L’Oréal Egypt Embraces “Beauty Tech” Revolution at Innovation Week Summit

L’Oréal Egypt made quite a splash at Techne Summit Cairo 2025, an anchor event of Egypt’s first Innovation Week. The company’s chairman, Mohamed El Araby, doubled down on positioning the brand not just as a beauty giant, but as a tech player with its so‑called “Beauty Tech” vision. That phrase can sound a bit buzzwordy at first, but what he laid out was fairly practical: using artificial intelligence, advanced science, and digital services to make beauty more inclusive, more sustainable, and highly personalised.

El Araby joined a panel featuring other industry leaders, pointing out that global innovations are increasingly being tested and rolled out in Egypt. His argument was simple enough—if startups and corporates work side by side, the whole innovation ecosystem gets stronger. And frankly, he’s probably spot on there. At Arageek, we’ve often seen how young founders with small budgets but bold ideas bring something fresh to the table, while established corporates offer scale and know‑how. It might feel like an odd couple at times, but the pairing often works.

The company’s strategy currently rests on four distinct pillars. First, inclusivity—highlighted by Lancôme’s HAPTA, a handheld applicator designed to help people with limited arm mobility. Second, greener tech—like the “Water Saver” gadget developed with Swiss startup Gjosa, which can cut water usage in salons by nearly 70 per cent. Third, responsible innovation—the “AirLight Pro” hairdryer, created with Zuvi, that uses infrared for an energy‑saving dry. And finally, hyper‑personalisation, achieved through diagnostic tools that analyse skin in some detail before recommending suitable solutions. I reckon even the sceptics will agree that ideas like these take beauty beyond lipstick shades and hairstyles.

El Araby also reminded listeners that this global commitment to innovation has a local face. Last year L’Oréal partnered with Techne Summit to support startups—and since then, seven of them have reached advanced development stages, fine‑tuning their models to actually fit local market needs. He put it rather neatly: the company’s vision of “Creating Beauty That Moves the World” isn’t just a slogan; it’s about building bridges with society and youth.

Alongside him was Rana Ouf, HR Director for L’Oréal Egypt, who joined a session on “Empowering the Next Generation.” She pointed to initiatives like the Brandstorm competition—running in Egypt for a decade now—as well as graduate programmes and training schemes that give young people practical, future‑ready skills. When you think about it, grooming the next gen of entrepreneurs is not only noble but also good business. And yet, so many corporates still drag their feet on this. L’Oréal, for all its gloss, seems to be rolling up its sleeves.

Techne Summit itself has grown into quite a behemoth. This year it was folded into “Egypt Innovation Week,” pulling in 60,000 attendees, 1,500 startups, and 250 investors. With 300‑plus speakers from more than 70 countries, it felt more like an ongoing festival of ideas than just a conference. As founder Tarek El Kady put it, the summit has shifted from a once‑a‑year gig into a national platform. From my own wanderings in and out of startup circles, I can say these gatherings matter: they spark connections you just can’t get over email or Zoom.

On the flip side, there’s always the risk such big events become more show than substance—it can be a bit of a faff with too many panels and not enough action. But watching companies like L’Oréal use the space to link with startups, showcase practical tech, and talk openly about youth empowerment makes the whole effort feel, well… worthwhile. And though I’m not easily impressed, I was chuffed to bits to see big players speaking the same language as young innovators.

If Egypt can keep this momentum—matching ambition with real tools and partnerships—the country’s startup community will definately walk away stronger. And that’s the kind of beauty that lasts far longer than a lipstick shade.

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