The sixth edition of the “Where are the Opportunities?” (الفرص فين؟) event, hosted by Startup Grind Cairo, is set to take place on December 31, 2025, at the GrEEK Campus. Over the years, the gathering has evolved from a year-end networking event into an essential barometer for the startup ecosystem, providing founders and investors with critical insights into emerging market dynamics across Egypt and the wider MENA region.
A Barometer for a Shifting Market
The upcoming event arrives at a pivotal moment for the regional ecosystem. According to Wamda, MENA startups raised approximately $3.5 billion in the first nine months of 2025, with a significant $2.6 billion of that total coming from debt financing. This data points to a more “selective” rather than “celebratory” funding environment, where capital is increasingly allocated based on model sustainability and resilience, not just growth potential.
Within this landscape, Saudi Arabia has captured the largest share of regional funding, while Egypt’s ecosystem has demonstrated both flexibility and a strategic “reset.” The “Where are the Opportunities?” event is designed to dissect these shifts as they unfold, helping stakeholders understand where the real value lies amidst market fluctuations.
A History of Foresight
The event has built a strong reputation for being ahead of the curve. Previous editions have consistently tackled topics before they entered the mainstream conversation. The fifth edition in 2024, for instance, focused on specific sectors like digital transformation, renewable energy, and agritech, attracting over two million views across social platforms and extending its influence beyond the conference hall.
Past discussions presciently explored the nuances of Fintech long before it dominated headlines. Panels moderated by Hussein El-Menawy delved into financial sustainability, consumer debt, and risk management, particularly examining the impact of inflation on the BNPL sector—a topic now at the heart of regulatory and strategic debates. Similarly, the forum highlighted the potential of B2B marketplaces and the rise of the used-goods market as a response to import challenges and price increases.
Shaping the 2026 Agenda
The sixth edition will continue this forward-looking approach, building on previous conversations to address the ecosystem’s most pressing questions: Where does technology create tangible value, and where does hype form a bubble?
Key themes will include Artificial Intelligence, viewed not as a buzzword but as a new operational layer redefining corporate productivity, customer experience, and product development. The event will also revisit BNPL and embedded finance, examining them within a more mature framework of data governance, risk management, and integration with financial services.
From Event to Ecosystem Platform
Hussein El-Menawy, Business Development Consultant and Director of Startup Grind Cairo, emphasized that the event’s purpose is to guide the ecosystem discourse. “‘Where are the Opportunities?’ was not designed as a traditional event, but as a platform to understand market transformations and anticipate real opportunities,” he stated, revealing ambitions to evolve the initiative into a leading content platform for Egypt’s startup scene, akin to global names like TechCrunch.
Mohamed Nagaty added that the event’s true impact lies in its ability to connect broad economic contexts with the daily operational decisions startups face. “The market has shifted focus from rapid growth to discipline and efficiency, which requires a constant re-evaluation of what actually works,” Nagaty said. “Our goal is to help founders and decision-makers distinguish between fleeting trends and sustainable, buildable opportunities.”
As it prepares for its sixth iteration, “Where are the Opportunities?” reinforces the message that the region’s ecosystem is now driven by data and experience, not just intuition. It remains a crucial annual space for maturing the right questions before the answers become obvious.
About Startup Grind Cairo
Startup Grind Cairo is the Cairo chapter of the global Startup Grind community, which is powered by Google for Startups. It is dedicated to educating, inspiring, and connecting entrepreneurs by hosting monthly events featuring successful local founders, innovators, educators, and investors who share their stories and lessons learned on the road to building great companies.
Source: Pioneers Misr
