The third edition of the Entlaq Summit officially launched today in El Gouna to announce the Egyptian Entrepreneurship Sector Diagnostic Report (SDR 2025). The event is held under the auspices of the Ministerial Group for Entrepreneurship, the Ministry of Planning, Economic Development and International Cooperation, the Ministry of Investment and Foreign Trade, the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, the Egyptian Tourism Promotion Authority, and in partnership with several leading institutions supporting the ecosystem.
Egypt Startup Charter
Her Excellency Dr. Rania Al-Mashat, Minister of Planning, Economic Development, and International Cooperation, delivered a speech through a recorder video, emphasizing that the Egypt Startup Charter will empower more than 5,000 startups and contribute to providing half a million job opportunities over the next five years. She pointed out that this initiative enjoys the full support of President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi and Prime Minister Dr. Mostafa Madbouly, emphasizing that the state seeks, through it, to build an innovation-based economy and enhance Egypt’s position as a leading country regionally and globally.
strategic partners
The summit was also supported and sponsored by a group of strategic partners from the private sector. Egypt Air, Talabat, and Keheilan Asset Management led as platinum sponsors, while the list of gold sponsors included e& Egypt, Flat6Labs, Sawari Ventures, and Dar El Nahda for Printing and Publishing. This reflects the commitment of these leading institutions to supporting the Egyptian entrepreneurial ecosystem and strengthening Egypt’s position as a regional hub for innovation.
This wide-ranging support highlights the diversity of private sector contributions in fostering the business environment, whether through technology companies, venture capital firms, or cultural and media institutions, thus reinforcing the complementary role among various sectors in serving the entrepreneurial economy.
decision-makers
The summit brings together a wide participation of top government leaders and decision-makers, alongside a distinguished group of entrepreneurs, investors, and representatives of local and international financial institutions. Also attending are representatives of major startups, accelerators, incubators, as well as experts in technology, innovation, and sustainable development, making it a comprehensive platform for knowledge exchange, showcasing success stories, and exploring promising opportunities in both the Egyptian and regional markets.
The summit opened with a press conference in which Entlaq announced the release of the Egyptian Entrepreneurship Sector Diagnostic Report (SDR 2025). The report, a flagship reference tool for Entlaq, is evidence-based and aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the entrepreneurial economy in Egypt. It offers a multidimensional analysis of startups across sectors and regions, linking economic indicators with legal, institutional, and policy frameworks. The report emphasizes that entrepreneurship in Egypt is not only a contributor to GDP but also a driver of economic resilience, inclusivity, and innovation.
Challenges
Despite challenges such as regulatory constraints, unequal access to capital, and structural gaps, the report addresses these issues through a data-driven framework. It identifies challenges, highlights reform pathways, connects analysis to real-world practices of startups and public policies, and integrates macroeconomic trends, regional transformations, and founders’ experiences.
The summit’s agenda includes four main panel discussions tackling critical topics. The first session explores macroeconomic reform in Egypt as a driver for investment, while the second addresses Egypt’s missing capital gap of USD 1 billion.
In his remarks, Omar Rezk, Managing Director of Entlaq, expressed that the summit represents an unprecedented strategic platform for bringing together decision-makers, investors, and entrepreneurs at a pivotal moment marked by major economic shifts: “With investments in startups declining from USD 608 million in 2023 to only USD 334 million in 2024, and Egypt’s share of regional venture capital funding dropping from 25% in 2021 to 11% in 2024, the summit comes to spotlight the necessary reforms and restore confidence.”
He added: “The summit is not limited to showcasing challenges but offers a practical, data-driven vision, based on 400+ surveys and 15 in-depth interviews with investors and regulators. It diagnoses ecosystem bottlenecks, whether in financing gaps, geographic disparities, or regulatory hurdles and sets out clear, actionable solutions.”
Rezk also noted that the summit seeks to empower youth and women, highlighting report data showing that although women represent 38% of founders, they received only 1.3% of total investment deals in 2023–2024. In the first half of 2025, their share did not exceed 2%. He affirmed that bridging this gap would promote inclusive growth and transform entrepreneurship into a true engine for job creation and economic diversification.
He concluded: “This vision makes the summit a true convergence point between the public and private sectors, cementing Egypt’s position as a regional hub for innovation and entrepreneurship in line with Egypt’s Vision 2030 and the Sustainable Development Goals.”
It’s worth noting that Entlaq is a leading think tank, dedicated to reshaping the entrepreneurship landscape in Africa, the Middle East, and North Africa. The company’s focus on driving innovation, empowering entrepreneurs, and enhancing the role of investments in building a more inclusive and competitive business ecosystem, thereby cementing the region’s position as a fundamental hub for growth and entrepreneurship globally.
