Anyone who has travelled in Egypt is well aware of the problems that drivers face each time they get behind the wheel. One company is trying to alleviate some of the traffic congestion by inviting commuters and drivers to share the ride. The new mobile app is called Raye7 and is a carpooling app that is different in the respect that it focuses on the driver to invite the traveller to join them in the vehicle. This app won the second prize in a competition in Barcelona and is sure to beat the Cairo traffic.
Fashion Week in New York City is not a match to the newcomers in the fashion business in Egypt. Many new and upcoming designers are partnering with technology firms to provide top fashion in an online format. Of particular interest in the haute couture fashion arena is Nesma Helmy. This young designer creates evening and bridal gowns along with a ready to wear component and her clothing line is affordable. If the fashion industry is going to change, Nesma Helmy has a great start in doing this with her startup of haute couture at an affordable price. Since most shoppers are women, this start-up proves to be very promising.
Fashion and traffic apps are just two of the innovations that are appearing on the Egyptian tech and entrepreneurial scene which is being helped by the many innovation centres that are beginning to fill the lives of so many 30 to 40’s in Egypt. One of the promising incubator labs is at the American University in Cairo. They hosted a contest in January, and the winner was a technology company called, Ta2heal. This online service is needed as it uses technology to marry parents with autistic children or otherwise slow developing children to solutions for care. The service helps to suggest caregivers, specialists and many other helps for parents who are trying to navigate a terribly complicated space. A disruption in the current process is highly desirable, and as winners of the incubator award, Ta2heal has a good start on becoming a much sought after and highly successful venture.
If you are looking for love, the tech scene might be your first choice as Nahdet el Mahrousa offers the first incubator in the early stage of innovative social enterprises in the Middle East. One of the features of their service which is unique and exciting is that they offer to train social entrepreneurs with a focus on economic development. This service promises to activate and engage the young Egyptians to become social entrepreneurs and to design a workable social business plan. A complete formalised curriculum is available to guide the young users through this process, and measuring sticks are available to assess the success of the program.
This year proves to be huge in the area of disruption to the Egyptian and Middle East standard of life. There are many companies ready to lead this avant-garde movement, and the number will only keep growing. Advancements in services, technology and retail will be on the forefront very soon as they are starting to become available.
