View this email in your browser

WHAT'S NEW WITH MENA'S STARTUPS?

[MENA]
14 ARAB SEMI-FINALISTS @ GIST TECH-I COMPETITION 

16 days left to help your favorite startup go pitch at the Global Entrepreneurship Summit in Silicon Valley. You can vote daily until the 1st of May!
[AMMAN]
FINTECH STARTUP "LIWWA" RAISES $2.3M 💵 

Amman-based fintech startup
Liwwa has closed a $2.3 million round led by Silicon Badia’s Impact Fund. 

[EGYPT]
EBRD FINANCES EUROPACK 

Europack, a leading private manufacturer of tin packaging solutions for industrial goods, will receive a €1.78 million-equivalent loan in local currency.
[EGYPT]
YAOOTA LAUNCHES THEIR
IOS AND ANDROID APPS 

The apps went from zero to Top 5 shopping applications in Egypt in the first week of the launch. To download their app:
Android and iOS.
[SYRIA]
A MADE-IN-SYRIA TOY THAT SPEAKS ARABIC 

Software company Votek launches Loujee, a stuffed toy with Arabic speech recognition.
[EGYPT]
AXEER KICKS OFF GIRAFFICS, AND GOES 🌍
Axeer Studios launched its subsidiary Giraffics
which creates visually 
compelling videos of complex information. Check out this match made in heaven in their series
"Why Startups Fail?" that premiered at #RiseUp15
STAKEHOLDERS' UPDATES
[EGYPT]
WUZZUF STARTS COMMUNITY PAGE FOR INTERNSHIPS 
If you're looking to recruit inters, you can now post your internship opportunities for free on our website with free unlocks! (For a limited time only). 
Post free internships now
[AFRICA]
APPLICATIONS FOR ANZISHA AWARD ENDS TOMORROW! 🏆
The
Anzisha Prize seeks to award young entrepreneurs who have developed and implemented innovative solutions to social challenges or started successful businesses within their communities.
[EGYPT]
The CairoAngels is currently receiving applications from innovative, exciting startups, who could receive between EGP250K and EGP2M of funding.
[SAUDI ARABIA]
Using the SADAD account with the Fort, Saudi enterprises will be able to offer online payment options to a dramatically expanded consumer base.
[MENA]
Investment firm Wamda Capital published its first podcast episode on Soundcloud.
[EGYPT]
GESR EXTENDS APPLICATION DEADLINE 
GESR extended its deadline to apply for its second incubation round until the 16th of April - hurry up, only 2 more days to go!.
[EGYPT]
APPLICATIONS FOR SPARK CLOSE IN 9DAYS! 
SPARK! Summer Camp is an MIT-affiliated opportunity for young high-school leaders, whose alumni have attended MIT, McGill, Duke, Columbia, and Harvard. Others have started companies in various sectors.
MARK YOUR CALENDARS 
INJAZ'S STARTUP EGYPT 2016 COMPETITION 

7 startups will receive seed funds and move to acceleration mode. The trade fair will take place from 2pm to 5:30pm, followed by the Awards Ceremony at 5:30pm at the Bassily Hall.

SAVE THE DATE FOR ElRE7LA CAMP
On the 12th-16th of May, ElRe7la is once again gathering leaders and entrepreneurs in a camp in Nuweiba, combining work, play, and reflection.
CSR FORUM EGYPT: MAY 3-4
CSR Forum is offering a EGP500 discount for RiseUp subscribers to attend the event on the 3rd and 4th of May! Register your place now.

INTERESTING READS..



BLITZSCALING - THE NEW TERM IN ENTREPRENEURSHIP JARGON
Reid Hoffman talks about the challenges, risks, and payoffs of blitzscaling.

DIAMONDS IN THE DESERT: CAIRO & AUSTIN
While Austin, Texas is in its infancy compared to Cairo, Egypt’s long legacy, both cities share a unique resource – an overwhelmingly millennial population. Can Downtown Cairo, D-CAF and RiseUp Summit be to the city what SXSW is to Downtown Austin?

LESS TALK, MORE ACTION: IT'S TIME TO INJECT SOME REALITY INTO THE PR BLITZ AROUND ENTREPRENEURSHIP
If you are heading up a large scale business in this region, and your company is trying to jump on the now-popular “I support entrepreneurship” bandwagon, then this month’s note is for you.

DID A RIDE FROM THE AIRPORT LEAD TO AN IMMIGRANT'S $4 BILLION COMPANY?
Amr Awadallah talks to Forbes about his billion dollar company Cloudera.

500 FALCONS: A PATH TO THE OASIS FOR MENA’S THIRSTY STARTUPS
In December 2015, 500 Startups unveiled 500 Falcons, a regional micro-fund that covers the MENA region (Middle East + North Africa).

CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY AND SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP IN MENA - REPORT BY ATC 
The study builds on interviews with more than 120 senior corporate executives and 33 founders of social enterprises.

Share
Tweet
Forward
Copyright © 2016 RiseUp, All rights reserved.
Our mailing address is:
RiseUp
#107, GrEEK Campus, 28 Falaki St., Bab El Louk
Cairo 11511 - Egypt

Add us to your address book

Want to change how you receive these emails?
You can 
update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list