RiseUp Summit, the region’s founding platform connecting founders, investors, and innovators in the Middle East and Africa, is set to take place at the Grand Egyptian Museum from the 5th-7th of February. This is the 13th edition under the theme “The Turning Point.” At RiseUp Summit, every startup, investor, and ecosystem builder reaches a defining turning point – a moment shaped by bold decisions, hard lessons, and the courage to grow. These stories of failure, success, and reflection are what move Egypt’s entrepreneurial ecosystem forward.
RiseUp is reshaping the summit from the ground up. This edition will have no panel discussions and keynotes, replacing them with a more hands-on and experience-driven approach. Attendees are now part of new formats including Live Demos, Debates, ‘Roast My Startup’, ‘Reverse Tank’, Simulations and more!
“This edition marks a real reset for RiseUp,” stated Abdelhameed Sharara, Founder and CEO of RiseUp. “We are redesigning the summit around experience, interaction, and tangible outcomes. Our goal is to bring ideas, capital, and talent into one shared space, so startups don’t just attend an event, but leave with momentum, partnerships, and real opportunities for growth.”
One of the summit’s key highlights will be the return of the RiseUp & A Ventures Pitch Competition, which will offer guaranteed funding of up to USD 500,000, with winners announced during the closing ceremony.
RiseUp Summit will also bring together international world-class speakers from technology, venture capital, innovation, government officials, and entrepreneurs. This mix reflects RiseUp’s growing role as a regional platform with global relevance, especially as it continues to expand internationally into new markets beyond Egypt. Speakers from Google, Softbank, IBM, DC Comics, META, Open AI, IBM, World Bank, Linkedin, and more.
With Madinet Masr as Main Partner, alongside partners such as Seven (a Beltone subsidiary), TikTok, Deloitte, IM Motors, Mada Capital, and more. RiseUp Summit places partners at the heart of the experience – actively engaging attendees through real-world applications, expertise sharing, and opportunity creation that extends beyond the event itself.
The Summit is expected to welcome 15,000–20,000 attendees over a dynamic three-day experience, bringing together founders, investors, students, and professionals from across the ecosystem. Designed to blend learning, meaningful connections, and opportunity creation, the Summit reinforces RiseUp’s role as a key driver of the region’s startup ecosystem and a catalyst for entrepreneurship, offering attendees real access to ideas, capital, and growth pathways.
Since its inception, RiseUp has been the ground for success stories for some of Egypt’s most impactful startups. Uber Bus made its Egyptian debut at RiseUp 2018, marking a turning point in urban mobility, while logistics leader Bosta first launched at RiseUp 2016 – demonstrating how bold ideas can scale from local beginnings. MNT-Halan also introduced its innovative financial services in the summit, connecting with thousands of users and supporters. Additionally, Nawah Scientific won USD 50,000 at RiseUp’s 2017 Pitch Competition and has since raised USD 23 million, transforming a homegrown deep-tech into a global impact story.
About RiseUp
RiseUp is a global platform dedicated to empowering startups. Founded in 2013, it connects entrepreneurs with key stakeholders across the innovation ecosystem, including investors, corporations, policymakers, and industry leaders, creating pathways for growth, collaboration, and long-term impact.
The company is best known for organizing its flagship annual event, the RiseUp Summit, a pioneering platform that sparked a broad movement which rapidly expanded across the Middle East and Africa over the past decade, and is now going global, following its recent launch in Saudi Arabia and soon in the Netherlands.
