Sawari Ventures to launch $150 million fund to back Egyptian startups

🇪🇬 Say hello to Sawari Ventures! They’re a a leading Egyptian VC firm that intends to launch a new $150 million fund to back Egyptian startups.

• Founded in 2010 by Ahmed Alfi, Hany Al Sonbaty, and Wael Amin, Sawari Ventures currently manages a $69 million Egypt-focused fund it closed in 2021, and another $71 million fund that is focused on North Africa.

📖 Background

The firm has directly backed over 30 companies, including Swvl, MoneyFellows, Instabug, Si-Ware, and Elves.

• Roughly 35% of its portfolio is dedicated to fintech, with a focus on digitising Egypt's economy and enhancing financial inclusivity.

Flat6Labs, a leading accelerator in the Middle East & North Africa, was also founded by Sawari Ventures in 2011.

• It has supported over 500 startups across the region through various Flat6Labs accelerators.

⚙️ Break it down 

The new fund will focus on sustainable growth in Egypt in sectors like fintech, edtech, healthtech, cleantech, and deeptech.

Managing partner, Hany Al Sanbati, affirmed that despite Egypt's economic challenges, the present period is still an opportune time for investing in Egyptian startups, emphasising that investors are committed to supporting local startups and that present challenges won’t impede their long-term growth.

• Sawari Ventures' strategy includes an operational framework designed to boost investments and prepare startups for future funding, with exits being a crucial strategy to finance additional tech ventures.

🔥 Egyptian startups

A number of tech startups in Egypt have announced funding so far in 2024, including; Zeal, Bosta, DXwand, Yodawy, and Roboost.

🔮 Flashforward: 

Sawari Ventures forecasts that Egyptian startups it backs could attract investments between $350 million and $500 million over the next five years.