Arab Finance: Companies Creating Change (C3), a leading impact accelerator in the Middle East and Africa (MEA), continues to drive meaningful change by empowering startups to innovate solutions that address critical social and environmental challenges. Since its founding, C3 has supported over 366 startups aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals, boasting a remarkable 96% survival rate.

In this exclusive interview, Medea Nocentini, Founder of C3, shares insights on the company’s recent B Corp certification, its focus on impact investing, and the evolving startup ecosystem in Egypt and the wider MENA region.

1- Congratulations on achieving B Corp certification! What motivated C3 to pursue this certification, and how does it align with your mission to create social and environmental impact?

B Corp certification reflects C3’s commitment to continuous improvement, leadership in global change, and deepening social and environmental impact. Achieving this status strengthens our efforts to set new standards and amplify impact for our clients, partners, and accelerated startups.

Since 2012, we have accelerated over 366 startups, with a 96% survival rate, all contributing to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Through partnerships with HSBC, Accenture, Standard Chartered, Emirates Global Aluminum, and Dubai Multi Commodities Centre, we design programs empowering entrepreneurs to drive meaningful innovation and investment toward lasting change.

These efforts have advanced our impact agenda, driven meaningful action, and equipped innovators to maximize investment and steer innovation towards lasting change.

2- C3 has made significant strides in the regional impact investing scene. What specific impact goals does C3 aim to achieve, and which key sectors do you focus on?

The MEA region is home to 24% of the global population, yet faces persistent gaps in access to essential services, ranging from food and finance to education and healthcare. These challenges present a market opportunity for impact-driven enterprises that leapfrog legacy infrastructure and combine purpose with profit, driving economic inclusion and growth.

At Global Ventures and C3, our impact focus centers on sectors critical to MENA’s sustainable development: climate action, financial inclusion, and enhanced healthcare access, all in line with the SDGs. Global Ventures invests in founders tackling regional challenges on a scale. C3 has established a platform that connects startups, corporates, governments, investors, and experts.

Our support for startups, such as DesertControl, Ostaz, Kanjo Health, and Sav, enables innovation to address environmental, social, and economic challenges. We aim to expand our programs into new geographies, strengthen partnerships, and keep driving industry transformation. Bridging funding and market access will remain a core priority as we engage new investors and experts to advance startups.

3- From C3's perspective, what are some of the key economic factors that will influence the success of startups in Egypt and the MENA region?

Several key economic factors will influence the success of startups in Egypt and the MENA region. In venture capital, the second quarter (Q2) of 2025 was particularly strong, with VC funding in MENA reaching $898 million. This presented a 38% increase from Q1 2025’s $678 million, marking the highest quarterly total since early 2023. Growing interest from international investors is driving a more diverse funding landscape for startups.

The region benefits from favorable macroeconomic conditions. The World Bank projects MENA’s gross domestic product (GDP) to grow by 2.6% in 2025. Additionally, the young, tech-savvy population offers a vast talent pool. With adequate upskilling and ecosystem support, startups are well-positioned to scale.

As the ecosystem matures, startups will gain greater access to value-creating resources and support, improving investor readiness and market entry prospects.

4- What sectors or industries hold the most promise for impact innovation in Egypt and MENA? Where do you see the greatest potential for startups to drive positive change?

As a sector-agnostic impact accelerator, C3 supports startups across multiple industries ripe for innovation.

In the short term, we expect a focus on resource efficiency, particularly in supply chains, agriculture, energy, and water technology. With the region importing 85% of its food, fostering innovative solutions to enhance food security is critical. C3 alumni such as eJaby, Desert Control, Manhat, and Atmocooling are driving progress in water scarcity, sustainable agriculture, and climate resilience.

Given MENA’s macroeconomic context, limited legacy infrastructure, and pressing challenges, there is strong potential for transformation across other sectors, including health, education, and financial services.

5- What are some of the emerging trends you see shaping the future of the MENA startup ecosystem?

Entrepreneurs and startups across all sectors in MENA are increasingly leveraging artificial intelligence, data, and analytics to develop smarter, more scalable solutions. AI is becoming integral to business models, accelerating product cycles and transforming team collaboration across industries.

With stronger infrastructure, diversified funding sources, and growing collaboration among key stakeholders, the region’s startup ecosystem continues to mature. The UAE recorded its first decacorn with Talabat in December, GCC initial public offering (IPO) volumes hit record highs in 2024, and international investor interest has grown steadily, clear signs of ecosystem maturity.

However, the investment landscape remains focused on smaller funding rounds, with particular emphasis on early-stage capital such as Seed and Series A. Funding gaps persist at both the super early stage, especially in impact-driven sectors, and at the growth stage. Series B rounds remain significantly underfunded compared to global benchmarks, posing challenges for ventures ready to scale.

These gaps risk stalling the growth of promising startups. Nevertheless, MENA’s favorable macroeconomic tailwinds are expected to gradually close this gap over time.

6- In your view, how can impact investing drive sustainability and equity in the MENA region's economic landscape?

Impact investing is a key driver of sustainability and equity across MENA. The region has seen a shift toward aligning financial returns with positive impact, as investors increasingly recognize sustainability as a strategic growth opportunity, not just a goal.

Environmental innovation plays a vital role in building resilient economies. According to PwC, AI-driven climate technology companies in the Middle East attracted $47.3 million in global investments in 2024, compared to $5.4 million in 2023. More capital and interest are flowing to startups with sustainability and technology at their core, leading the regional transition towards a more equitable and sustainable economic landscape.

7- C3 has accelerated over 300 impact-driven startups since 2014, achieving a remarkable survival rate of 96%. What are the critical factors contributing to this success?

Our success is rooted in working with mission-driven founders who develop products that address real-world problems and have significant market potential.

Startups in the Gulf benefit from what we call the "adversity advantage." Founders often turn resource constraints, such as limited access to capital or energy, into strengths by building lean, capital-efficient companies centered on resilience. This approach leads to deliberate, sustainable growth, stronger unit economics, and higher success rates.

Founders also design their businesses to address resource limitations. For example, Proximie, a global healthtech company digitizing operating rooms to reduce health inequity, tackles the lack of access to safe surgery for five million people worldwide. Its telepresence solution functions effectively in low-latency and bandwidth environments.

8- As a leader in impact solutions, how does C3 collaborate with major partners like Google and HSBC to foster innovation and scale impact?

C3 designs tailored programs that equip startups with the tools, mentorship, and market access needed to scale sustainable solutions. In partnership with organizations such as Google, HSBC, Merck, and Dubai Multi Commodities Centre (DMCC), C3 addresses sector-specific challenges and fosters synergies aligned with corporate innovation agendas.

For example, in 2024, C3 delivered the Standard Chartered Women in Tech UAE Accelerator program, which helped women-led startups scale their businesses and drive regional impact. As a result, 83% of participating startups improved their business performance.

In 2023, C3 launched the Emirates Global Aluminium (EGA) Ramp-Up program to promote economic growth and job creation, equipping early-stage founders with the tools and resources to expand. The program created 1,000 jobs across 40 startups.

Trust is central to collaboration, and C3 builds it through neutrality, operational strength, and strategic vision. As corporates face growing pressure to innovate sustainably, catalysts like C3 play a vital role in shaping high-impact, de-risked innovation.

9-What recent collaborations or partnerships has C3 undertaken this year?

This year, C3 announced several significant partnerships to advance impact-driven innovation. In May, C3 partnered with Enersol to launch Enersol Energy Challenge, an entrepreneurship program identifying and supporting startups with high potential to transform the energy sector.

C3 also collaborated with Dubai Multi Commodities Centre (DMCC) to establish the DMCC Sustainability Hub. This initiative empowers entrepreneurs and innovators to tackle sustainability challenges across key sectors by providing mentorship, training, and networking opportunities to scale solutions regionally and globally.

In partnership with Merck, C3 launched the Merck Innovation Hub to engage UAE universities and startups in developing cutting-edge solutions for critical health challenges. The program follows a structured five-week framework, culminating in a final showcase where participants present their solutions to Merck stakeholders and industry experts. This collaboration fosters innovation and mentorship within the healthcare ecosystem.

10 - Looking ahead, what are C3's future strategic plans, and how do you see the MENA impact investing ecosystem evolving over the next 5-10 years?

We aspire to be a leading platform for impact-driven innovators that catalyze sustainability, innovation, and meaningful societal change. Our long-term vision focuses on expanding strategic partnerships and launching programs in new geographies to create transformative, sustainable, and adaptive solutions with lasting impact.

This year, we aim to onboard new investors and experts to help bridge the region’s funding gap. Operationally, we will work even closer with Global Ventures to foster a more collaborative ecosystem, providing founders with the essential resources, capital, knowledge, and networks required to succeed.

C3 aspires to be a leading platform for impact-driven innovators catalyzing sustainability, innovation, and meaningful societal change. Our long-term vision includes expanding strategic partnerships and launching programs in new geographies to develop transformative, adaptive, and sustainable solutions with lasting impact.

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