Egypt steps up efforts to shield startups, SMEs from global headwinds: MSMEDA chief

Bassel Rahmy, CEO of the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise Development Agency (MSMEDA), said Egyptian state entities are coordinating closely to shield startups and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) from the effects of global economic headwinds. Rahmy made the remarks while chairing a high-level roundtable organised by Intilaaqah in cooperation with Coalition Africa under the theme “Policies and Investment in Startups in Egypt”, a session aimed at accelerating the country’s startup investment ecosystem.

“Periods of economic stress can serve as a catalyst for more resilient and efficient outcomes, paving the way for sustainable growth models across the startup landscape,” Rahmy said, setting the tone for discussions that brought together senior policymakers, international partners, banking sector representatives and investors.

Roundtable focus and participants

The event formed part of MSMEDA’s wider push to support entrepreneurship, expand cooperation with private-sector players and strengthen ties with international institutions. Rahmy stressed that the agency’s efforts are aligned with the regulatory framework set out in the Startup Charter, which the government launched in February. He also reiterated MSMEDA’s commitment to implementing directives from Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly, who chairs the agency’s board.

• Organisers: Intilaaqah and Coalition Africa
• MSMEDA leadership: CEO Bassel Rahmy; board chaired by Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly
• International partners in attendance: Amahoro Coalition, Draper Richards Kaplan Foundation, Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation
• Theme: “Policies and Investment in Startups in Egypt”

Participants used the roundtable to map out investment opportunities and challenges facing Egypt’s entrepreneurship sector, review priority sectors targeted by the government, and discuss recent updates to the Startup Charter as a central regulatory tool supporting startup growth. Rahmy warned that access to finance alone would not be enough to secure sustainable growth, calling instead for more rigorous decision-making and coordination.

“Achieving sustainable growth amid ongoing global economic shifts requires more than access to finance,” he said, urging stakeholders to embrace “precise decision-making, data-driven strategies, and deeper coordination among all actors supporting the ecosystem.”

Next steps and outlook

The session closed with a concrete call to create a structured mechanism for continuous coordination between government bodies, investors and international partners. Advocates at the roundtable argued that such a mechanism would better align resources, avoid duplication, and accelerate the scaling of Egyptian startups — helping the sector contribute more directly to broader economic development objectives.

MSMEDA’s public stance and the participation of international development and philanthropy organisations underline a policy shift toward treating entrepreneurship as a value-driven sector where measurable results and regulatory clarity matter as much as capital. With the Startup Charter providing a legal and regulatory backbone, MSMEDA and its partners are moving to convert regional and geopolitical challenges into opportunities to build resilience and long-term, sustainable growth across Egypt’s startup ecosystem.