Plug And Play Egypt Business Accelerator

What is Plug and Play Egypt Business Accelerators (PnP EBA)?

PnP EBA is a program designed to support startups and SMEs in Egypt through mentorship, training, networking opportunities, and access to capital. The program provides entrepreneurs with the tools they need to start or scale their businesses.

This accelerator program was launched in 2014 by PnP Global, a global network of accelerators, incubators and venture funds. Since its launch, over 100 companies have graduated from the program, raising $1.5 million in total funding.

The program has three tracks:

  • Startups – for new ventures that are less than 3 years old
  • Growth Track – for established enterprises looking to grow
  • Scale-up Track – for high growth enterprises seeking additional investment

What is Plug and Play Egypt?

Plug and Play Egypt is an international business acceleration platform dedicated to supporting early stage technology companies in Egypt. It offers a unique combination of mentorship, training, networks, access to capital, and support services. This program is part of PnP Global’s portfolio of programs across Africa, Middle East, Europe, Asia Pacific and Latin America.

How does it work?

Startups apply online and get matched with mentors who will help them develop their ideas into viable products. Mentors provide guidance on product development, marketing strategy, fundraising, operations, etc.

Startups attend weekly workshops where they learn about entrepreneurship, design thinking, sales, marketing, finance, legal issues, and more. They also receive free office space, co-working membership, and other benefits.

Companies can choose between two tracks: Startup and Growth. Both offer similar services but differ in terms of time commitment and resources required. For example, while the Startup track requires 6 months of full-time engagement, the Growth Track only requires 1 month.

Finally, companies can opt for the Scale-Up Track which includes additional mentoring and coaching as well as access to additional financial and operational resources.

Who is eligible?

Entrepreneurs must be based in Egypt and have a minimum annual revenue of LE 10M. Companies must not be older than 5 years.

Why should I join?

There are many reasons why you should consider joining this program. Here are some of them:

  • You will meet like-minded people who share your passion and vision
  • You will benefit from a diverse set of skills and experiences
  • You will gain exposure to different industries and sectors
  • You will be able to connect with investors and potential customers
  • You will receive regular updates on how to improve your startup
  • You will have access to mentors and coaches who can help you build a successful company
  • You will have the opportunity to pitch at Demo Day

What do we look for?

We look for founders who are passionate about what they do, who want to make a difference, and who are ready to take risks. We also look for founders who have strong leadership qualities, are open minded, and are willing to listen to feedback.

We don’t accept applications from individuals or teams.

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From Silicon Valley To Cairo: Plug And Play Egypt Becomes A Reality

What is Plug and Play Egypt?

Plug and Play Egypt is a non-profit organization founded in 2014 by a group of Egyptian entrepreneurs who wanted to create a startup ecosystem in Egypt. The goal was to provide startups with access to resources and support to build their businesses.

In 2015, the government announced a plan to establish a Startup Village in Giza, where entrepreneurs would be able to get free office space, mentorship from experts, and access to capital.

However, the project faced several challenges. For example, the government had no clear idea of how to run such a program. Also, the government didn’t want to give away too much power to the private sector. As a result, the Startup Village never got off the ground.

But that doesn’t mean the founders gave up on their vision for Egypt. They decided to launch an alternative initiative called Plug and Play Egypt.

The mission of Plug and Play Egypt is to help startups succeed by providing them with office space, mentorship, and access to funding. In addition, Plug and Play Egypt provides startups with a platform to connect with investors and other entrepreneurs.

The first Plug and Play Egypt office opened its doors in 2016. Since then, more than 100 companies have signed up to use this office space.

Today, we speak with Hossam Elmasry, one of the cofounders of Plug and Play Egypt. He tells us about his experience running the company, what it has accomplished so far, and what he thinks needs to happen next.

Hossam Elmasry: Hello! My name is Hossam Elmasri. I am one of the cofounding members of Plug and Play Egypt, which is a non-profit venture created in 2014. We are based out of Giza, Egypt.

We started Plug and Play Egypt because we saw there were many startups coming into existence but they weren’t getting the kind of support that they needed. So, we recognized that there was a need for a place where these startups could come together and work on their ideas.

We also realized that the government wasn’t doing enough to support startups. This led us to start working on our own model. Our idea was to bring together all the resources that startups need—like office space, mentors, and funding—in order to make sure they can grow as fast as possible.

So, we launched Plug and Play Egypt in 2016. Today, we have over 100 startups registered at our offices. We offer office space, mentorship programs, and access to funding through our partners.

Our main focus right now is helping startups scale up. We believe that if you don’t have a large base of customers or users, your business will not survive.

That’s why we are focused on building partnerships with universities, incubators, accelerators, and tech hubs. These organizations share our values and understand the importance of supporting startups.

In fact, we just recently partnered with the Egyptian Ministry of Communications and Information Technology. The ministry wants to become a hub for digital innovation.

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The Mentors

Mentors

PlugandPlay is a one-of-a-kind incubator, bringing together world-class entrepreneurs with top-tier investors and worldwide collaborators. Our entrepreneurs are world-class, and our businesses are hungry for expansion. Mentoring a PnPEgypt company in its early stages can be a worthwhile experience for these reasons.

TechWadi, a well-known non-profit in Silicon Valley, provides mentoring for PnPEgypt. PnPEgypt companies have access to dozens of advisers in Egypt, San Francisco, and across the world who are ready to assist them in their growth and expansion. Plug and Play Egypt supporters can join the TechWadi Mentoring Corps by filling out an application and mentioning their interest in PnPEgypt.

A few of the world’s most prominent firms and investors serve as mentors for our students. These people will serve as your mentors, business advisors, best friends, and lifelong mentors. You may find them a perfect resource of leadership or departmental expertise that can help your company expand faster.

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The Companies

Excellent entrepreneurs producing high-impact businesses come together in the Plug – And – play ecosystem. In this section, you’ll find a mix of companies at various stages of development as well as those whose focus is more on infrastructure or services than on pure technology. Our Smart Village headquarters is home to some, while others come to learn, network, and grow their businesses. Silicon Valley’s next wave of high-tech start-ups will come from Plug and Play enterprises in the Middle East & North Africa region.

Profiles of businesses:

An Egyptian version of Groupon and LivingSocial, designed for the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) market. Offerna.com, headed by Princeton MBA Abdulla Assal & Souq.com co-founder Yusuf Adel, is ready to unlock the online spending promise of the largest market in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA).

At the moment, Bebasata.com is in Beta testing and aims to redefine the way people shop for advanced technologies in MENA by taking advantage of the tremendous development in connectivity. Bebasata.com, based in Cairo, Egypt, intends to leave Beta and rapidly develop in 2011.

With more than 20 years of combined expertise, dna is Egypt’s top digital-advertising agency, providing innovative and professional services. Founded in 2006, dna developed from two partners and no funding to a team comprising 14 product designers and yearly revenues of over $1 million.

When it launches, it will be the world’s largest Arabic e-bookseller. An estimated 50 million Iranian expatriates live outside of the Arabic-speaking world and have only restricted access to Arabic script.

In the fields of education, payments, and business, EME Worldwide is a significant global developer of mobile middleware. An educational mobile platform that allows parents to be more involved in their children’s education is our main product.

It was created on the belief that mobile devices & their capabilities should continue to increase at a rapid rate over the next decade, and that they will be the driving force behind the next decade’s economy. We are committed to providing cutting-edge cloud and location-based mobile software solutions for a variety of mobile platforms.

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Cool Stuff Twitter And Digital Media In The Middle East

More encouraging data from the Middle East, confirming the critical role that social media is performing in facilitating global communication and the exercise of free speech. Our pals at IQPC & SocialBakers have put together the infographic you see below as a thank you.

This report’s biggest flaw is that it omits Egypt, MENA’s main economy and internet viewership, which is critical to comprehending the region’s trends and prospects.

Highlights include:

  • A total of 30.2 million people utilise social media on a regular basis.
  • Facebook has 15 million active users.
  • More than half of the UAE’s 3 million Twitter users
  • Saudi Arabia saw a 240 percent rise in the number of Twitter users in 2010.
  • About seventy percent of businesses raised their spending on digital media in 2011.
  • United Arab Emirates

According to ArabCrunch:

In addition, the article states that there are 15 million Facebook members. This number may not be correct, however; in the first quarter of 2010, our sources inside Fb believed that there were 16-18 million users.

However, there are two important caveats: the Arab region does not provide any e-marketing budget for banner ads, preferring instead to spend on email, smart phone apps and SMS advertising as well as Facebook and Google adwords. Another instance when the source of Twitter user counts is omitted!

There are between 110 and 130 million dollars spent on internet advertising in the Middle East and North Africa each year, according to Ari Kesisoglu – Area Manager, Middle East And parts Africa.

Entrepreneurs, despite their passion and dedication, recognise that their work is a gruelling one. You can understand what we mean by checking out these stark realities compiled by the fantastic OnStartup.com.

Belgrade, Serbia – June 6, 2013: Samsung Galaxy Note 2 screen with social media applications of Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Linkedin, ChatON, Hangouts, WhatsApp, Instagram.

Fortunately, all of these obstacles can be overcome if you know what to expect, prepare for it, and seek out the aid of the right individuals.

  • An idea’s first iteration is likely to be incorrect.
  • What you do will be completely incomprehensible to your close family and friends.
  • For the time being, you’ll get paid less than you would in your regular job.
  • Everything takes even longer now… Let’s assume this happens
  • Titles have no bearing on anything. You’ll work as a janitor at the school.
  • In the absence of a magic bullet,
  • You will be annoyed by customers.
  • You can’t do everything on your own.
  • Success does not come quickly or easily.
  • Building a squad is a challenge.
  • There are forces that you cannot influence.
  • Read the whole thing.

500Startups believed the list was so true that they put up a blog post with examples through their own experiences. Please share your thoughts in the space provided.

Dharmesh Shah, a venture capitalist and current CEO of HubSpot, launched OnStartups, an online forum and blog supporting startup founders.

The 500 Most Promising Entrepreneurship Initiatives:

Entrepreneur Dave McLure launched the startup fund and incubator 500 Startups, which is based in Mountain View, California. Internet firms and related online infrastructure services are the focus of our investments.

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