Cairo, February 12, 2026 — The U.S. Embassy in Cairo partnered with the American University in Cairo’s (AUC) Venture Lab under the Onsi Sawiris School of Business to hold its annual SelectUSA Tech Pitch Competition. Sixteen Egyptian emerging tech entrepreneurs pitched their ideas to a panel of experts for the opportunity to travel to the United States and participate in the SelectUSA Investment Summit. The winners of the pitch competition were “Untap” and “Tijara Hub,” and the jury awarded honorable mention to “Hiroy” and “Plan Q.” “Untap” and “Tijara Hub” will now compete on the SelectUSA Tech stage at this year’s global SelectUSA Investment Summit in National Harbor, Maryland, on May 3-6, along with other Egyptian startups that choose to register and fund their own participation.
“I am deeply impressed with the Egyptian entrepreneurs presenting at this year’s competition. These companies have the potential to drive transformative, real-world outcomes,” said U.S. Chargé d’Affaires Evyenia Sidereas during the ceremony. “We hope that pairing talented Egyptian innovators with cutting-edge U.S. technology-sector entrepreneurs will produce huge economic wins for both our countries.”
The pitch competition provided important exposure and experience for the Egyptian entrepreneurs. Judges for this year’s event included experts from business financing firm FinBi, venture financier Venture Capital, angel investment group Alex Angels, entrepreneurship institution Entreprenelle, AUC Venture Lab and U.S. Embassy Cairo. Nominating partners included Mint Incubator, Den Venture and Flat6 labs.
The SelectUSA Tech Pitch Competition demonstrates the United States’ commitment to supporting technology-driven startups worldwide seeking to expand into the U.S. market and highlights America’s global leadership in advanced technologies. Egyptian participants in past years have won U.S. recognition and ultimately expanded, thanks to SelectUSA Tech.
SelectUSA Tech is a dedicated initiative under the U.S. Department of Commerce’s SelectUSA program that gives international startups direct access to U.S. investors, guidance on market entry, and high-impact networking opportunities. Entrepreneurs do not need to win the pitch competition to participate, but they must register and fund their own travel. Eligible startups must be founded outside the United States, developing an innovative technology product or service, and looking to near-term U.S. market entry or growth. They must also be true startups: less than 10 years old, with fewer than 40 employees, and earning less than $10 million in revenue.
To learn more about the strong U.S.-Egypt economic partnership, which bolsters prosperity for the American and Egyptian people, please visit https://eg.usembassy.gov/ and follow @USEmbassyCairo on Instagram, Facebook, and X.