Proparco Invests $5M in DisrupTech to Fund Egyptian Fintech Startups

Proparco, a subsidiary of the French Development Agency, has announced a significant investment in DisrupTech Ventures, an early-stage venture capital fund. The $5 million investment will support the development of Egypt’s fintech sector and expand access to financial services in the country. DisrupTech Ventures aims to provide seed capital to up to 28 startups with a prime focus on financial technology services, and it has already raised $36 million from several investors, including Development Finance Institutions, Funds-of-funds, and Family offices.

This funding will be an essential source for Egyptian tech companies, which often struggle to raise capital to bring their innovations to the market. Moreover, with the current state of digital transformation and financial inclusion in Egypt, expanding access to financial services is of utmost importance. Despite the growth in the past few years, the amount of venture capital available in Egypt is just a quarter of the emerging market average.

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DisrupTech will not only provide capital but also advice and mentorship to the businesses it supports. The team at DisrupTech adopts a hands-on approach from the very beginning, partnering with talented entrepreneurs to transform their vision into reality. DisrupTech Ventures has already become one of the leading early-stage investors in Egypt, and its company-building track record and domain-specific expertise bring much-needed support to young companies in the region.

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Source: Supplied

Proparco’s investment in DisrupTech is part of its Venture Capital program, which has invested over €120m in African early-stage companies and venture capital funds since 2020. The investment will support the emergence of a dynamic venture capital industry to back African entrepreneurs, aligning with Proparco’s strategy to maximize impacts and finance innovation.

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Françoise Lombard, Chief Executive Officer at Proparco, said that partnering with DisrupTech Ventures is in line with Proparco’s strategy to maximize impacts and finance innovation, fostering the emergence of a dynamic venture capital industry to back African entrepreneurs. Mohamed Okasha, Managing Partner from DisrupTech Ventures, said that Egypt is full of bright, talented founders who often cannot secure the capital they need to expand their businesses, adding that the investment will contribute to Egypt’s growth by supporting entrepreneurs and increasing access to financial services.

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Charles Rapulu Udoh

Charles Rapulu Udoh is a Lagos-based lawyer, who has several years of experience working in Africa’s burgeoning tech startup industry. He has closed multi-million dollar deals bordering on venture capital, private equity, intellectual property (trademark, patent or design, etc.), mergers and acquisitions, in countries such as in the Delaware, New York, UK, Singapore, British Virgin Islands, South Africa, Nigeria etc. He’s also a corporate governance and cross-border data privacy and tax expert. 
As an award-winning writer and researcher, he is passionate about telling the African startup story, and is one of the continent’s pioneers in this regard

Egyptian VC Disruptech Raises New Funding From AXIAN Group

Disruptech Egypt Fund I (“Disruptech”) is a venture-capital fund committed to strengthening Egypt’s financial technologies (“Fintech”) ecosystem by financing start-ups and fostering an increasing number of enterprises in adjacent areas that are speeding financial inclusion. From seed-round investments through scaling and eventual growth, the fund supports these startups. The fund manager’s dedication to fostering the growth of Egypt’s nascent fintech industry matches with its larger mission to increase access to financial services throughout the country, thereby increasing financial inclusion and promoting economic growth in Egypt.

Managing Partner of Disruptech is Mohamed Okasha
Managing Partner of Disruptech, Mohamed Okasha

Disruptech and the AXIAN group both believe that fintech can bring to market efficient social problem-solving solutions. AXIAN s dedication to Disruptech exemplifies its approach, which claims that innovations and disruptive technology may improve the lives of individuals. 

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This investment aligns perfectly with the AXIAN group’s purpose to grow within the digital economy by promoting innovation-as-a-service to the communities it serves and by making new inventive solutions more available to the general public. The relationship between AXIAN and Disruptech will build a platform to explore synergies between its brands and start-ups in the Egyptian fintech and digital economy. 

AXIAN is already present in various African nations.

“We are happy to be working with Axian. Too often, Egypt’s brilliant and skilled entrepreneurs are unable to get the funds necessary to build their firms. This fund is intended to change that and encourage the growth of the fintech/fintech-enabled sector in Egypt,” The Managing Partner of Disruptech is Mohamed Okasha

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“The Egyptian economy is among the fastest-growing markets in Africa. It is evidence of the talent and tenacity that are so fundamental to the African soul. Through this investment, AXIAN expresses its support for firms that push the limits of technology, reinvent themselves, or adapt the technology of today to meet the challenges of the future. In this manner, we may continue to establish bridges for the exchange of skills and innovations that promote broader financial inclusion throughout Africa,” Hassanein Hiridjee, CEO of the AXIAN group said.

Disruptech Axian Group Disruptech Axian Group

Charles Rapulu Udoh

Charles Rapulu Udoh is a Lagos-based lawyer, who has several years of experience working in Africa’s burgeoning tech startup industry. He has closed multi-million dollar deals bordering on venture capital, private equity, intellectual property (trademark, patent or design, etc.), mergers and acquisitions, in countries such as in the Delaware, New York, UK, Singapore, British Virgin Islands, South Africa, Nigeria etc. He’s also a corporate governance and cross-border data privacy and tax expert. 
As an award-winning writer and researcher, he is passionate about telling the African startup story, and is one of the continent’s pioneers in this regard. You can book a session and speak with him using the link: https://insightsbyexperts.com/view_expert/charles-rapulu-udoh

Disruptech Backs Egyptian Ecommerce Platform For Mums, Mumerz.com, In $1.2m Round

Mumerz.com, an Egypt-based support network and E-commerce website for mums and their children, has raised $1.2 million in its Pre-Seed round, which was headed by local fund Disruptech.

“We believe that the mother, baby, and child online vertical is underserved in Egypt,” according to Amir Shenouda, Founder and Managing Partner at mumerz.com. The key to that is in delivering an optimal customer experience with a wide range of mother-baby and child products at affordable prices.”

The Egypt-based firm will be able to use the funds to expand its market share in Egypt and beyond, as well as enhance its online platform with more diverse offerings and content.

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Why The Investor Invested

The founders have garnered considerable experience in the industry. Amir Shenouda and Nadia Gamal El Din, the founder of Rahet Bally, co-founded the company. Amir has 22 years of experience in the mother and child products industry as well as e-commerce. He’s worked at Hamley’s, Toys R Us, Cartoon Network, Mumzworld, Souq, and Amazon, among other places. Nadia brings a wealth of experience in the Mums Support Community to the founding team. Nadia launched the well-known Rahet Bally in 2015, which provides financial, physical, intellectual, and social support to over 1.9 million active Egyptian mothers. Nadia uses her skills and experience as a co-founder when it comes to Egyptian Mums’ problems and requirements.

Mohamed Okasha — Managing Partner at Disruptech
Mohamed Okasha — Managing Partner at Disruptech

“We are excited to lead the investment round for Mumerz. We believe that Mumerz will grow into one of Egypt’s leading femtech platforms, offering unique products and services to Egypt’s community of mothers. We will be working closely with Mumerz to expand its offering to customized financial services, helping to support increased opportunities for financial inclusion of women in Egypt,” Mohamed Okasha — Managing Partner at Disruptech said. 

A Look At What The Startup Does

Mumerz.com, which was founded in 2021, is a parent and kid community platform as well as a one-stop online shop for all parent and child needs. From pregnancy to the age of 12, Egypt’s largest multilingual community and e-commerce platform caters to the needs of every parent and child. Mumerz.com attempts to fill the information, advice, and products gaps that parents and children require. The platform features a blog with articles on a wide range of topics connected to pregnancy, childbirth, and Mum & childcare, as well as an integration with Egypt’s largest parent and child e-commerce platform. Customers at Mumerz.com may expect next-day delivery due to the large motherhood gap in Egypt’s online market and the time it takes for general merchandisers to deliver. Parents benefit from a smooth experience where an advising staff assists them in selecting the best things for their children at market pricing.

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Mumerz.com is the only company of its sort to promise exponential development in the femtech industry. The internet platform provides a wealth of information, advice, and products. The parent and child e-commerce platform offers a wide variety of products, including diapers, baby gear, toys, fashion, skin care, and vitamins, as well as free gift wrapping, personalized cards, and gift lists. Mumerz.com also provides value-added material for moms on its blog and Mums Mag, which is handled by Rahet Bally and includes direct links to products on the e-commerce platform.

“Mumerz.com acts as a natural continuation to Rahet Bally’s motherhood support services and allows us to serve millions of our moms who already trust us, daily consume our content, use our discount services & come to our fitness facilities. Mumerz.com also capitalizes on Rahet Bally’s massive insights on exactly what moms need as well as a seasoned advisory team that recommend what’s the best product fit for each mom’s needs based on Rahet Bally’s reviews across all product categories,” Nadia Gamal El Din, Founder at Mumerz.com and Rahet Bally said.

Mumerz.com mums Mumerz.com mums