Changelabs and Raya FutureTECH Launch Corporate Accelerator to Fuel Egyptian Innovation

Changelabs has teamed up with Raya FutureTECH, the startup accelerator powered by Raya Holding for Financial Investments, to roll out a new corporate accelerator programme in Egypt — and, honestly, it couldn’t have come at a better time. Over the past few years, Changelabs has carved quite a niche working with Development Finance Institutions on a range of entrepreneurship and innovation initiatives – from the Egypt VC Summit to the Scale Up to Green Accelerator and the CVC Builder Program. Now the organisation’s branching out, bringing its startup know-how directly to corporates looking to plug into fresh innovation without it costing an arm and a leg.

The new model covers the whole innovation toolkit — incubators, accelerators, hackathons, bootcamps, trainings, you name it. The idea is to give large enterprises a front-row seat to startup creativity, whether that’s through identifying new partnerships with small businesses, developing corporate venture capital units, or ticking off those all-important ESG goals. And having seen a few of these crossovers before, I reckon this could become a bit of a blueprint for how corporates and startups in Egypt learn to dance together rather than step on each other’s toes.

To kick things off, Changelabs and Raya launched the Raya FutureTECH Investment Readiness Program — a three-month sprint designed for experienced Egyptian founders. It’s all about getting them prepped for venture capital funding, offering tailored technical training from global experts, linking them with corporate clients, finetuning their financial models and, eventually, putting them in front of investors who can help scale their businesses. Since launching on 4 August 2025, the programme’s already managed to unleash around $750,000 in funding for Egyptian startups, with backing from investors across the UAE and Saudi Arabia. That’s no small beans.

Among the selected startups are ForWheelz, which retrofits old vehicle fleets into smart data-driven mobility systems; Mezatech, a device care and logistics firm giving new life to tech while cutting down e-waste; and Tayar, which offers electric bikes and embedded financing to delivery businesses through its electric Fleet-as-a-Service platform. It’s a varied lineup, and each tackles a very modern pain point – from sustainability to digital transformation.

As Changelabs’ Managing Director Karim Samra explained, this partnership with Raya is a clear example of how corporates are increasingly eager to tap into startup ingenuity. Ahmed Khalil, Group CEO of Raya Holding, echoed that vision, noting how the company — after 26 years of playing a major role in Egypt’s tech scene — is now doubling down on backing entrepreneurs who can drive real, measurable impact. Through Raya FutureTECH, they’re offering more than mentorship; they’re opening doors to their networks and investment ecosystems, shaping a new generation of purpose-driven innovators.

If you ask me, it’s spot on timing. There’s a growing appetite among Egypt’s corporates to innovate from within, but many still find it a bit of a faff figuring out where to start. Partnerships like this one could well bridge that gap. And while programs like these might not change everything overnight, they do create a pathway for corporates and startups to collaborate in ways that actually deliver results — for both sides. At Arageek, we’ve always championed efforts that energise young entrepreneurs and drive sustainable growth across the MENA region… and well, this feels like one of those moments. It’s a small spark, but given the right conditions, it might just ignite something bigger — and that’s definately worth keeping an eye on.

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