Now [1]
Flat6Labs Accelerates Entrepreneurship In Egypt
By Edwin Rios
|February 11, 2013

In the aftermath of the Arab Spring, a different kind of grassroots revolution has begun. Entrepreneurship in Cairo has thrived over the past two years, says Ramez Mohamed, CEO of Flat6Labs [2], a Cairo-based startup accelerator. He explains that Egypt's youth feel empowered to make a difference, one venture at a time. These are five of Flat6Labs's most promising startups and the challenges they're tackling.
EKSHEF [3]
With an Arabic-only platform and Yelp-like rating system, the service enables Egyptians to search, review, and recommend doctors from its directory.
Why: The country has more than 75,000 health care clinics, but it's hard for patients to find the right physician.
NAFHAM [4]
The service condenses the country's public school curriculum into online, crowdsourced lessons that users can vote up or down based on quality. Its staff also produces video content.
Why: Egypt's rising population is putting a squeeze on classroom space.
ESHTERY [5]
The utility lets users shop by scanning QR codes on signs around town and having items delivered. CEO Mohammad Shaaban was inspired by Home plus [6], a supermarket that offers a similar service in South Korea.
Why: It's hard to buy groceries if you work two hours from the market.
FEKRA2 [7]
Launching in March, Fekra2 will feature a site called SolverMine.com [8], where businesses can request innovative solutions to their problems. Users with winning ideas will receive perks.
Why: A high youth-unemployment rate means lots of talent remains untapped.
OGRA [9]
A mobile app, a la Uber, connects passengers with reliable drivers.
Why: With social tensions spilling onto the street, dependable public transportation can be hard to find.
