The charter, developed following more than a year of consultations involving 15 government entities and over 250 startup founders, investors, and ecosystem stakeholders, represents the country’s first unified strategy for regulating and supporting entrepreneurship.
Egypt has launched “Egypt’s Startup Charter,” a national policy framework aimed at coordinating government support for startups, mobilizing $1 billion in financing over five years, and boosting the sector’s contribution to economic growth and job creation, the Ministerial Group for Entrepreneurship said in a statement in February.
The charter, developed following more than a year of consultations involving 15 government entities and over 250 startup founders, investors, and ecosystem stakeholders, represents the country’s first unified strategy for regulating and supporting entrepreneurship.
Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly and Planning, Economic Development and International Cooperation Minister Rania Al-Mashat attended the launch, which coincided with the 13th edition of the RiseUp Summit in Cairo.
The framework aims to support up to 5,000 startups, help generate around 500,000 direct and indirect jobs, expand access to global markets, and strengthen local talent development to reduce brain drain, according to the statement.
A key pillar of the charter is a unified financing initiative designed to coordinate public funding resources and leverage government guarantees and co-investment mechanisms with venture capital firms to mobilize $1bn for startups over five years.
The charter also introduces Egypt’s first official definition of startups, enabling eligible companies to access government incentives and facilitation measures through formal classification.
In addition, it includes a unified regulatory guide outlining all required licenses, permits, procedures, and fees, aimed at streamlining market entry, improving regulatory clarity, and enhancing compliance.
To improve the business environment, the framework outlines short- and medium-term structural reforms, including easing tax procedures, simplifying exit and liquidation rules, expanding crowdfunding mechanisms, and addressing regulatory barriers across priority sectors.
The charter further introduces a scale-up support program targeting high-growth startups, with the objective of enabling regional and global expansion and attracting billion-dollar investments, in a bid to create new “unicorn” companies in Egypt.
An Entrepreneurship Policy Observatory will also be established to track implementation, measure performance, and issue periodic reports to support policymaking, with participation from startup ecosystem representatives.
The Ministerial Group for Entrepreneurship was established by cabinet decree in September 2024 to coordinate government efforts aimed at strengthening Egypt’s startup ecosystem and accelerating private-sector-led growth.
