The 9th edition of Techne Summit Alexandria 2023 Kicks Off at Bibliotheca Alexandrina Amid Wide Attendance

كتب : محمود حاحا – بوابة الاقتصاد

– The 9^th edition of Techne Summit Alexandria 2023, the Mediterranean’s premier investment and startup event, started today at the Bibliotheca Alexandria and will continue till October 10^th. The event kicked off with the opening remarks of H.E. Dr. Amr Talaat, the Minister of Communications and Information Technology, H.E. Mr. Håkan Emsgård, the Ambassador of Sweden in Cairo, Ms. Christine Arab, Country Representative, UN Women, and Mr. Tarek El Kady, Founder of Techne Summit. This year’s edition witnesses the presence of some of the world’s most prominent local, regional, and international officials. The remarkable attendance due to the significance of this international gathering to highlight the role of technology in various industries, stimulating investment and entrepreneurship, and exchanging expertise in the Arab region, the Middle East, and the Mediterranean region.

Emphasizing the leading role of Techne Summit, specifically the 9^th edition held in Alexandria, the first day included the Mediterranean Investor Matchmaking Pitch, which provides a unique opportunity for 20 handpicked startups to present their ideas to a group of investors specialized in their field, geographical location, and industry. In addition to the Swedish Embassy’s FinTech Competition, that provides a great opportunity for competitors with innovative ideas to win a fully funded trip to Sweden to expand and enrich their network and explore new investment opportunities. The winning companies will be announced during the 4^th and final day of the summit.

On the first day of the summit, the ICT Minister and the Swedish Ambassador visited the exhibition area which includes 150 exhibitors across well-established companies to innovative startups. It is worth mentioning that this year’s edition of Techne Summit Alexandria is held under the auspices of the Ministry of Communications & Information Technology, the Information Technology Industry Development Agency (ITIDA), the Technology Innovation & Entrepreneurship Center (TIEC), the Digital Economy and Technology General Division (DETGD), and the Federation of Egyptian Chambers of Commerce (FEDCOC). In addition to the telecom partner, Telecom Egypt (WE); the Platinum sponsors, Zain Tech, Novartis, EdVentures, and Trianglz; the Gold sponsors, the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency (MSMEDA), Hivos, and Investors of the Mediterranean; the Silver sponsors Paragon, Pepsico, Roche; and organized by Markade Agency.

In his speech, Dr. Amr Talaat, Minister of Communications and Information Technology, confirmed that there is a global interest in the startup and entrepreneurship ecosystem as it is a reflection of innovation and creative thinking in various disciplines. He explained the efforts of the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, along with government bodies, to contribute to supporting entrepreneurs and startups according to three basic pillars, including training and human development, establishing Digital Egypt Innovation Hubs to incubate startup companies, and facilitating procedures for establishing startup companies. Pointing out that emerging Egyptian companies in the field of communications and digital technologies have succeeded in attracting investments worth more than half a billion dollars in 2022, despite the global decline in the volume of investments in emerging companies worldwide during the past year, from 681 billion dollars in 2021 to 445 billion dollars in 2022.

During his opening speech, Tarek El Kady, Founder of Techne Summit Alexandria, said “In the evolving landscape of technology, AI will not replace our jobs, but a person empowered by AI will undoubtedly redefine what’s achievable.” And continued “This emphasizes the vital role of human engagement in utilizing AI. These technologies amplify our capabilities, but it’s human insight, empathy, and creativity that remain irreplaceable.”

To further support the entrepreneurship community, Techne Summit Alexandria offers, an intensive program of diverse activities over four days that includes more than 80 discussion sessions and 50 interactive workshops. The summit brings together more than 300 speakers, 220 investors, and 150 exhibiting startups and companies to delve into discussions on tech, innovation, and investment across 10 distinct tracks that cover diversified fields and sectors in order to showcase the latest developments and exchange experiences.

It is noteworthy that the eighth edition of the Techne Summit Alexandria hosted more than 30,000 participants. Together with a prestigious group of leading speakers and experts in various fields locally, regionally, and globally. Techne Summit has earned its reputation as the ideal platform for deal sourcing due to its pivotal role in attracting both established and rising startups since the launch of its first event in 2015.