Arabnet Arabnet

The Middle East Angel Investment Network (MAIN) is a regional network of angel investors, networks, and funds focused on promoting investment in startups across the MENA region. It has announced the launch of the 1st Annual Summit which will be held in El Gouna on the 1^st and 2^nd of November 2018.

Earlier this year, the Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Internationale Zussamenarbeit (GIZ), on behalf of the German government, entered into an agreement with MAIN to offer technical, administrative and financial support over the coming 2 years.

MAIN has also partnered with Orascom Development (ODE) which has agreed to host the inaugural summit for MAIN in ODE’s flagship town, El Gouna. It is the first destination in Africa and the Arab Region to be awarded the Global Green City Award by the United Nations Environment Program.

The Summit will bring together leading angel investors, venture capital firms, and industry experts to talk about the latest industry developments in FinTech, CleanTech, HealthTech, and TransportTech; it will also provide 3 separate tracks of masterclasses that will target beginner, intermediate, and advanced angel investors.

Aly El Shalakany, Chairman of MAIN, said, “We are very pleased to have launched MAIN and are able to host the 1^st annual summit in El Gouna. Apart from the support and commitment of our primary partners, GIZ and ODE, turning this dream into a reality would not have been possible without the generosity and dedication of the entire leading angel investing groups, VCs, and accelerators in the region, as well as the support of all of our education, location, media, and transportation partners”.

Khaled Bichara, CEO of Orascom Development, said, “For all Orascom Development projects, whether in Egypt or abroad, we aim to bolster and host events which serve as pioneering platforms for various fields including culture, sports, or economic industries. This is a means for us to maintain the sustainability of our projects, give back to the community and offer more to our residents.”