Cairo – ExxonMobil Egypt and Misr El Kheir Foundation (MEK) are proud to announce the graduation of five pioneering teams from the "Water and Agribusiness Social Challenge". This collaborative initiative, in partnership with the business incubator "GESR," affiliated with MEK’s scientific research and innovation sector, highlights ExxonMobil Egypt's commitment to social responsibility by empowering youth, fostering innovation, and promoting entrepreneurship in line with Egypt's 2030 Vision.

The program, now in its second year, spanned over the course of one year and aimed to provide comprehensive training in innovation and entrepreneurship. Its objective is to assist entrepreneurs in transforming their initial concepts into successful startup enterprises with a positive societal impact. These startups were then prepared for investor presentations to ensure their sustainable growth. The application phase for the latest edition began in December 2022 and received 184 submissions, which were subsequently narrowed down to 69, and further refined to 50 teams across three phases. Finally, five competitive teams emerged as finalists, engaging in discussions regarding their plans, financial allocations, and ultimately signing contracts. The primary challenge for these teams was to develop new and innovative ideas addressing community service and sustainability in the water and agribusiness sectors.

"The success of the program's second edition underscores our unwavering dedication to nurturing young talent, fostering innovation, and providing tangible solutions to address challenges in the water and agribusiness sectors," said Eng. Youssef Hafez, Board Member and Public & Government Affairs Manager of ExxonMobil Egypt. "As we continue our successful journey in collaboration with Misr El Kheir Foundation, we aim for a new phase of the program, striving to create more impactful and innovative solutions in support of the nation's sustainable development goals."

Similarly, Eng. Amal Mobadda, CEO of the Fundraising Sector at Misr El Kheir Foundation, expressed her pride in reaching this milestone in this year's community challenge, which focused specifically on water issues and agricultural entrepreneurship. She stated, "We have great confidence in the capabilities of the winning teams to make a positive impact by transforming their initial models into tangible solutions aimed at addressing our society's challenges. During the next phase, we look forward to deepening our collaboration with ExxonMobil Egypt as we work towards fulfilling Misr El Kheir Foundation's vision of promoting a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship, enhancing youth capabilities, and building a knowledge and technology-based economy."

The winning teams presented a wide range of innovative concepts. One of the teams, "Soil Solar" developed a device that captures carbon from the atmosphere and stores it in specialized soil to accelerate agricultural growth. Another team, "Fertifeed," created 100% natural compost from animal waste, offering higher efficiency and reduced toxicity compared to conventional fertilizers, tailored for different plant and soil types. The "AzollaFeed" team produced poultry feed from organic materials, sourcing protein from Azolla plants and achieving protein rates between 18% to 24%. Additionally, the "Grain Straw" team collected rice straw, extracted cellulose for bio-plastic production, and utilized it for 3D printing filament or the manufacture of plastic materials. Lastly, the "Sigmatic" team developed a solar-powered water desalination unit to purify remote groundwater from severe salts and harmful bacteria.

About ExxonMobil:

ExxonMobil, one of the largest publicly traded international energy and petrochemical companies, creates solutions that improve quality of life and meet society’s evolving needs.

The corporation’s primary businesses - Upstream, Product Solutions and Low Carbon Solutions – provide products that enable modern life, including energy, chemicals, lubricants, and lower emissions technologies. ExxonMobil holds an industry-leading portfolio of resources, and is one of the largest integrated fuels, lubricants, and chemical companies in the world. ExxonMobil also owns and operates the largest CO2 pipeline network in the United States. In 2021, ExxonMobil announced Scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas emission-reduction plans for 2030 for operated assets, compared to 2016 levels. The plans are to achieve a 20-30% reduction in corporate-wide greenhouse gas intensity; a 40-50% reduction in greenhouse gas intensity of upstream operations; a 70-80% reduction in corporate-wide methane intensity; and a 60-70% reduction in corporate-wide flaring intensity.

With advancements in technology and the support of clear and consistent government policies, ExxonMobil aims to achieve net-zero Scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas emissions from its operated assets by 2050. To learn more, visit exxonmobil.com and ExxonMobil’s Advancing Climate Solutions.

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About Misr El Kheir:

"Misr El Kheir "Foundation was established in 2007 with the aim of continuing for more than 500 years, based on an institutional structure that does not depend on people but on institutional work, where we work with the latest methodologies of institutional development work and craftsmanship for the sake of human development in six basic areas (social solidarity, education, health and research). Scientific, aspects of life and integrated development) under one umbrella, the" Misr Al-Khair" Foundation.

Misr Al Khair Foundation is a non-profit, civil society organization registered under No. 555 of 2007 in accordance with the provisions of Law No. 84 of 2002. It aims to serve, develop and empower Egyptian society in order to return to a decent life in all parts of Egypt.

The Misr Al-Kheir Foundation does not have any political, religious or partisan orientation. It receives zakat funds, alms, and donations, and disburses the zakat funds in its legitimate banks. Misr Al Khair Foundation invests charity funds to obtain a return that is spent on development projects.

About GESR:

GESR Misr El Kheir is a technological business incubator affiliated to the Scientific Research and Innovation Sector of the Misr El-Kheir Foundation. It aims to solve Egypt's social challenges in the field of energy, water, health, food and agricultural crops, and education, by supporting entrepreneurs, innovators, and startup companies through three pillars:

  • - Helping entrepreneurs transform initial ideas into prototypes.
  • - Helping startups turn prototypes into finished products.
  • - Connecting incubated companies with investors.

The Gesr Misr El Kheir Incubator succeeded in providing 6 pre-incubation program, through which more than 1,500 applicants from 13 governorates applied, and 32 startups were incubated, including 10 startups that obtained investments and provided more than 400 job opportunities. It also succeeded in providing five pre-incubation courses and seven social challenges in which more than 1,100 applicants took part, and more than 55 innovative product prototypes were reached.