Startups Without Borders is hosting the Refugee Launchpad final and networking event, in partnership with Save the Children Italy. The high-impact Networking Event will be held on May 22nd at Consoleya, in downtown Cairo. The event marks the culmination of the Refugee Launchpad Program, a powerful entrepreneurial incubation program that took 15 displaced Sudanese entrepreneurs based in Egypt, on a journey to expand and digitize their businesses through partnerships with 30+ key players in the Egyptian startup ecosystem.
By SWB Team
Launched in January 2025, the Refugee Launchpad Program was designed to equip refugee-led SMEs with the tools, networks, and confidence needed to thrive in Egypt’s competitive business ecosystem. Over the course of five months, the program brought together a diverse set of actors, from industry experts and mentors to leading private sector companies and ecosystem partners, to provide a comprehensive entrepreneurial experience tailored to the challenges and opportunities faced by displaced individuals.
Through one-on-one mentorship sessions of the program
The program engaged prominent partners in the Egyptian business ecosystem, including the American University in Cairo, RiseUp Summit, Entreprenelle, Wuilt, I Make This, Muqbis, The School of Fashion Management, F&B Summit, The Pillar Law Firm, and Trebuto.
The Sudanese entrepreneurs are graduates of Save the Children‘s economic empowerment programs and services provided in Egypt over the past 12 months, and developing their professional skills to allow them to launch their own projects.
During one of the program’s practical sessions — by Rokaya Abdel Rahim.
The event will celebrate the achievements of participating entrepreneurs, who achieved outstanding results: 80% of participants launched their e-commerce platforms and various entrepreneurs increased their monthly sales by 300%, while others saw a 740% rise in net profit. One of the entrepreneur, by learning functional strategies and cost-efficient methods, achieved an extraordinary 850% increase in net profit in only two months. Others expanded their customer base dramatically, reaching a 400% increase.These results reflect not only financial success but also the deep transformation in business and market skills.
Beyond training, the program immersed participants in Egypt’s thriving entrepreneurial ecosystem. Entrepreneurs attended flagship events such as She Can and the F&B Summit, engaging with industry leaders, showcasing their brands, and gaining firsthand experience of the larger startup landscape.
Nagem Eldin, an entrepreneur from the program, was at RiseUp 2025
Each entrepreneur now operates a business with a professional digital presence, using tools provided by program partners such as Wuilt, which supported website development, and Muqbis, through a dedicated product category to feature and sell their goods.
This remarkable journey will culminate in the Networking Event on May 22, designed not just as a closing celebration — but as a launchpad.
Bringing together over 25 partners of the program, the event will convene a powerful mix of entrepreneurship support organizations, government representatives, mentors, incubators, private sector companies, and investors — all with a vested interest in supporting refugee-led ventures. For the entrepreneurs, it’s a chance to stand on a new stage — not as trainees, but as peers. It’s an opportunity to forge lasting connections and explore collaborations.