Arab Finance: As governments across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) accelerate economic diversification, entrepreneurship, impact investing, and cross-sector partnerships have become increasingly important drivers of sustainable growth. Egypt, in particular, has emerged as one of the region's fastest-growing startup ecosystems, attracting rising investor interest while positioning itself as a regional hub for innovation. Against this backdrop, Companies Creating Change (C3) is working to connect entrepreneurs, investors, corporations, and governments to help high-potential ventures scale across the region and address pressing economic and social challenges.

In an exclusive interview with Arab Finance, Medea Nocentini, Founder of C3 and Senior Partner at Global Ventures, discusses the evolution of impact investing across MENA, Egypt's growing role within the regional innovation ecosystem, the importance of public-private partnerships, and the technologies expected to shape the next generation of economic growth.

1-C3 has evolved into one of the MENA region's leading impact platforms, connecting startups, investors, corporations, and governments. How has the company's mission evolved since its founding, and what differentiates C3 from traditional startup accelerators?

Since 2012, C3 has supported over 530 impact-driven startups across the Middle East and Africa, with approximately 90% still operational. We are sector-agnostic but focus primarily on impact-driven initiatives. We support founders addressing access gaps across climate and environmental solutions, healthcare, education, financial inclusion, agriculture, and enabling digital and physical infrastructure. These sectors are critical because they sit at the foundation of resilient and inclusive economic growth in emerging markets.

Today, C3 is a B Corp™ certified impact platform that connects startups, corporates, and investors through collaborations, programs, and high-impact initiatives. Alongside entrepreneurs, we design corporate and government innovation programs, strengthen cross-sector partnerships, contribute to thought leadership, and help shape the broader impact ecosystem across the region. C3’s role is to connect the right stakeholders, unlock collaboration, and create pathways for innovation to translate into real-world solutions.

Ultimately, our mission is to build stronger innovation ecosystems that generate long-term economic, social, and environmental value. C3 is also part of the Global Ventures platform, with a shared commitment to supporting founders at every stage to unlock new opportunities in emerging markets.

2-C3 has recently launched several strategic initiatives with several financial institutions. What common objective links these partnerships, and how do they contribute to building a more resilient regional innovation ecosystem?

The recent partnerships include the Nature Impact Accelerator with HSBC, the Women in Tech UAE Accelerator with Standard Chartered, and innovation programs with Enersol and Emirates Global Aluminium (EGA). While each partnership focuses on a different sector, from climate innovation and women's entrepreneurship to industrial innovation, they all share a common objective: accelerating solutions to real-world challenges through collaboration.

Our programs are designed to help high-potential ventures move beyond promising ideas and develop solutions that are commercially viable, investment-ready, and capable of delivering measurable impact. We believe the most effective innovation happens when startups, corporates, investors, and industry experts work together. Corporates bring market access, industry expertise, and clearly defined business challenges, while entrepreneurs contribute agility, new technologies, and fresh thinking.

3-Egypt is placing increasing emphasis on entrepreneurship, venture capital, and private-sector-led growth. How do you assess the evolution of Egypt's startup ecosystem, and where do you see the greatest opportunities for collaboration between Egyptian innovators and regional investors?

Egypt has evolved into one of the region's most exciting innovation markets. It has a deep talent pool, a vibrant entrepreneurial culture, and founders who are building solutions that address real market needs. The ecosystem has matured significantly over the past decade, with stronger support infrastructure, increasing investor interest, and growing government commitment to entrepreneurship and private-sector development. The next phase is about continuing to support emerging entrepreneurs and creating the growth support system for more startups to scale. That requires stronger connections with regional investors, corporate partners, and new markets. Access to strategic customers, industry expertise, and cross-border networks is often just as important as access to capital.

This is where we see tremendous opportunity. By connecting Egyptian innovators with regional ecosystems, investors, and corporate partners, we can help high-potential ventures expand beyond their domestic market while enabling investors to access one of the region's strongest pipelines of entrepreneurial talent. We see particular potential in AI-enabled sectors such as climate innovation, the future of work, fintech, digital health, and advanced manufacturing, where Egyptian entrepreneurs are well positioned to develop solutions with regional relevance.

4-Are you currently exploring partnerships or programs in Egypt, and what sectors or types of startups do you believe offer the greatest potential for collaboration?

Egypt is an increasingly important market for C3. It has become a key innovation hub in the region, with a strong pipeline of ambitious founders and growing investor interest. C3 has a deep and growing footprint in Egypt across programs, investments, and ecosystem partnerships. To date, over 50 Egyptian startups have been accelerated through C3 programs.

Our parent company, Global Ventures, has made 11 direct investments in the country, supported by more than 10 active partnerships with Egyptian VCs, angel networks, and investors, including RiseUp Egypt, Innoventures, Athar, Stride, A15, Climate Resilient Africa Fund (CRAF), Foundation Ventures, Algebra Ventures, and EdVentures. Notable alumni and supported startups include Hiryo, Azizia, PraxiLabs, Chefaa, Alhouneer, Sympl, and Paymob.

Through the C3 Net Zero Catalyst Program with HSBC, 18 growth-stage ClimateTech startups across MENA, including Egyptian founders, have been supported, with $5 million raised by the majority of cohort companies, driving innovation aligned with Net Zero goals and the low-carbon transition. The C3 Impact Accelerators have supported over 40 early-stage impact-driven startups across the Middle East and Africa, with Egyptian founders representing the majority of participants. The 2025–2026 cohort includes 40% female founders, and cohort companies have raised $2.5 million. We also recently launched the C3 EmpowerHer Program, funded by the Resilient Futures Fund, to support early-stage climate resilience ventures across MENA, particularly in Egypt.

Earlier this year, C3 convened a series of impact sessions in Cairo with Norrsken, Global Ventures, and Anara Capital, bringing together entrepreneurs, investors, and ecosystem leaders to explore how to strengthen the connections between startups, capital, and industry, creating more opportunities for innovation to scale across MENA. The team and its partners regularly participate in major conferences across Cairo, including the RiseUp Summit. Two years ago, alongside the summit, we hosted a networking mixer in partnership with Endeavor Egypt, bringing together founders, investors, corporates, and other key players from the entrepreneurial ecosystem.

5-Investors are increasingly looking beyond financial returns to measure environmental and social impact. How is the impact investing landscape evolving across the MENA region, and what trends are shaping investor priorities over the next five years?

We are seeing a fundamental shift in how impact is viewed. We work with founders who address real-world problems at scale, aligning their business models with the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals. Under Global Ventures, C3 operates as part of a broader ecosystem approach. While Global Ventures deploys capital into scalable, technology-enabled businesses, C3 focuses on preparing founders for growth through structured programs, ecosystem access, and investor readiness. Across both platforms, access remains the central lens, whether to a healthy planet, human potential, or enabling infrastructure.

A few years ago, impact investing was often considered a niche segment. Today, investors increasingly recognize that the strongest businesses are those that generate both financial returns and positive environmental and social outcomes. Expectations are also becoming much more sophisticated. Investors are no longer looking only for compelling stories; they want credible data, clear impact metrics, and evidence that solutions can scale commercially. At GV and C3, we believe impact and business performance go hand in hand. That is why our Impact Measurement and Management framework tracks not only environmental and social outcomes, but also business indicators such as revenue growth, capital raised, job creation, and market expansion.

Looking ahead, we expect investors to place even greater emphasis on scalable business models, measurable outcomes, and robust impact measurement. The ventures that stand out will be those that can demonstrate both commercial success and meaningful impact.

Ultimately, the future of impact investing is about proving that purpose and profit are not competing priorities—they reinforce one another. In other words, it is about making money by doing well.

6-The UAE has established itself as a regional hub for entrepreneurship, innovation, and venture capital. What lessons from the UAE's experience could be applied in other MENA markets, particularly Egypt, to strengthen startup ecosystems and attract greater private investment?

The UAE's emergence as a regional innovation hub has been driven by several factors working together. It has created a business-friendly environment where entrepreneurs can establish and grow companies efficiently, supported by streamlined licensing processes, forward-looking regulation, strong access to capital, and a clear national commitment to innovation. Just as importantly, startups have opportunities to collaborate with corporates and government entities, helping them validate solutions and accelerate market adoption. Every market has its own strengths, so the goal is not to replicate the UAE model, but to adapt the lessons that have proven successful.

For Egypt, the opportunity is to build on its vast untapped market and exceptional entrepreneurial talent while continuing to strengthen the enabling environment for startups—from supportive regulation and easier business setup to greater access to finance, stronger corporate engagement, and deeper regional connections. At C3, we have seen that innovation flourishes when entrepreneurs have both the right ecosystem and real commercial opportunities. Capital helps startups launch, but customers, strategic partnerships, and an enabling business environment are what help them scale.

7-Many startups in the region continue to face challenges in scaling beyond their home markets. What are the biggest barriers to regional expansion in MENA, and what role can organizations like C3 play in helping founders access capital, strategic partnerships, and new markets?

Building a startup is difficult. Scaling it across MENA is an entirely different challenge. While many founders develop innovative solutions with regional potential, expanding across borders requires much more than capital. It means navigating different regulatory environments, building new commercial relationships, understanding local market dynamics, and earning the trust of customers and investors. This is where organizations like C3 can make a real difference.

Beyond supporting founders, we help connect startups with corporates, investors, mentors, and ecosystem partners who can accelerate market entry, unlock strategic partnerships, and create opportunities for sustainable growth. We also help founders strengthen their investment readiness and build the capabilities needed to scale with confidence. In the end, regional expansion is not just about entering new markets; it is about building the right relationships.

The startups that succeed are those that combine strong execution with trusted partnerships, commercial traction, and a clear pathway to scale. We believe that by helping founders access the right networks along with the right capital, we can accelerate the next generation of regional success stories.

8-Artificial intelligence (AI), climate technologies, fintech, and digital health are attracting significant investment across the region. Which innovation sectors do you expect will generate the greatest economic and social impact in MENA over the coming decade, and why?

C3 pioneered the concept of corporate-backed, impact-focused acceleration in the region, partnering with HSBC, Standard Chartered, Accenture, EGA, DMCC, ENGIE, Merck, and Google for Startups, among others, to design over 33 tailored programs spanning climate, inclusion, health, and digital innovation. We are also a B Corp-certified company and were awarded the title of the UN SDG Pioneer for SDG 17, Partnerships for the Goals.

Technologies such as AI and robotics are already transforming how we live and work. AI is revolutionizing multiple sectors, including climate and resource efficiency, future skills and intelligent systems, inclusive finance and economic mobility, and advanced health and wellbeing, areas where innovation can address pressing regional challenges while creating scalable commercial opportunities.

Within these themes and industries, climate innovation is helping strengthen resilience and accelerate the transition to more sustainable economies, fintech is expanding financial inclusion and economic opportunity, while digital health is making healthcare more accessible, affordable, and data-driven. The ventures that will create the greatest impact are those that combine innovation with strong business fundamentals and a deep understanding of market needs. The future belongs to solutions that are not only technologically advanced, but also commercially viable, scalable, and capable of delivering measurable value for both society and the economy.

9-As governments across the Middle East pursue economic diversification strategies, how important will public-private partnerships be in accelerating innovation, developing entrepreneurial talent, and supporting sustainable economic growth?

The most successful innovation ecosystems are built on collaboration rather than competition. Governments provide the vision and an enabling environment, while the private sector contributes investment, market expertise, and opportunities to scale. Public-private partnerships bring these complementary strengths together, creating the conditions for innovation to thrive. As countries across the Middle East and Africa diversify their economies, the focus should be on creating stronger pathways between entrepreneurs, industry, investors, and policymakers.

This helps startups solve real market challenges, accelerates the adoption of new technologies, and develops entrepreneurial talent aligned with future economic needs. At C3, we have found that the most successful programs are those built on genuine collaboration. Innovation is rarely the result of one organization acting alone; it comes from bringing together the right partners around a shared ambition.

10-Looking ahead, what are C3's strategic priorities for the next three to five years, and how do you envision the company contributing to the development of a more integrated innovation and impact investment ecosystem across the Middle East and North Africa, including Egypt?

Over the next three to five years, our focus is clear: to scale what works, deepen cross-sector collaboration, and strengthen the connections that enable innovation to thrive across the region.

We want to expand programs that have demonstrated measurable impact while bringing together founders, investors, corporates, governments, and development partners to accelerate solutions to the region's most pressing challenges. Egypt will play an increasingly important role in this future. With its sizable market, exceptional entrepreneurial talent, and rapidly evolving innovation landscape, it has the potential to become an even stronger contributor to a more integrated MEA innovation ecosystem.

At C3, we see our role as creating partnerships that enable ideas, talent, and investment to move more effectively across borders, strengthening innovation and impact across the region. Over the past few years, we have proved what is possible, and the next few years are about expanding that possibility into lasting, systemic change.