Gemini Enterprises Africa, part of Orascom Group, and RiseUp LLC, the MENA region’s connector of startups to local and global resources, signed on Monday a three-year partnership that will make the Pyramids Plateau the official venue for the annual RiseUp Summit and Pitch by the Pyramids competition until December 2022.
The partnership was announced during the first Pitch by the Pyramids competition, RiseUp’s latest flagship programme, by both Adly Thoma, CEO of Gemini Enterprises Africa, acting on behalf of Naguib Sawiris, executive chairperson of Orascom Investment Holding, and Abdelhameed Sharara, co-founder and CEO of RiseUp.
Through this agreement, both parties seek to empower the entrepreneurial and startup ecosystem, and ensure a sustainable future by tapping into the local talent and innovation of young people.
Witnessing the signing ceremony, Minister of Investment and International Cooperation Sahar Nasr said, “I am proud of RiseUp’s selection of the location. We are standing next to the Pyramids which are the symbol of innovation and civilization. This is an excellent platform where we have seen a lot of young people, international institutions, the private sector, and investment banks gathered.”
“It is the platform to put together the right ecosystem to ensure our young entrepreneurs get the right environment and the right support for them to grow, because they are the future, and they will remain the main contributor to our sustainable growth,” she added.
The partnership also stipulates that RiseUp and Gemini Enterprises Africa shall co-develop innovation hubs on the premises and other Orascom-owned holdings, while the former gains exclusivity for any entrepreneurial events in the area.
Sawiris added, “I’m pleased to announce the strategic partnership between Gemini Enterprises Africa and RiseUp to migrate the summit and all its activities to the Pyramids Plateau. We will work together to position the Pyramids venue as the Hub where history meets the future and the place that culture merges with technology and entrepreneurship. We are sure that this partnership will create a generation that will leave a legacy like our pharaonic ancestors did.”
Thoma stated, “This strategic partnership is not only to change the location of the summit, but rather to create a new platform that guides our youth through innovation inspired by our ancestors, the Pharaohs, the first entrepreneurs in history. We are proud to team up with RiseUp.”
“This partnership truly brings us closer to our vision, as we build bridges to connect entrepreneurs to the most relevant resources in Egypt and the region as a whole. It is a great pleasure to be standing here today and have the support of such an esteemed organisation,” Sharara added.
