Egypt’s first Social Innovation Incubator was launched to empower startups tackling gender-based violence (GBV), FGM, and women’s rights challenges through entrepreneurial solutions.
Innovety was tasked with designing the incubator’s operational and business model, managing its first incubation cycle, and guiding startups through mentorship, KPI frameworks, and impact monitoring, in alignment with our Socioeconomic Development Strategy service.
The program supported mission-driven entrepreneurs—from apps addressing harassment to community-based solutions for GBV prevention—equipping them with the tools to build viable businesses with strong social impact.
By the end of the cycle, the incubator created a new pipeline of social startups, positioning UNFPA and national partners to scale Egypt’s response to gender equality challenges through innovation and entrepreneurship.
Egypt faces persistent challenges in advancing gender equality and reducing gender-based violence (GBV), including female genital mutilation (FGM), harassment, and systemic discrimination. While civil society initiatives and national programs existed, few mechanisms linked youth entrepreneurship with social change, leaving impactful ideas without the support needed to scale.
UNFPA sought to pioneer a Social Innovation Incubator to nurture startups that integrate social causes with business models, ensuring solutions could achieve both sustainability and measurable impact. Minya Governorate in Upper Egypt—where GBV prevalence is among the highest—was selected as the pilot site.
Innovety worked with UNFPA and partners to design the incubator’s operational and business model, ensuring it could address both social impact and financial sustainability. The model integrated selection criteria tailored to GBV- and women’s rights-focused startups, and a structured cycle spanning outreach, capacity building, mentorship, and pitch events.
The team mapped stakeholders in family planning, reproductive health, and gender-based violence, and identified key challenges through desk and field research. Using UNFPA’s criteria, Innovety co-led the application process, filtering ideas for mission alignment and potential scalability.
Selected startups received hands-on training in design thinking, social business modeling, and impact measurement, alongside one-to-one mentorship. Innovety ensured participants had access to both technical and physical support—from prototyping facilities to expert coaches.
Innovety introduced KPI frameworks to track performance, impact, and sustainability. Continuous monitoring and feedback loops helped entrepreneurs refine their concepts and prepare investment-ready roadmaps.
The program culminated in a final pitch event, where startups showcased prototypes and business plans before a panel including UNFPA, investors, and potential implementers. This connected founders with critical partners to sustain and scale their impact.
