• RiseUp, A15 and BitRoot have launched the first NVIDIA SIGNALS event in Egypt, introducing local AI founders to NVIDIA's global startup ecosystem through an inaugural session held at the Grand Egyptian Museum.
• Led by Basil Fateen, NVIDIA's Head of Startups and VC for the Middle East and Africa, the event explored emerging AI trends, the NVIDIA Inception programme, and investor expectations for AI startups, alongside discussions with founders from Intella, Valify Solutions, Paymob, and Bluworks.
• The initiative marks the beginning of a recurring programme in Egypt that will connect AI entrepreneurs with NVIDIA's technical expertise, GPU resources, strategic partnerships, investors, and the wider NVIDIA Inception network.

Press release:

On July 14, 2026, Egyptian AI builders got a first-of-its-kind chance to engage directly with NVIDIA in one of Egypt’s most historic spaces—the Grand Egyptian Museum. A culmination of the partnership between RiseUp, A15, and BitRoot, the first-ever NVIDIA SIGNALS session in Egypt put local founders in front of NVIDIA's technical teams, its regional Inception startups, and the investors who back these fledgling AI companies. 

“Egypt’s AI ecosystem is growing rapidly. Through NVIDIA SIGNALS, we’re helping founders access the knowledge, partnerships, and opportunities they need to compete globally.” Stated Abdelhameed Sharara, Founder and CEO of RiseUp 

The session was led by Basil Fateen, Head of Startups and VC, Middle East and Africa at NVIDIA, who broke the conversation into three threads: what NVIDIA's internal teams are seeing next in AI, what regional NVIDIA Inception startups have already learned building on NVIDIA's stack, and what investors are currently screening for in AI companies. An open Q&A followed, walking founders through how to join NVIDIA Inception and the benefits provided through the program’s membership: GPU credits, technical training, and go-to-market support, among others. 

The day continued with a panel moderated by Fateen, featuring Omar Mansour (CTO, Intella), Omar Abdelwahed (Co-Founder and CEO, Valify Solutions), Moustafa Menessy (Co-Founder and CTO, Paymob), and Farah Osman (CEO & COO, Bluworks) — four operators already building inside this ecosystem—talking through what it takes to give a look at how founders are building. 

“We’re seeing strong momentum from AI founders across the Middle East and Africa, and Egypt is home to a growing startup community applying AI to meaningful challenges,” said Basil Fateen, head of Startups and VC, Middle East and Africa at NVIDIA. “By bringing NVIDIA SIGNALS to Egypt, we’re helping founders access the technology, expertise and global NVIDIA Inception ecosystem they need to accelerate development and turn ambitious ideas into real-world impact.” 

The session marked the start of recurring events and activities in Egypt, giving RiseUp, A15, and BitRoot a platform to position this local chapter as a standing bridge between Egyptian talent and NVIDIA's global startup network. Future sessions will bring in more

NVIDIA partners, spotlight companies already shipping with NVIDIA's tools, and grow the community to reach more founders and builders across the region. 

Together, all four partners are building toward a straightforward thesis: the technical capability is already here. What's been missing is the access — to frontier tools, to the right investors, to people who've solved the same problems a step ahead. Bringing NVIDIA SIGNALS to Egypt is an attempt to close that gap, with a commitment to doing so consistently.