Nermine Tahoun: Startup Investments in Egypt Exceed $845 Million in One Year
Dr. Nermine Tahoun, Founder & Managing Partner of Tahoun Law Firm, participated in a distinguished panel discussion titled “The Role of Entrepreneurs in Global Leadership” during the sixth edition of the International Women Summit, held today at the Nile Ritz-Carlton in Cairo. The summit brought together an elite group of female leaders and decision-makers from around the world.
During the session, Dr. Tahoun emphasized that entrepreneurship is no longer just a conventional career path but has become a major engine driving economic and social development. She highlighted how innovation-driven business environments are critical to building resilient economies that can withstand global challenges. Entrepreneurs, she noted, play a pivotal role in developing creative solutions that meet the needs of fast-evolving markets, thus enhancing economic sustainability and unlocking new growth opportunities.
Tahoun also shared her experience in developing innovative digital solutions for the legal services sector, particularly through the T-SMART application — an advanced step toward digital transformation in legal consultancy. The platform facilitates easier and more efficient access to legal services for companies and entrepreneurs, underscoring the importance of merging technological innovation with a supportive legal framework to streamline business operations.
She further shed light on the significant progress Egypt’s entrepreneurship ecosystem has witnessed in recent years, pointing out that Egypt topped the Middle East and North Africa region in terms of the number of startup investment deals in 2023, with Egyptian startups attracting over $845 million in investments — a strong indication of global investors’ growing confidence in the local market.
While official reports detailing Egypt’s startup investment volume for 2024 are yet to be released, Tahoun noted that economic indicators suggest a remarkable improvement in the investment climate during the year. In fact, private investments in Egypt surpassed public investments for the second consecutive quarter by the end of 2024, accounting for more than half of the country’s total investments. Private sector investments recorded an impressive 35.4% growth compared to the previous year, while public sector investments declined by 25.7%, marking a significant shift in Egypt’s economic landscape.
Tahoun also pointed out that Egypt’s entrepreneurship sector continues to experience accelerated annual growth, reaching nearly 16% in recent years. This positive trajectory reflects the government’s ongoing efforts to enhance the legislative and regulatory frameworks that foster entrepreneurship. Globally, she highlighted, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and startups are responsible for approximately 70% of new job creation, underlining the vital role entrepreneurship plays in boosting economic growth and generating sustainable employment.
Concluding her remarks, Tahoun stressed that a supportive legal environment remains the cornerstone for cultivating a thriving entrepreneurial ecosystem in Egypt — particularly as the market increasingly embraces smart digital solutions, which have been shown in recent studies to improve organizational efficiency by more than 40% in countries that have adopted clear digital transformation strategies.
Dr. Tahoun’s participation comes as part of the International Women Summit’s ongoing mission to spotlight inspiring and influential women leaders who are shaping the future of innovation and entrepreneurship, and to highlight the significant role of women in advancing sustainable development both locally and globally.
