The charter, unveiled by Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly and Minister of Planning, Economic Development and International Cooperation Rania Al-Mashat, represents a strategic roadmap to support up to 5,000 startups. The initiative follows more than a year of consultations between 15 national entities and over 250 representatives from the entrepreneurship community, including venture capital funds and parliamentary members.
“Egypt’s Startup Charter is not merely a theoretical document, but rather a flexible, executable tool that evolves continuously,” Al-Mashat said, noting it serves as a foundation for updating legislation to match technological shifts.
A central pillar of the charter is the issuance of the first officially approved unified definition of startups. The classification identifies startups as newly established, high-growth companies focused on innovative products or business models. This definition allows firms to obtain classification certificates from small and medium enterprise authorities to access specific government incentives and facilitation measures.