Dalia Ibrahim Honored by AUC Venture Lab for Her Entrepreneurship and Innovation Leadership

The American University in Cairo's Entrepreneurship Center (AUC Venture Lab) has honored Dalia Ibrahim, founder and chairperson of EdVentures, with the AUC Venture Lab award. This recognition celebrates her extensive contributions to supporting entrepreneurship, empowering startups, and helping develop the innovation ecosystem in Egypt and the broader region. The AUC Venture Lab, one of the most prominent university business accelerators in the region, grants this award to individuals who have played an influential role in supporting entrepreneurs, fostering innovation, and contributing to building a more sustainable startup ecosystem. This honor reflects Dalia Ibrahim's journey in leading unique initiatives that blend education, entrepreneurship, and human capital development. She spearheaded the transformation of Nahdet Misr Group into an integrated system for educational solutions. In 2017, she also founded EdVentures, the first corporate venture capital firm specializing in education technology (EdTech) in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. EdVentures adopts a model that goes beyond traditional investment. It supports startups through investment, strategic mentorship, building partnerships, and providing market access opportunities. This approach helps build a comprehensive innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem in Egypt, Africa, and the Middle East. Dalia Ibrahim, founder and chairperson of EdVentures, commented, "This recognition holds special value for me because it comes from AUC Venture Lab, one of the institutions that has played a pivotal role in the evolution of Egypt's entrepreneurship ecosystem." She added, "With the rapid transformations in education and the job market, our responsibility now extends beyond just investing in startups to building ecosystems that empower entrepreneurs to innovate, grow, and achieve sustainable impact." She continued, "I believe that building strong entrepreneurship ecosystems starts with empowering people. When entrepreneurs have knowledge, opportunity, and support networks, they become more capable of building companies that create lasting economic and social impact. I extend my sincere thanks to AUC Venture Lab for this appreciation." This recognition comes just a few weeks after EdVentures won the 'Global Investor of the Year 2026' award at the Global Startup Awards, following its previous titles as 'Best Investor' across MENA and Africa. The company was chosen from over 70,000 applicants representing 62 countries. This honor acknowledges its role in building innovation ecosystems and supporting entrepreneurs who develop impactful solutions in education and human capital development. Since its establishment, EdVentures has supported over 108 startups and invested in 29 companies operating in more than 25 countries. The solutions developed by these companies have reached tens of millions of learners and helped create over 52,000 job opportunities, truly embodying the company's mission to empower entrepreneurs who innovate solutions for the future of education, employment, and lifelong learning.