Creative, sustainable, beneficial and profitable: these are the main four characteristics Injaz young entrepreneurs focused their efforts on in making their products.
Injaz will hold a competition on 24 September called “Dare to Dream: Empowering Egypt’s Young Entrepreneurs in 2011,” in which the top 21 teams from 11 Egyptian universities will participate in a trade fair. In it they will compete for ten seed funds from corporations such as Mobinil, Exxon Mobil and Abraaj. The funds will provide them with the wherewithal to start their own businesses.
Here is a list of the participating companies and a hint about their innovative attempts to create the most valuable products.
1) Axology:
Axology is a rising enterprise maneuvering in retail, business to business, and business to customer directions in sales and distribution, providing a variety of high quality products to end-users in addition to practical and cost-efficient tailored solutions for corporations.
A car bin, a light pad for books and mobile pouches are the products that Axology have come up with for the competition. “Go Glow” is a transparent pad that is put on book’s pages and emits light. Hossam Ehab, its CEO, said his team is the first to introduce this kind of book accessory in Egypt.
2) Bara2a:
Bara2a company’s name is inspired by the type of clients whom it is targeting. The project is managed by Cairo University students who produce scientific toys aiming to develop Egyptian student thinking.
3) Basata:
Basata hit the market seven months ago with a simple yet creative product called “T-shirt folder,” produced by 25 pharmacy students at Cairo University. “We have already produced more than 2000 pieces in the first phase with colorful designs to encourage children to be organized at a young age and help their mothers,” said Ahmed Hussein, its CEO.
Hussein added that going through the different stages of manufacturing process gave him and his team real experience. “We have learned how to form a real company, deal with traders, reach compromise on the best price, and draw up an efficient marketing plan.”
4) Basmety:
Basmety goes all out to reinforce Egyptian culture and identity among the youth by launching images by young Egyptian artists of Egyptian culture and its iconic figures through a line of trendy apparel. These fresh pictures of Egypt's creative industries appeal to the state of mind young Egyptians here and now.
5) Diamond:
Diamond company publishes “The Way”, a magazine that helps young people determine their future career through useful information about the required qualifications for various work fields. Also, the magazine offers professional guidance on how to develop skills to deal in the labor market in a competitive way.
“We just launched our zero edition on Thursday at Cairo University, Sawy Cultural Wheel, Adam Soft Skills company and other youth spots, as we are targeting undergraduates,” said Ahmed Mostafa, Diamond CEO. The 23 Cairo University students are planning to launch an online edition in the near future widen their reader base.
6) Business Innovation Group (BIG):
BIG aims to be a leading company in the field of ergonomic products. “Our eco-friendly and ergonomic solutions will improve our quality of life and help preserve our environment, creating a better, happier, pain-free life,” said Mahmoud al-Shobary, CEO.
7) Al-Sherka Al-Handsya:
The company’s project is a security system including three levels of security according to client and market needs. “There are many control options in our project for enabling fully and remotely controlling our system with perfect efficiency and ease of use for the customer,” said Nashwa, the CEO.
8) Enter Talents:
Enter Talents organizes entertainment events to unleash talented people by helping them focus their energy. It wants to be the main source of talented people.
9) Gadgets:
“Sheel phone” is Gadgets’ simple, practical product. It is a mobile holder that can be kept in your pocket or hung on the wall while charging. Mohamed Abdel Mohsen, CEO, said that “Sheel phone” can also be used for any chargeable electric devices including iPods, cameras and MP3 players to keep them safe and out of children’s reach.
10) Ibtekar
Ibtekar provides houseware with a modernized Arabic style. Reviving Arab heritage and a sense of owning our culture is embodied in Ibtekar’s products. Its aesthetics distinguish its houseware from others on the market.
11) Infinite inspiring innovations (III):
III produces eye-glass cleaner. “Our vision is to reach with an Egyptian product to international standards of quality, which qualify it to compete in global markets,” said Ezz el Din Adel.
12) Imagineers:
“We wanted to come up with a useful and innovative idea that encourages people to read and creates a small library without taking up too much space,” said Mostafa Waheid, Imagineers CEO, explaining the product “Zero-Gravity.” “It is a hidden shelf that makes your books look as if they are floating on the wall. It is due to a small embedded shelf linked to the main one.”
13) Karizma
Karizma is smallscale company managed by a group of Cairo University students, working on mobile attachments and services depending on market needs, contributing to social development. Laptop holders, paper recycling, mobile charger holders and bluetooth calls are among Karizma’s products.
14) NOON:
NOON is a Start-up company aiming to enrich customers’ lives through unique designs inspired by our culture and valuable products, including a car bin.
15) Recyclobekia:
Recyclobekia is an e-wasting recycling company. “We are increasing our national income in a way that protects Egypt’s environment by recycling old electronic and computer devices in big factories outside Egypt,” said Mostafa Ahmed, the CEO.
16) Simpion:
Simpion is a student company with innovative products such as Grabit, iCan and 3D glasses.
Amr Ahmed, the CEO, said Grabit eases the pressure on the bloodflow in your hands when you're holding too many bags while shopping. “The idea was received with great enthusiasm and good profits, which pushed us to produce our second product, iCan.” iCan is a pouch for maintaining the temperature of hot or cold beverages. “We will introduce some more modifications to iCan in the next production phase to realize customer satisfaction,” Ahmed said.
Simpion is also planning the first “made-in-Egypt” 3D eyeglasses at very reasonable prices. “I believe the 3D eyeglasses will prove to be a great success as we will sell them for LE5 instead of LE15, with high quality and new models.”
17) Whiteeth:
The idea of this youth group from different backgrounds has become the dream of defying the impossible. They have reached their goal of achieving what was not achievable by combining a toothbrush with toothpaste in an innovative way.
18) Soletrik:
Soletrik is a growing company introducing the most cost-efficient solar products to the Egyptian market. “Our main aim is to see Egypt a "green nation," and we are concerned with providing products that will make a difference in the lives of our customers,” said Mohamed Hisham, CEO.
The 24 Helwan University students have introduced a solar charger that turns solar energy into electric. “It is an environmentally friendly device that can charge any mobiles, cameras, remote controls, etc. working on double A or triple A rechargeable batteries,” Hisham said.
19) We Generate:
We Generate is another company that has taken into consideration the importance of turning Egypt into a “green nation” through producing products that generate electricity by converting mechanical energy or any form of energy to electricity. Their first product was simple, portable mobile phone chargers operating manually.
20) Idea Factory:
Idea Factory company is run by a group of Ain Shams University students who aspire to products such as laptop holder with affordable prices and high quality.
21) Unusual Egypt:
Unusual Egypt has a tourism website, with same name as the company, providing detailed information about unique tourist attractions customized to visitors’ requirements.
“The problem is most foreigners think that Egypt only comprises the pyramids and sphinx, unaware of its other magnificent tourist treasures,” said Mohamed Ramadan, CEO.
The website is divided into three main sections: Cairo guide, civilization program, and "pick your days." Besides a wide selection of ancient monuments, entertainment spots and popular markets, “We aim to open foreigners’ eyes to our country’s different civilizations including Coptic, Islamic, and modern Egypt, not the Pharaonic era only,” Ramadan said.
