AUC Venture Lab Arab African International Bank Cycle 14
AUC Venture lab (V-Lab) is Egypt’s first university-based startup accelerator and a leading accelerator in the Middle East and Africa. We support innovation-driven and passionate entrepreneurs looking to turn their solutions and technologies into viable businesses. Since 2013, we have accelerated more than 200 startups covering multiple sectors. We believe in evidence-based entrepreneurship and with the support of our partners, we provide our entrepreneurs with the right business knowledge, industry expertise, tools, resources and networks to reach their full potential.
Our mission is twofold: to help Egyptian startups commercialize their innovative solutions into viable businesses and to provide an experiential learning and research platform for the AUC community to connect and engage with entrepreneurs.
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OUR IMPACT
210
560
Startups
Revenues
Graduate
1.6
Billion EGP in
Investments
AUC Venture Lab Spring'20 | 2
Million EGP in
8000+ Jobs Created
AUC Venture Lab has been named the Middle East and North Africa Top Challenger for 2019 / 2020 by UBI Global, a Sweden-based research company specializing in mapping, highlighting and connecting the world of business incubation and acceleration. With three previous UBI recognitions, AUC Venture Lab is the only Egyptian accelerator recognized among 1580 programs assessed this year. The regional Top Challenger award is granted to incubators and accelerators that stand out due to impressive overall impact and performance achievements relative to respective regional peers. The AUC Venture Lab Fintech Accelerator has also been recognized as a highlight in Innovations That Inspire 2020 Challenge organized by AACSB International, the world’s largest business education network. The recognition is a testament to V-Lab’s work as a catalyst for innovation.
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AUC Venture Lab Startup Accelerator is a 16-week program providing support for early-stage innovative startups to launch and grow their businesses using evidence-based entrepreneurship and lean startup methods. With the support of our corporate sponsors, we work across multiple industries including E-Commerce, Energy and Sustainability, Healthcare Innovation, Creative Industries in addition to other emerging industries like Artificial Intelligence (AI), Supply Chain and Logistics.
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Leadership Corporate Co-Founder and E-Commerce Track
Creative Track
Shell Energy and Sustainability Track
General Sponsors
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OUR PROCESS Selection: Online applications Screening interviews Bootcamp Selection panel
Acceleration: Extensive business training Business model design Mentor matchmaking One-on-one business coaching Off-site retreat Networking opportunities Access to AUC community and facilities Investment opportunities Access to technology and regulatory sandbox Financial grant for validation Co-working space Demo day Investment: AUC Angels partnership Venture capital partnerships V-Lab alumni network AUC Venture Lab Spring'20 | 6
MEET OUR CYCLE 14
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Industry Video surveillance as a service (VSaaS) | IoT | Smart analytics Model B2B Traction 10+ stores Founders Alaa Ezat Mohamed Ghaly
www.a1smartcam.com mohamed.ghaly@a1softech.com A1softech
A1SmartCam offers private end-to-end cloud-based Video Surveillance as a Service (VSaaS) for enterprises enabling them to analyze products, consumer behaviour and employee productivity. This AI-driven service aims to empower decision makers in the retail industry with performance insights that can guide them towards more efficient operations.
A1SmartCam's unique video surveillance solution can be applied to any camera which makes it one of a kind. The cofounder Mohamed Ghaly is really passionate and constantly looking for ideas to improve his startup's offerings. — Mostafa Shaheen, AUC Venture Lab.
Watch pitch AUC Venture Lab Spring'20 | 8
Dopal is an online platform that offers both travellers and locals a curated selection of experiences and activities that enable them to discover the true hidden gems of the country. Dopal offers access to hundreds of trusted activity providers at the click of a button for the ultimate traveling experience.
The founders Mohamed and Sherif have brought their wide and extensive experience from managing another tourism business into Dopal which caters to the needs of a newly discovered market and elevates the traveling experience. — Mostafa Shaheen, AUC Venture Lab.
Industry Tourism Model B2B and B2C Traction Piloting
Founders Mohamed Farouk Sherif Hatem
www.dopalapp.com info@dopalapp.com Dopalapp
Watch pitch AUC Venture Lab Spring'20 | 9
Industry Delivery | Courrier Model B2B and B2C Traction 3000+ customers and 112 corporates Founders Hamza Gamil Karim Gamil Mahmoud Gamil Mohamed Gamil
www.wassalnow.com info@wassalnow.com
WassalNow is a web and mobile enabled delivery service provider that connects small and medium business owners with freelance delivery personnel. The platform capitalizes on software optimizations that enable new services to the market such as next day delivery, instant pickups and two days cash settlement.
From the first day Hamza and his team joined our program, they showed exceptional commitment, organizational skills and willingness to learn. WassalNow's team is truly a family that cares about its customers and works hard to develop its product. — Mostafa Shaheen, AUC Venture Lab.
wassalnow Watch pitch AUC Venture Lab Spring'20 | 10
Logista is a fleet management and delivery solution for businesses. It offers crucial insights, route optimization and efficiency recommendations to digitize logistics and ensure hassle-free day to day delievery operations.
This is a very flexible team with a strong vision. Throughout the pandemic, they managed to adapt quickly. During the program, Mohamed has shown a great deal of dedication, commitment and a fast response to feedback while Ahmed with his rich tech background managed to develop the software to act as a plug-in, adding a huge competitive edge to the product. — Mostafa Shaheen, AUC Venture Lab.
Industry Fleet management Model B2B Traction 235K EGP in revenues and a conversation rate of 75% Founders Ahmed Saleh Mohamed Abdelaziz
logista.app m.aziz@logista.app LogistaApp
Watch pitch AUC Venture Lab Spring'20 | 11
Industry Jewlery | Design Model B2C Traction Sold 650 pieces and revenues reached EGP 170K
Founders Darine Alaa Dina Tarek Manar Mohamed Yara Nasr Yara Hatem sepiadesignss@gmail.com SepiaDesigns sepiajewellery
SEPIA is an accessories brand that aims to keep the Egyptian identity and support local craftsmanship. SEPIA's jewelry is inspired from ancient Egyptian myths and beliefs. Their unique designs are made from gold and platinum-plated brass and packaged to suit this era's contemporary taste and fashion requirements.
Sepia's team has the passion and talent to create the designs that catch the eye of the target segment. They want to build a sustainable business with a clear message. Throughout the program, they have conducted tons of market experiments and showed a clear willingness to learn and an impressive eagerness to develop their business model. — Verina Rizkallah, AUC Venture Lab. Watch pitch
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Wai is a smart water startup that capitalizes on the rapidly advancing technologies to mitigate water scarcity threats via efficient water resource management. They design, manufacture and service engineer smart technology solutions for water distribution networks that use Internet of things (IoT) for real-time monitoring and Artificial Intelligence (AI) for leakage detection and performance optimization. Their solutions are based on years of research, development and field trials in partnership with public water utility companies and services can be customized for resorts and private communities, delivering substantial savings on water bills and increasing resident satisfaction.
This amazing team has managed to come up with smart solutions that can help many cities and water companies. When it comes to water conservation, the founders bring a wide experience that makes them right for the job. — Samy Medhat, AUC Venture Lab.
Industry Water Sustainability | Hardware Model B2B Traction Testing with Hurghada water company Founders Hany Kamal Mohamed AbdelKader Mohamed Afifi mdfarouk@gmail.com
Watch pitch AUC Venture Lab Spring'20 | 13
Industry Art | Design | Urban design | Murals Model B2B Traction 1500+ M2 produced for clients including Red bull, Palm Hills, Soma Bay, Sodic and Google Founders Amin Khairy Ehab Ghali Hassan Ismail Ibrahim El Demirdash www.duco-eg.com hassan@duco-eg.com
DUCO is a boutique advertising agency and production house dedicated to urban art and illuminated hand-painted outdoor wallscapes. Through their projects, DUCO helps businesses achieve their commercial outcomes while contributing towards urban aesthetical development.
DUCO's founders never seem to forget their vision and core value. Besides creating beautiful outdoor surfaces, the team's main motivation is to support the Egyptian creative workforce through capacity building, training and providing employment opportunities. — Verina Rizkallah, AUC Venture Lab.
ducolux Watch pitch AUC Venture Lab Spring'20 | 14
ClickMare is a subscription service offering the low income segment and uninsured SMEs access to affordable healthcare services through a wide network of medical providers across Egypt. By creating a tailored user experience for both the patients and the providers, ClickMare also generates high level data that will help the industry players serve this overlooked segment more efficiently.
One of the most hard-working startups this cycle! It is rare to find a startup working in an unexplored market like microinsurance that has the right time management skills to balance between their operations and the program activities. Ahmed and his team actively participated in sessions and mentorship meetings while diligently working on enhancing their business model. — Verina Rizkallah, AUC Venture Lab.
Industry Healthtech | Microinsurance | Medical networks Model B2B and B2C Traction 1600+ medical providers and 10K subscribers
Founder Ahmed Youssef
www.clickmare.com info@clickmare.com clickmare
Watch pitch AUC Venture Lab Spring'20 | 15
Industry Healthtech | Supply chain management |Medical networks | Pharmaceuticals Model B2B and B2C Traction 106 subscribed pharmacies, 1600+ online orders and EGP 165K in revenues with an 85% retention rate Founder Sherif El Behedy www.vpharmacies.com sherif.elbhedy@vvisioncompany.com
V Pharmacies is a brand network empowering individual pharmacies in Egypt by offering them access to supply chain and operations channels as well as digital channels to acquire and retain customers, with the aim of increasing their competitiveness in today's market.
This solo founder is a real multi-tasker. His experience and broad understanding of the pains in pharmacies' supply chains allowed him to build a strong medical network of pharmacies all over Egypt in less than a year. In addition, Sherif constantly invests in his employees and teaches them new skills to keep them motivated and engaged. — Verina Rizkallah, AUC Venture Lab.
vpharmacies Watch pitch AUC Venture Lab Spring'20 | 16
Duma Toys specializes in the production of soft Amigurumi toys for children and every toy has a story for the character. By using an ancient Japanese knitting technique, Duma Toys offers a safe handmade alternative to machine-made toys that does not include dangerous plastic pieces or artificial material.
Duma Toys are not your average storebrand dolls, each piece is uniquely crafted and has its own unique character and story. The team behind Duma is the real deal. Heba and Abo Obaida are passionate entrepreneurs set on reviving the lost art of doll making with a modern envriomentally friendly twist. — Samy Medhat, AUC Venture Lab.
Industry Toys | Design | Art | Sustainability Model B2B and B2C Traction International orders Founders Abo Obaida Alazem Heba Ibrahim
info@dumatoys.com DumaToysEg
Watch pitch AUC Venture Lab Spring'20 | 17
Industry E-commerce | Sustainability Model B2B and B2C Traction Piloting
Founders Mahmoud Elmasry Nadia Elmasry Shehab Eldein www.greencart.eco greencart.eco@gmail.com
GreenCart.eco
GreenCart.eco is a double-sided e-commerce platform that provides an eco-friendly one stop shop offering a wide range of sustainable alternatives to everyday products for those who seek an eco-friendly lifestyle. Their smart multi-vendor system provides an instant online store for vendors, as well as marketing, business and environmental consulting services.
What sets this startup apart is its team. These entrepreneurs have spent years working for a number of international organizations on relevant sustainability topics which helped them pinpoint the market gap and deliver true value for both their customers and the environment. — Samy Medhat, AUC Venture Lab. Watch pitch
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The Kind Market is your go-to shop for all eco-friendly products and sustainable alternatives. They are on a continuous mission to create a better shopping experience for consumers and the planet alike.
Reem truly shows how passion can drive an entrepreneur. Her strong commitment to environmental issues has driven her as a solo founder to develop an online magazine before starting this revenue-generating online marketplace. — Samy Medhat, AUC Venture Lab.
Industry E-commerce | Sustainability Model B2B and B2C Traction Starting B2B deals
Founder Reem Makeen
www.thekindmarket.org reem.makeen@gmail.com thekindmarketEG
Watch pitch AUC Venture Lab Spring'20 | 19
Industry Packaging | Sustainability Model B2B and B2C Traction Starting B2B deals
Founder Dunia El-Masry
www.wecare-eco-egypt.com delmasry@aucegypt.edu
wecare_ecofriendly
WeCare Eco-Friendly Solutions is a manufacturer and seller of eco-friendly alternatives. The startup designs and produces its own products including biodegradable cutlery and organic food packaging material and sells them along with other environment friendly products through its e-commerce portal and major retailers.
Dunia is an extremely dedicated entrepreneur. Her flexibility and agility as a founder allow the business to deliver value to customers, build a brand and scale at the right time. — Samy Medhat, AUC Venture Lab.
Watch pitch AUC Venture Lab Spring'20 | 20
Scarabaeus Sacer specializes in sustainable, ethical, premium quality clothing for men and women made of %100 organic Egyptian cotton. The brand advocates for social and environmental issues.
One of the things that you can easily tell about Scarabaeus Sacer's founders is that they have passion. They employ experiences from their previous notable careers to build a fashion brand that creates a special relationship between products and customers, allows customers to express how they feel about themselves and makes them feel good about life. — Mohamed Yehia, AUC Venture Lab.
Industry E-commerce | Sustainable fashion Model B2C Traction Present in the Egyptian and UK markets Founders Ali El-Nawawy May Kassem www.scarabaeus-sacer.com admin@scarabaeus-sacer.com S.Sacer
Watch pitch AUC Venture Lab Spring'20 | 21
Industry E-commerce | Fashion Model B2C Traction 100% YoY customer growth
Founder Sarah Toulan
www.ninebeyond.com info@ninebeyond.com
shopninebeyond
NINE & BEYOND redefines (expectant) motherhood fashion by providing fashionable, luxurious and adaptable clothing that mothers can wear both during pregnancy and after delivery.
Once Sarah starts talking about her business, you can't help but be inspired by how serious she is about what she does. As her coach throughout the program, she has pushed me to help her develop her business and challenged me to keep up with her. This is a hard-working entrepreneur who won't settle and will grow a small enterprise into a giant. — Mohamed Yehia, AUC Venture Lab.
Watch pitch AUC Venture Lab Spring'20 | 22
Grandyhome is an online store and distributor specialized in kitchenware, tableware, bathroom, bed and home accessories, lighting and other household products. By capitalizing on a wide base of major brands and having deep ties with the brands' warehouses, Grandyhome guarantees items are always in stock.
The team behind Grandyhome is tireless! During the last few months, they managed to triple their sales and operations and landed many partnerships and business deals. Yousra and Omar will stop at nothing when it comes to nurturing their business. — Mohamed Yehia, AUC Venture Lab.
Industry E-commerce | Household applicances and products Model B2C Traction Tripled sales and landed new partnerships Founders Omar Bassem Yousra Sorour
www.grandyhome.com support@grandyhome.com grandyhomecom
Watch pitch AUC Venture Lab Spring'20 | 23
Industry Health | E-commerce Model B2B Traction Started B2B deals
Medica Marts is a B2B online marketplace for medical supplies enabling medical institutions to have better access to a variety of products and an enhanced purchasing experience.
Founder Ibrahim Karkor
www.medicamarts.com info@medicamarts.com
Ibrahim is a true challenger who is actively working to disrupt the healthcare industry's existing supply chain models. His persistence is admirable and he wisely uses the support he receives. — Mohamed Yehia, AUC Venture Lab.
medicamartscom
Watch pitch AUC Venture Lab Spring'20 | 24
The Box provides hassle-free boxes for children's physical and mental needs delivered to your doorstep. By offering boxes of carefully selected items that guarantee optimal nourishment and engagement, The Box aims to support parents and help them raise healthy individuals. Currently, The Box offers "Lunch Box" and "Fun Box" for children under the age of six.
Sarah's teaching and motherhood experiences and the creative mind of her cofounder Farah are exactly what this startup needs to launch products that perfectly fit what mothers want for their kids. When Covid hit and halted their first product, their entrepreneurial mindsets helped them pivot their business model and offer more products that help children have fun and develop their skills while spending time at home. — Mohamed Yehia, AUC Venture Lab.
Industry E-commerce | Food | Entertainment Model B2C Traction Launched Beta website and a new product Founders Farah Khaled Sarah Khaled wwww.lunchboxeg.com admin@lunchboxegypt.com TheLunchboxEgypt
Watch pitch AUC Venture Lab Spring'20 | 25 27
OUR MENTORS Abdelrahman Tahoun
Ahmed Abdel Meguid
Ahmed Abou El Haz
Ahmed Al Falasi
Ahmed El Gaby
Ahmed Ellaithy
Ahmed ElSherif
Ahmed Emad
Ahmed Galal
Ahmed Hassanein
Ahmed Mazhar
Ahmed Mourady
Ahmed Nader
Ahmed Tolba
Akram Farag
Akram Salama
Alaa Arafah
Alaa Hashem
Ali Awni
Aliaa Bassiouny
Amir Beshai
Amr Fawzi
Amr Hareedy
Amr Rakha
Ashraf Nashed
Ashraf Shenouda
Ayman Zaaqoq
Bahaaeldin Abdellatif
Choucri Asmar
Dalia Alatrash
Dina Bassiouni
Dina El-Mofty
Dina Gobran
OUR MENTORS Dina Hamdalla
Ehab Attia
El Faisal Badr
Emad Fouad
Fady ChehadeĚ
Hamed Shamma
Hamza Tag
Haneen Abu Shanab
Fady Morcos
Fady Ramzy
Fikry Boutros
Hakim Meshreki
Hani Naguib
Hany Moussa
Hany Soliman
Hassan Ali
Hassan El Sokkary
Hassan El-Keiy
Hatem Abdo
Haytham Badr
Haytham Wagih
Hussein Wahdan
Ihab Naguib
Irini Raafat
Islam Shawky
Islam Zekry
Jacqueline Kameel
Kamel El Khouly
Karim Abdel Kader
Karim Ahmed
Karim Beshara
Karim El Hossary
Karim Gad
OUR MENTORS Karim Hussein
Kevin O'Connell
Khaled Bichara
Khaled Ismail
Khaled Raslan
Loay El-Shawarby
Maha Mourad
Mahdi Al Olabi
Mahmoud Gamal
Mahmoud Samir Fouda
Maie ElZeiny
Manal Negmeldin
Marwa Samy Attia
Marwan Hamad
May Imam
Menna Sabry
Michael Messiha
Moataz Kotb
Mohab Moubashir
Mohamed Abdelmottaleb
Mohamed El Sabban
Mohamed Farag
Mohamed Farag
Mohamed Gamal
Mohamed Hafez
Mohamed Hossam
Mohamed Jebriel
Mohamed Naga
Mohamed Shehab
Mohamed Tigani
Mohga Badran
Mustafa Eid
Nabil Mohamed
OUR MENTORS Nada Sameh
Nadine Moussa
Nagla Samir
Nashwa Saleh
Nellie El Enany
Neveen El Tahri
Nizar Bencheikh
Noha Shaker
Norhan El Sakkout
Omar Soudodi
Rafeh Saleh
Ram Akers
Randa Victor
Rawiah Abdallah
Reem Bannis
Saeed Talaat
Sahar El Sallab
Sally Asaad
Sally ElGemezy
Seba Salem
Sherif Ahmed El Ballat
Sherif El-Sherbini
Sherif Kamel
Sherif Shabana
Shima Barakat
Soraya S. Hashem
Tamer Azer
Tamer Saber
Tarek Abou Alam
Yaseen Abdel Ghafar
Yasmine Abou Stait
Youssef Wagih
Ziad Mokhtar
OUR PARTNERS
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MEET THE TEAM
Ayman Ismail Abdul Latif Jameel Endowed Chair of Entrepreneurship and AUC Venture Lab Director
Mohamed Hamza AUC Venture Lab Associate Director
Hadeel Elshabba Outreach and Engagement Manager
Lina Zalat Partnerships Manager
Mariam Kamel AUC Angels Manager
Nour Ibrahim Marketing and Communications Manager
Yasmine Nagaty Acceleration Manager
Mohamed Younis Senior Advisor
Lydia Kamiel Program Officer
Mohamed Yehia Account Officer
Mona Kamal Finance and Administration Officer
Noha Elkholy Outreach and Engagement Officer
Samy Medhat Account Officer
Mostafa Hassanein Senior Account Coordinator
Youssef Moemen AUC Angels Investment Analyst
Mostafa Ahmed Events Support
Verina Rizkallah Senior Account Coordinator
Mostafa Shaheen Account Coordinator
Mohamed Ihab AUC Angels Investment Analyst
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AUC Angels is the first university-based angel investor network in the MENA region, with a mission to create an angel investor community at AUC to invest in innovative Egyptian startups. In partnership with V-Lab, AUC Angels has access to vetted and scalable startups that have proved traction in the market and have a strong potential for positive returns. AUC Angels provides financial and legal training to new angel investors and helps startups develop attractive investment cases while matching them with angel investors. Get in touch at: aucangels@aucegypt.edu
50+
Angel Investors
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11 Startups
10 More than
Million EGP Investments to date
PARTNERS
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SCHOOL OF BUSINESS Boasting an unrivaled reputation as the top private business school in Egypt and one of the best in Africa and the Arab world, the AUC School of Business is dedicated to transforming the young eager minds of today to the responsible change agents of tomorrow, all while developing relevance and leadership in an evolving ecosystem. Situated within the top private university in Egypt and enjoying nearly seven decades’ worth of history, the School offers a wide range of programs that extend beyond the classroom to provide a holistic and engaging learning experience. The School’s foremost accomplishment is a seal of excellence achieved through the Triple Crown accreditation – placing the School among the top 1 percent of educational institutions worldwide to achieve the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), the Association of MBAs (AMBA) and the European Quality Improvement System (EQUIS) accreditations. The School’s executive education programs are also recognized by the Accrediting Council for Continuing Education and Training (ACCET) accreditation.
THE AMERICAN UNIVERSITY IN CAIRO (AUC) The American University in Cairo (AUC) is a premier English language institution of higher learning. The university is committed to teaching and research of the highest caliber, and offers exceptional liberal arts and professional education in a crosscultural environment. AUC builds a culture of leadership, lifelong learning, continuing education and service among its graduates and is dedicated to making significant contributions to Egypt and the international community in diverse fields. AUC Venture Lab Spring'20 | 34
Leadership Corporate Co-Founder and E-Commerce Track
Creative Track
Shell Energy and Sustainability Track
General Sponsors
@aucventurelab AUC Venture Lab vlab@aucegypt.edu business.aucegypt.edu/centers/vlab