Techne Summit (www.TechneSummit.com), the yearly international entrepreneurship and technology event that acts as a platform, including the main global players in the technology industry, will take place once again this year from the 30^th September till the 1^st of October 2017 in the Mediterranean City of Alexandria, Egypt, where the event once debuted, with the renowned slogan: “Technology. Innovation. Talent.” The two-day summit will include the main global players in the technology industry, namely: industry professionals as speakers, technology businesses, entrepreneurs and startups, investors, users and media representatives from around the world.

Since its launch in 2015 the event grew in magnitude and coverage, both internationally as well as across Egypt, with positive repercussions on the tourism in Egypt. The city of Alexandria, Egypt marks the beginning of the summit that has grown to include more than 1600 attendees, 80 speakers from across 20 countries, and now has extended across The Mediterranean to The Adriatic, where Techne Summit Croatia took place in Dubrovnik on the 6^th and 7^th of May 2017 and was supported by Her Excellency The President of Croatia Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović. Techne Drifts, the multiple local versions of the event, aiming to decentralize innovation and knowledge sharing throughout Egypt, took place across eight Egyptian governorates spreading to Upper Egypt, The Canal and The Delta. Attending Techne Drifts across Egypt were 1650 entrepreneurs, who participated in over 80 sessions and panel discussions by the 46 speakers present.

Techne Summit 2017 aims to bridge the gap between investors and potential entrepreneurs by capitalizing on the crucial role of the technology and communication sectors in the development process. The event helps startups grow in the Middle East & North Africa region by connecting them with investors and the resources needed to showcase their innovations, increase their products’ visibility and ultimately acquire funding for their businesses, all while increasing employment opportunities within the technology industry. The featured tracks of Techne Summit 2017 are namely: E-Commerce, FinTech, Marketing and Media Technology, Investment, Startup Academy, Tech Disruption, Shared Economy and Women Empowerment.

The Investment track at Techne Summit 2017 aims to promote direct investment in MENA startups by bringing together international investors, angel investor groups, venture capitals (VCs), economic development organizations as well as business accelerators and incubators through capacity building master classes and workshops as well as dedicated panels for investors. Participants, who will be both entry-level investors as well as established private and institutional investors, will gain valuable insight into investment strategies, hands-on growth tactics in the region, and access to up-to-date economic trends and resources. The two-day investment program is supported by The Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, and will feature business executives, government officials, and thought leaders.

Techne Summit 2017 will include a number of startup competitions (www.TechneSummit.com/#/startups) with over $1,000,000 in total prize value. Among the competitions this year will be The Seedstars Alexandria 2017 Startup Competition, powered by SeedStars World. The shortlisted startups will be selected to pitch for “The Most Promising Seed-stage Startup of Seedstars Alexandria 2017” and the winning startup will join the global Seedstars Family in taking part in the regional and global Seedstars Summits and one flight ticket for to travel to Switzerland to compete for over $1mn in investment. MO4 Network and its entrepreneurial platform, Startup Scene ME are the sponsors of the Media Technology Track at Techne Summit 2017. Through their competition they will support media startups by giving them the chance to pitch ideas in the realm of utilizing virtual reality (VR), Artificial Intelligence (AI), and social media for innovative storytelling, content marketing, entertainment and media communications. The winning startups will join the MO4 Media Incubation Program that offers prizes up to $10,000 in the form of services and mentorships.

Says Tarek El Kady, Techne Summit Founder, “Over the past two years we have been experiencing inspiring growth figures. The number of participants has doubled, so have the numbers of startups and international speakers involved. This astounding growth is a clear indicator of the thirst that existed for an event like Techne Summit, one that was the first of its kind in the region.” El Kady adds, “The knowledge sharing, networking opportunities, panel discussions, 1-to-1 meetings, fund raising possibilities, and international educational opportunities through startup competitions, that Techne Summit has created are unique to this event given its international nature and role as a leading event in the technology industry in the region.”

Mohamed El Dallal, Techne Summit Co-founder adds, “We have moved from thinking of Techne Summit as a single event to positioning it a brand that produces a highly positive impact on the technology industry in the region through spreading to various cities within Egypt as well as other countries in the region. The continuous success of Techne Summit is what pushes us to continue to collaborate with the best in the industry worldwide, working twice as hard year after year to match our growth figures, confidently optimistic that the Techne Summit 2017 will be once again another stepping stone for Techne Summit and the technology industry.”

Techne Summit 2017 will take place in the monumental Bibliotheca Alexandrina, a symbol of innovation and development built as to represent the ancient Alexandrina Bibliotheca burnt in 391 AD.

Tickets to Techne Summit 2017 are available online at https://TechneSummit.com/#/tickets. Visit the website to apply for Techne Summit 2017 Startup Competitions.