Cairo AI Hackathon Brings Together 150+ Young Innovators to Build AI Solutions for Egypt

Athar Accelerator, in partnership with Plan International Egypt through the Ready for Tomorrow project, announced the successful conclusion of the Cairo AI Hackathon—a three-day innovation sprint that brought together 150+ young entrepreneurs and 50 early-stage teams to build AI-powered solutions addressing real challenges across key sectors.

From Ideas to Tested Prototypes
Hosted in Hilton Ramses, Cairo from 18–20 December 2025, the hackathon provided hands-on support for founders to move from ideas to tested prototypes, validate assumptions, and strengthen the technical and business foundations needed to scale.
A total prize pool of EGP 1,300,000 was awarded across 15 winning teams, alongside expert mentorship and practical workshops delivered by 20 mentors specialized in AI, product development, and entrepreneurship.

Leaders of Change
“At Plan International Egypt, we believe youth—especially young women—are not just beneficiaries of development, they are leaders of change,” said Sheren Ezzat, Senior Country Expert, Plan International Egypt.
She added “Through Ready for Tomorrow, we invest in skills, confidence, and real pathways to opportunity. The Cairo AI Hackathon is a powerful example of youth empowerment in action—turning potential into practical solutions and giving young innovators the support they need to shape their futures.”

Building Solutions
The Cairo AI Hackathon focused on helping participating teams build solutions that are feasible, responsible, and grounded in real market needs. During the program, teams worked on product scoping, data and model choices, user testing, and go-to-market thinking—supported by intensive mentorship and feedback loops.

Exceptional Talent
“AI is no longer a future concept—it’s already reshaping how products are built and how economies compete,” said Shoaib Elqady, CEO of Athar Accelerator.
He added “Egypt has exceptional talent, and our role is to connect that talent with the right support—technical guidance, infrastructure, and early-stage capital—to build locally relevant technology that can scale. This hackathon is about proving that Egyptian founders can build world-class AI products from here, for Egypt and beyond.”

Digital Skills
The event reflects a growing national momentum to advance digital skills, innovation, and job creation—by enabling youth to become builders of technology, not just consumers of it.

About Ready for Tomorrow
Ready for Tomorrow is a youth inclusion and employment initiative supported by the Danish-Arab Partnership Programme (DAPP) (funded by the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs) and implemented across multiple MENA countries—including Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt, and Jordan. The initiative helps young women and men strengthen their employability and entrepreneurship pathways through practical training (life and work readiness skills), mentoring, and links to relevant business ecosystems and opportunities—so they can access decent jobs or build viable ventures.

About Athar Accelerator
Athar Accelerator is an entrepreneurship support organization based in Egypt, working to empower entrepreneurs and strengthen local innovation ecosystems, with a focus on underserved communities and high-impact sectors.

Source: Press Release