Qualiphi, Egypt’s first digital platform for career development and recruitment services powered by artificial intelligence (AI), has announced the launch of the Qualiphi Career Passport, a first-of-its-kind initiative in Egypt. The digital passport provides students, graduates, and professionals with an evolving professional identity that brings together their academic qualifications, skills, certifications, and work experience, while enabling their verification through the participation of educational and training institutions and employers. Integrated Ecosystem The launch underscores Qualiphi’s pioneering role in building an integrated ecosystem for professional competencies, skills development, and the labor market in Egypt and the Middle East. Through this initiative, the…
Author: Mohamed Fathy
African startups are making significant progress. In this context, the digital economy platform FollowICT highlights the top startup news across Africa over the past week. Medikea Raises $1.2 Million in Pre-Seed Funding to Expand Digital Healthcare Services in Tanzania Tanzanian digital health startup Medikea has raised $1.2 million in pre-seed funding to expand its operations and develop its healthcare services. The funding comes alongside the opening of two new clinics in Arusha and Morogoro, bringing the company’s total number of clinics to four. Medikea aims to expand its network to 10 facilities by the end of 2027. Founded in 2022,…
African startups are making significant progress. In this context, the digital economy platform FollowICT highlights the top startup news across Africa over the past week. South Africa’s Happy Pay Launches AI-Powered Advertising Platform After $6.1M Pilot South African buy now, pay later (BNPL) platform Happy Pay has officially launched Happy Ads, an AI-powered advertising platform that charges retailers only when their campaigns generate completed sales. The launch aims to reshape digital advertising by linking marketing costs directly to business outcomes, rather than charging brands based on impressions or clicks. Happy Pay provides interest-free installment payments through an advertising-subsidised payments network…
EdfaPay, the Saudi payment technology company, and GoPravo, a Sudanese IT company, have officially launched the joint venture, SDPay, to provide and operate financial services and payments infrastructure in Sudan. The new entity is a 50/50 joint venture between EdfaPay and GoPravo, with a focus on serving banks, telecom operators, merchants, government entities, and individuals across Sudan by harnessing the Saudi fintech developed by EdfaPay and the local expertise in the Sudanese market from GoPravo. SDPay aims to enable merchants to accept payments and improve customer acquisition by providing easy payment options, particularly through QR codes, point-of-sale (POS) devices, and…
ZenHR, the Riyadh-headquartered, AI-powered HR and payroll platform that bills itself as the first of its kind in the Middle East and North Africa, has opened its sixth regional office in Cairo. The move is designed to strengthen its direct presence in Egypt and support the digital transformation plans of institutions, companies and factories across the local market. Serving Clients in Egypt CEO Yousef Shamoun said the Cairo office marks a turning point for the company after around ten years of serving clients in Egypt. ZenHR plans to invest more than EGP 150 million over the next two years to…
The Global Entrepreneurship Festival (GEF) has unveiled key program highlights and partnerships for its 3rd edition, which Egypt will host for the first time from 6 to 8 November 2026 at JW Marriott Hotel, New Cairo. Held under the patronage of H.E. Dr. Mostafa Madbouly, Prime Minister of Egypt, and the theme “The World We Help to Create,” the Egyptian edition targets 10,000+ participants from 70+ countries. Its program of 12 flagship events aims to open new opportunities for investment, enterprise growth and cooperation across markets. International Competition Egypt secured the hosting opportunity through an international competition, following the festival’s…
Tactful AI, a startup specializing in agentic AI-driven customer experience (CX) infrastructure, announced that Hatem Dowidar, former Group CEO of e&, has joined its investor roster through a direct investment in the company’s Pre-Series A extension round. The financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. Agentic AI Technology The move comes as Tactful AI prepares to roll out its next leap in Agentic AI technology, a shift expected to serve as a crucial inflection point for enterprise capability, operational agility, and proactive market responsiveness. Dowidar brings a quarter-century track record in telecommunications and technology. He served as Group CEO…
African startups are making significant progress. In this context, the digital economy platform FollowICT highlights the top startup news across Africa over the past week. Satlyt Raises $8 Million to Expand AI Software for Satellites Satlyt, a space technology startup founded by Kenyan entrepreneur Rama Afullo, has raised $8 million in seed funding to expand its software platform, which enables satellites to process data and run artificial intelligence applications in orbit. Founded in 2024, the company operates between Nairobi, Kenya, and Sunnyvale, California. The funding round was led by non sibi ventures, with participation from investors including TLCOM, Antler, Slauson…
African startups are making significant progress. In this context, the digital economy platform FollowICT highlights the top startup news across Africa over the past week. 6 African Startups Share $400,000 in Funding at the FINCA Ventures Prize Competition Six African startups have won a combined $400,000 in funding at the 2026 FINCA Ventures Prize Competition, which supports entrepreneurs developing innovative solutions to economic and social challenges across the continent. The competition featured two categories: fintech for financial inclusion, and sustainable agriculture and food systems. Through the initiative, FINCA Ventures aims to help startups develop scalable business models that strengthen community…
African startups are making significant progress. In this context, the digital economy platform FollowICT highlights the top startup news across Africa over the past week. Visa Africa Fintech Accelerator Launches Sixth Cohort with 21 Startups from 9 African Countries The sixth cohort of the Visa Africa Fintech Accelerator has kicked off in Accra, Ghana, bringing together 21 fintech startups from nine African countries operating across 24 markets on the continent. The new cohort includes first-time representation from Niger, Togo and Seychelles, highlighting the growing geographic diversity of Africa’s fintech ecosystem. The startups are developing solutions across areas including payments, remittances,…
MNT-Halan, one of Egypt’s leading fintech platforms, has successfully completed three securitization issuances with a combined value exceeding EGP 4bn, for its two subsidiaries, Halan Consumer Finance and Tasaheel for Finance. The transactions include an issuance of EGP 528.5 million for Halan Consumer Finance, and two issuances for Tasaheel for Finance, valued at EGP 1.2bn and EGP 2.28bn, further strengthening MNT-Halan’s access to diversified funding sources and supporting the continued expansion of its financing activities across Egypt. The issuances have a 13-month tenor and comprise a single tranche. The issuances received an “A-” credit rating from MERIS (Middle East Rating…
TruGift, a new personalized gifting platform, has officially launched, introducing a new way for people to create gifts built around the stories, memories and emotions they share with the people who matter most. Digital Gift Through TruGift, customers share the memories and story behind the gift, choose their preferred language and musical direction, and review the personalized lyrics before the music is produced. The result is a polished digital gift combining music, lyrics and artwork. TruGift supports multiple languages, including five Arabic dialects, allowing customers to create gifts in the languages that feel most natural to their relationship. The experience…
Amazon.eg today announced its collaboration with Shark Tank Egypt for the third consecutive year, creating new pathways for small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) and entrepreneurs to grow online. Building on the success of previous seasons, the collaboration connects entrepreneurs with Amazon’s selling tools, fulfillment infrastructure, and customer reach, helping local businesses scale sustainably through e-commerce. For the first time this season, Amazon.eg is introducing two Golden Tickets, doubling the opportunity for standout entrepreneurs to receive enhanced support including merchandising opportunities and dedicated account management. The expansion reflects the growing impact of the collaboration and Amazon’s deepening investment in nurturing local…
Egyptian fintech and digital payments company PayMint concluded its participation in Money20/20 Middle East, held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, after being selected among 25 companies to advance to the semifinals of the MoneySurge pitch competition, out of 150 participating companies. Payment Solutions During its participation in the conference, one of the region’s leading events dedicated to financial technology, PayMint showcased its payment solutions and fintech services to a wide range of investors, entrepreneurs, and industry experts attending the event. PayMint’s selection among the 25 companies advancing to the semifinals marks a new milestone in the company’s journey and reflects its…
African startups are making significant progress. In this context, the digital economy platform FollowICT highlights the top startup news across Africa over the past week. Aeon Raises $1 Million to Scale Cybersecurity Solutions for Critical Infrastructure Nigerian cybersecurity startup Aeon has raised $1 million in a Pre-Seed round led by Terra Industries, with participation from Resilience17, the fund founded by Flutterwave co-founder and CEO Olugbenga Agboola, alongside Kaleo, DFS Labs, Ajim Capital, and Seedstars. The funding will support product development, engineering team expansion, and the transition of the company’s existing pilot projects into commercial contracts. Aeon is building cybersecurity infrastructure…
As the pace of building and launching applications accelerates worldwide, driven by artificial intelligence and modern programming tools, the scope of threats targeting these applications and the data they handle is expanding in parallel. Cybersecurity is no longer a separate layer added to a product after development is complete; it has become an essential part of the software development and runtime lifecycle, particularly as attackers gain access to the same tools to develop faster and more automated attacks. The scale of global cybersecurity spending reflects the magnitude of this transformation. Gartner expects worldwide information security spending to reach approximately $244…
Egyptian digital payments company “octo” has joined the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD)’s “Star Venture” program, in a move aimed at supporting the company’s growth and expansion plans and benefiting from an integrated range of specialized advisory services and expertise designed for high-potential, innovative startups. Supporting Startups The 24-month program provides participating companies with support that goes beyond direct funding, offering specialized advisory and operational assistance to help them identify business gaps and develop growth plans. It also provides access to local and international experts, as well as a broad network of mentors and investors. Karl Marko, Co-Founder…
RcrutAI announced the expansion of its Panther platform to include the commercial real estate and mixed-use development sectors, marking a new milestone in the company’s strategy to build an integrated intelligence and decision-making ecosystem for the real estate development sector. Panther initially launched as a real estate intelligence platform that helps developers make residential development decisions, starting from land and market analysis, through development mix, pricing, and feasibility, all the way to strategy. Today, the platform is expanding this model to include commercial development and mixed-use projects, with an analytical system specifically designed around the nature of commercial decision-making. From…
Caishny, an electronic payments company, recorded financial transactions worth EGP 600 million during the first half of 2026, as the company targets expanding its branch network to 130 outlets across Egypt by the end of the year, with a particular focus on Upper Egypt. The expansion is part of Caishny’s strategy to support financial inclusion, accelerate digital transformation, and expand access to electronic financial services. Ahmed Saeed, Board Member of Caishny, said the company contributes to reducing reliance on cash transactions by supporting the state’s efforts to advance financial inclusion and digital transformation across government entities where cash payments are…
African startups are making significant progress. In this context, the digital economy platform FollowICT highlights the top startup news across Africa over the past week. Medbankr Launches AI-Powered Platform Giving Patients Control of Their Medical Records Nigerian HealthTech startup Medbankr has launched a digital platform focused on health records management and continuity of care, allowing users to maintain long-term access to their medical information. The company describes the product as Nigeria’s first patient-controlled health continuity and intelligence platform, with the aim of shifting control of medical records from healthcare facilities to patients themselves. The platform brings laboratory results, prescriptions, medical…