Tatweer Misr, the leading real estate developer, has officially announced the winners of the fourth round of The Tatweer Misr Innovation Competition during a pitch night that took place on the 14^th of June at the Greek Campus.

The event hosted individuals and entities that heavily contribute to the local entrepreneurship ecosystem including; a number of successful entrepreneurs from different industries, representatives from incubators, and startups and media representatives.

This year’s round featured four winners from a total of ten contestants, after the pitch night hosted phenomenal ideas exceeding expectations and resulting in a last-minute decision taken by Tatweer Misr to have two winners from the startup track instead of the initially planned one winner. Which also led to an increase in the monetary prize with an additional EGP 100,000 for the total to reach EGP 450,000 instead of the planned EGP 350,000.

“EVOQAS” was the first winner of the Start Up track with a grand prize of EGP 250,000. The project is a digital platform that develops applications and tools to help customers run their businesses efficiently; it consists of an online financial planning tool for real estate developers, investors and financial institutions. The second start up winner with a prize worth EGP 100,000 is “PLAN A”, a virtual one-stop shop platform making it easier for customers to design the interiors of their homes and choose the right size of furniture in an affordable hassle-free way.

The platform enables the client to visualize the end-result and take decisions to buy products available on the platform after he enters the detailed sizes of the rooms he need to design and use the already existing furniture pieces and products offered by different supplier on the platform.

For the ideation track, targeting university students or graduates with innovative ideas the prize totaling EGP 100,000 was awarded to both Dr. Sherif Fakher for his project “Rice Husk” which entails using the Ash of different burnt husk including Rice husk and converting it to cement utilizing a sustainable and eco-friendly process. And Mohamed Sabry for his project “Tharwa”, a crowdfunding digital platform that allows clients to invest their money in the best possible manner.

The winners were selected by the esteemed members of the jury that were specifically chosen by the organizers according to their leading positions and high expertise in their fields. The panel of the jury included Mr. Ahmed El Alfi, Founder & Chairman of The Greek Campus, Dr. Mohab Anis, Founder & CEO of Innovety, Eng. Nabil El Gohary, Chairman & CEO of GOCOM Investments Egypt, Ms. Reem El Saady, Regional principal Manager of European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and Mr. Rafea’ Saleh, Founding Partner of Cubit Ventures.

Celebrating the success of the fourth round of The Tatweer Misr Innovation Competition, Dr. Ahmed Shalaby, President & CEO of Tatweer Misr stated, “The ideas presented during The Tatweer Misr Innovation Competition are impressive and reflect the true power Egyptian youth have to revolutionize the real estate sector that complement ‘The New Normal” we are currently living in after the outburst of COVID-19.” He continued, “Tatweer Misr’s support to the entrepreneurial scene is not only reflected through the innovation competition rather, it is a part of the company’s overall strategy that prioritizes education and entrepreneurship. We will continue to support all entrepreneurial ideas that can bring true value to the sector and help overcome the existing challenges.”

Shalaby highlighted the positive feedback the Innovation Competition has been receiving from its participants in regards to the support they have been given throughout the course of the competition. They confirmed that the mentorship & training opportunities received would aid the development of their ideas and help transform them to reality. “This is what encourages us to continue with the competition on an annual basis and develop its concepts further to better serve the demands and needs of the industry; to create more opportunities for rising entrepreneurs,” he stated.

“What’s different about Tatweer Misr’s innovation competition is that this year’s round received a wide range of high-quality ideas and innovative solutions ranging from technological solutions in construction technologies, E-commerce as well as new business models, the mix itself was powerful as it would definitely convert the new normal challenges into opportunities.” Dr. Mohab Anis, Founder & CEO of Innovety stated. He continued,” The huge outreach is also worth mentioning! We received more than 750 applications, 60% were from Greater Cairo and the other 40% were from different governorates all over Egypt ensuring diversity. ”

This year’s contestants expressed their excitement to participate in the Tatweer Misr Innovation Competition, especially after the huge successes it has achieved over the past years, becoming one of the largest platforms for exchanging innovative ideas. They also expressed their appreciation for the efforts of the competition’s organizers in providing the necessary guidance and support.

The Innovation Competition’s pitch night also witnessed a fruitful panel discussion led by: Ms. Chantal Sabbagh, Deputy General Manager of National Bank of Egypt, Eng. Sherif Hosny Founder and CEO of Schaduf, Dr. Rasha Tantawy, Head of Entrepreneurship TIEC,ITIDA and Mr. Loay El- Shawarby, Principal of El- Shawarby Attorneys-at-law and moderated by Mr. Moustafa Khater, Founder and CEO of Cubitcode.

The Tatweer Misr Innovation Competition was established in 2017 as the company’s extended arm which supports and enhances the entrepreneurial ecosystem in Egypt. It comes as part of Tatweer Misr’s efforts to impact the lives of youth and create opportunity for the development of innovative ideas that will elevate traditional methods in the real estate sector and conquer its existing challenges. This vision comes in line with UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, Egypt’s 2030 Vision and supporting entrepreneurship to enhance the overall national economy.

The fourth edition of the Tatweer Misr Innovation Competition was held in cooperation with Innovety as its outreach partner and the support of The Greek Campus as its Community Partner. Throughout the competition, applicants were provided with a series of training and mentorship opportunities that helped them develop their ideas from both technical and marketing angels. Since its inauguration, the competition has succeeded in attracting thousands of young calibers, providing them with the necessary support with the aim of creating a new generation of entrepreneurs that are able to employ their talents and ideas in establishing tangible innovations that meet the needs of the local real estate market.

This year’s round was inspired by “The New Normal” that we have all adapted to as a result of the COVID-19 outburst. The competition encouraged its applicants to submit ideas and solutions that take into account the new demands and challenges the real estate sector has been facing after the pandemic. Over 750 applicants have applied for this year’s competition with various innovative ideas and solutions such as technological innovations in construction, architecture, energy consumption and waste management, in addition to digital innovations in E-commerce, financial technology, facilities management and marketing.

About Tatweer Misr

Established in 2014, Tatweer Misr is a leading Egyptian real estate development shareholding company. It involves a vertically-integrated business model with various development fields and an ambitious vision of developing sustainable, smart and happy communities. Built on innovation, sustainability, high quality and creating adding value to their clientele, Tatweer Misr currently has four projects in various stages of development and planning. Projects include their award winning flagship project “IL Monte Galala” built on around 545 acres; “Fouka Bay” in the North Coast built on around 250 acres; “Bloomfields”; a mixed-use first home development located in Mostakbal City on an area of 415 acres with a dedicated 90 acres for an educational zone and their latest project “D-Bay” spanning over 200 acres in the North Coast.