TechTank Egypt Ignites Young Innovators with Shark Tank-Style Competition

Mohammed Fathy

Last updated 8-04-2026

3 min

SUTech hosted its second TechTank, backed by Shark Tank Egypt, spotlighting school innovators.

Around 300 projects entered; eight schools reached the final pitching round.

Capital International School won EGP 150,000 for a standout, viable idea.

Judges said innovation is “the foundation of the future” under Egypt Vision 2030.

Organisers believe early pitching experience builds confidence beyond classroom theory.

Elsewedy University of Technology (SUTech), Polytechnic of Egypt has wrapped up the second edition of its annual TechTank competition, bringing a Shark Tank-style edge to the campus and putting high school innovators firmly in the spotlight.

Held at the university’s campus and powered this year by Shark Tank Egypt, the event gave students the chance to pitch their ideas in front of a heavyweight judging panel. Capital International School walked away with the top prize of EGP 150,000, awarded for what judges described as the most innovative idea with strong potential to become a viable venture.

And this was no small-scale school contest. Around 300 projects were submitted by students from roughly 100 schools across Egypt. After a multi-stage selection process, 24 schools made it to the semi-finals. From there, just eight advanced to the final round. A bit of a marathon, to be honest.

The final judging panel featured Eng. Ahmed ElSewedy, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of SUTech; Ayman Abbas, Executive Chairman of INTRO Holding; and Eng. Abdallah Salam, President and CEO of Madinet Masr. Experts from organisations including Artistco, ExxonMobil Egypt, Dorra Group, ACT and SAP were also involved in evaluating projects and helping select the final eight schools.

The shortlisted schools were Palm International School, Continental Palace International School, Capital International School, WE Schools for Applied Technology, Rajac American School, IVY STEM International School, El Sewedy International School for Applied Technology and Software, and Egyptian International School.

Speaking about the initiative, Eng. Ahmed ElSewedy said the university sees innovation as “the foundation of the future”, adding that TechTank is meant to connect student creativity with real market needs, in line with Egypt Vision 2030. He noted that SUTech aims to support students in transforming ideas into practical projects and, eventually, businesses that can contribute to the national economy.

Hanan ElRihany, CEO of ELSEWEDY EDTECH, highlighted what she described as a noticeable jump in the quality of submissions this year. She pointed to the involvement of Shark Tank Egypt experts and representatives from global firms as a key factor, saying their feedback gave students hands-on exposure and helped refine their concepts into more practical solutions.

I have seen many startup competitions over the years, and I reckon the ones that start early, at school level, often make the biggest difference. At Arageek, we constantly hear from founders who say their first taste of pitching came as teenagers. That early spark can be spot on in shaping confidence and ambition, even if the first idea never becomes a company.

On the flip side, competitions alone are not magic. The real test comes after the applause fades. Still, giving students a platform where industry names sit across the table and ask tough questions? That’s definately a step in the right direction.

With Egypt pushing forward on its innovation and entrepreneurship agenda, initiatives like TechTank seem designed to nurture talent before university even begins. And believe it or not, some of the ideas presented were said to be already aligned with real industry gaps, not just classroom theory.

For young founders in the making, that kind of exposure can be chuffed to bits moment. More importantly, it could be the starting line of something much bigger.

🚀 Got exciting news to share?

If you're a startup founder, VC, or PR agency with big updates—funding rounds, product launches 📢, or company milestones 🎉 — AraGeek English wants to hear from you!