supporting their financial modeling and valuation processes, and ultimately introducing them to potential investors.
Changelabs Managing Director Karim Samra said “ This groundbreaking partnership with RAYA is a great example of the intersection between burgeoning market demand from corporates to access innovation and invest in startups, and our new strategic business line at Changelabs which aims to design and build programs that drive competitive advantage and value for these very corporates.”
Launched on Aug, 4th, 2025, the program has already delivered $750,000 worth of new funding for Egyptian startups through investors in the KSA and the UAE. The startups admitted to this program include ForWheelz, a data-native mobility infrastructure company retrofitting 1B+ legacy vehicles into intelligent platforms, Mezatech, a device care and logistics company extending the life of technology while reducing e-waste, and Tayar, an electric Fleet-as-a-Service platform that empowers delivery businesses with reliable riders, sustainable e-bikes, and embedded financial and support services.
Ahmed Khalil, Group CEO of Raya Holding, stated: “For over 26 years, Raya Holding has played a pivotal role in shaping Egypt’s technology landscape. With Raya FutureTECH, we’re extending this legacy by backing the next generation of entrepreneurs, helping them scale into businesses that deliver real, measurable impact. Through access to our expertise, networks, and investment ecosystem, we’re not just supporting startups, we’re equipping them to grow with purpose. This program is about more than mentorship; it’s about cultivating a new wave of innovators who will accelerate Egypt’s economic future and generate long-term value.
Partnerships between established corporations and emerging technology startups can create real value, solving business challenges faster, uncovering new opportunities, and delivering measurable results to the bottom line. With this new corporate-focused offering, Changelabs ensures these connections can happen seamlessly, unlocking real innovation and growth for corporates across Egypt & the MENA region.