Raya Holding Concludes Raya FutureTECH Program with GIZ, Marks New Chapter with Rebranding and Growth-Stage Strategy

Raya Holding for Financial Investments celebrated the successful conclusion of its two-year collaboration with the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ) through Raya FutureTECH, the Group’s corporate innovation platform dedicated to empowering startups and strengthening Egypt’s entrepreneurial ecosystem

The closing event brought together entrepreneurs, investors, corporate leaders, and ecosystem partners to reflect on the program’s impact and to unveil the new identity “FutureTECH by Raya,” signaling a strategic shift toward growth-stage integration, commercial partnerships, and investment readiness

Over the course of the partnership, Raya FutureTECH delivered a comprehensive set of initiatives designed to support startups at different stages of maturity. Key achievements included 12 specialized webinars engaging nearly 1,000 participants, 6 thematic hackathons with the participation of 112 startups, and 4 acceleration cycles that supported 46 startups across sectors such as fintech, logistics, e-commerce, clean technology, and AI. These efforts contributed to the creation of 238 jobs and enabled startups to raise USD 2.3 million in investments, in addition to facilitating pilot-to-commercial collaborations with several Raya portfolio companies

In his opening remarks, Ahmed Khalil, Group CEO of Raya Holding said, “This partnership with GIZ has demonstrated what happens when corporates and development institutions work with a shared purpose: innovation turns into opportunity, and opportunity into impact. At Raya, innovation is not an initiative, it is how we grow. many of the Group’s leading businesses originally began as greenfield ideas that evolved into market champions

Through FutureTECH and our collaboration with GIZ, we opened our ecosystem to founders, giving them access to real markets, operators, and expertise that accelerate the path from pilot to commercial success. This program has strengthened Egypt’s startup landscape and reinforced the role of corporate–startup collaboration as a driver of competitiveness and job creation

As we conclude this chapter with GIZ, our commitment continues. FutureTECH will build on these foundations to integrate startups deeper into Raya’s portfolio, invest in promising technologies, and support the next generation of Egyptian innovators

Representing GIZ, Elisabeth Richter, Head of Programme at develoPPP said, “Private sector engagement is a core pillar of GIZ’s mission to advance sustainable economic development in emerging markets. Through develoPPP, which is financed by the BMZ on behalf of the German Government, we partner with companies to strengthen business capabilities, generate decent employment, and build more resilient economies

As this project concludes, we see measurable progress among participating firms across several growth sectors. Targeted technical assistance, capacity development, and access to relevant networks have improved business readiness and opened new market opportunities. These results underscore our continued commitment to Egypt’s entrepreneurial ecosystem and to enabling businesses to compete and expand over the long term

The event also featured elevator pitches from participating startups and a panel discussion titled “Breaking Down Corporate Walls: How to Make Startups Welcome Inside Large Organizations,” bringing together leaders from Raya Holding, Egypt Ventures, Flash, and Significa Ventures to discuss pathways for deeper integration between innovation and enterprise

The newly introduced identity, FutureTECH by Raya – Accelerating the Daring, reflects the platform’s evolution from early-stage acceleration to structured corporate integration, focusing on proof-of-concept development, commercial contracts, and potential investment opportunities within Raya’s multi-industry ecosystem

Looking ahead, FutureTECH by Raya announced upcoming initiatives, including the EV Accelerator Program in partnership with Raya Auto, reinforcing the Group’s commitment to clean mobility and technology-led transformation in Egypt and the wider region

The closing of the GIZ project marks a milestone rather than an endpoint. FutureTECH by Raya will continue expanding its role as a catalyst for innovation, connecting ambitious founders with real markets, real operators, and real opportunities