Cairo– ExxonMobil Egypt continues to support youth for the third year in a row by celebrating five pioneering teams participating in this year's Innovation and Entrepreneurship Challenge "Ed-Tech Challenge", in cooperation with the business incubator "GESR", affiliated with Misr El-Kheir Foundation’s scientific research and innovation sector. This round aims to transform pioneering ideas relying on advanced technologies into viable prototypes that contribute to innovative educational solutions.

During the graduation ceremony held in Cairo today, the five teams were presented their projects in the presence of Eng. Youssef Hafez, Board Member and Public & Government Affairs Manager of ExxonMobil Egypt, Dr. Nagwa El Sayed, Head of the Scientific Research and Innovation Sector at Misr El Kheir Foundation, and Eng. Amal Mobadda, Chief Fundraising Officer – Fundraising Sector, Misr El-Kheir Foundation, along with representatives from both organizations and over 60 other distinguished guests.

In its third edition, the "Ed-Tech Challenge" implemented by the GESR incubator of the Misr El-Kheir Foundation, is funded with support from ExxonMobil Egypt. Within the initiative, participating teams received both technical training and financial support. Subsequently, five pioneering teams from various governorates were selected for developing innovative ideas with a societal impact. They received direct funding, along with technical training and mentorship to help transform their ideas into market-ready prototypes.

Within this context, Eng. Youssef Hafez, stated: "Our partnership with Misr El-Kheir Foundation is built on a shared belief in the power of investing in youth and fostering innovation and entrepreneurship as a vital element in driving community development. Every edition of GESR Challenge showcases outstanding ideas and projects, reinforcing our dedication to this strategic partnership. This year, our focus on educational technology is particularly exciting, as it offers opportunities to create sustainable solutions for our communities. We are committed to supporting these young innovators as they strive to achieve their goals on ground."

In this regard, Dr. Nagwa El Sayed, Head of the Scientific Research Sector at Misr El-Kheir Foundation, pointed: “The social challenge for innovation and entrepreneurship brought by Misr El-Kheir Foundation in collaboration with ExxonMobil Egypt aims to provide financial support and training courses covering various aspects that combine innovation and entrepreneurship. This initiative helps entrepreneurs implement their prototypes, establish startups, and prepare them for pitching ideas to investors seeking access to Egyptian startups with profitability and societal impact, ensuring their growth and sustainability. The applications for the Edtech Challenge started where more than 80 ideas were received, which were filtered down to 20 teams to join the training camp, and finally, 5 teams reached the final stage.”

She continued: "Within the framework of this challenge, the five teams developed innovative projects in the field of ed-tech, where the Anatomy Lab team worked to revolutionize medical education by integrating an immersive surgical training through advanced VR technology. The Deaf Talk team created an innovative wearable device that enables people with hearing disabilities to communicate easily by converting hand gestures into speech and audible speech into written texts. Meanwhile, the Noxed team focused on transforming curricula into engaging interactive games for students through storytelling. The 3D Nursing team introduced two VR-based training solutions for nursing students, each tailored to specific budgets and desired levels of interactivity. Lastly, the team of Sela Techno developed high-quality virtual reality glasses, and a 3D application powered by AI to display informative 3D videos."

On her part, Eng. Amal Mobadda, said: "Our partnership with ExxonMobil Egypt is a testament to our shared commitment to building a better future. By investing in education and technology, we are committed to providing sustainable solutions for our community. Today, we celebrate the remarkable achievements of these teams and look forward to a bright future for educational technology in Egypt."

Since 2021, ExxonMobil Egypt has partnered with Misr El-Kheir Foundation in a three-year strategic initiative aiming to engage young entrepreneurs and innovators across various fields. Together, they launched the "Innovation and Entrepreneurship Challenge," which has been held in two editions: the first focused on energy and the environment, while the second targeted water and agri-businesses. This third edition brought "educational technology" sector to the previous ones and is concluded with this graduation ceremony. This collaboration between ExxonMobil Egypt and the Misr El-Kheir Foundation is a pioneering evidence of how public-private partnerships can create lasting positive impact.

About ExxonMobil Egypt:

ExxonMobil Egypt is a leading provider of high-quality lubricants and fuels and has a wide network of convenience retail shops and centers. ExxonMobil Egypt has around 400 service centers under “Mobil” brand, more than 240 service centers for Mobil 1 and Mobil Autocare, in addition to more than 45 “On the Run” and “Way to Go” branches. Supported by two lubricant blending manufacturers in Alexandria and the 10th of Ramadan, ExxonMobil Egypt offers a diversified range of industrial products, lubricant solutions, and services, in Egypt and more than 40 countries in Africa, the Middle East, Europe, America, and the Far East. Since 2019, ExxonMobil Egypt has resumed its interest and operations in exploration and drilling in Egypt and in the Eastern Mediterranean, by owning a franchise for gas exploration and drilling. ExxonMobil Egypt builds on a rich history that began about 120 years ago, starting with the registration of Vacuum Oil Company (Mobil) in 1902. ExxonMobil Egypt is committed to participating in many community initiatives related to education, development, and women, serving different sectors and groups in Egyptian society.

About GESR Misr El-Kheir:

GESR Misr El Kheir is a technological business incubator affiliated to the Scientific Research and Innovation Sector of the Misr El-Kheir Foundation. It aims to solve Egypt’s social challenges in the field of energy, water, health, food and agricultural crops, and education, by supporting entrepreneurs, innovators, and startup companies through three pillars:

- Helping entrepreneurs transform initial ideas into prototypes.

- Helping startups turn prototypes into finished products.

- Connecting incubated companies with investors.

The Gesr Misr El Kheir Incubator succeeded in providing 10 pre-incubation programs, through which more than 1,800 applicants from 13 governorates applied, and 59 startups were incubated, including 10 startups that obtained investments and provided more than 650 job opportunities. It also succeeded in providing 5 pre-incubation courses and 11 social challenges in which more than 1,200 applicants took part, and more than 65 innovative product prototypes were reached.