• 75 The global AI startup spotlight turned decisively to Cairo this week as one of the world’s most closely watched startup pitch competitions took place for the first time at Ai Everything Middle East & Africa (MEA) Egypt, from 11-12 Feb at Egypt International Exhibition Center (EIEC).
Announced on the final day of the event, the Supernova AI MEA competition capped two days of intense pitching, debate, and deal-making, as AI founders from Egypt and over 30 countries converged in Cairo to test which technologies are ready to move from promise to deployment, and which teams are equipped to build at the pace global markets now demand.
From a shortlisted pool of 75 semi-finalists, Krigat from India was named the first-ever Supernova AI MEA Champion, while Olimi AI was recognised as Egypt’s Most Disruptive AI Solution – both winners receiving US$10,000 in equity-free cash prizes, in a verdict that reflected not just technical sophistication, but commercial readiness and scalability.
Supernova AI MEA Champion – Krigat
The Supernova AI MEA Champion title was awarded to KRIGAT, an AI health-tech startup applying computer vision and biomechanical intelligence to transform physiotherapy, rehabilitation, and human movement.
Accepting the award, Priyanshi Tater, Co-founder & Head of Design at Krigat, said: “More than winning, it is the fun, the thrill, and the enthusiasm of being part of the Supernova Challenge and Ai Everything MEA Egypt. We’re really excited with what’s next. Ai Everything Abu Dhabi – and a lot more to unfold in 2026. We’ve built a lot, and we’ll be rolling out much more.”
Krigat’s platform analyses joint movement and postural patterns using standard cameras — eliminating the need for wearables or lab-based equipment — and delivers real-time, AI-powered insights for clinicians, fitness professionals, and patients.
The US$10,000 equity-free prize places the winning startup among a global cohort of Supernova alumni from the GITEX and Expand North Star ecosystem that have gone on to secure international partnerships, expansion opportunities, and follow-on investment.
Top Disruptive Egyptian AI Startup – Olimi AI
In a dedicated category spotlighting home-grown innovation, Olimi AI was named the most disruptive Ai solution, recognising its work in building multilingual, Arabic-dialect voice agents designed for real enterprise environments across the region.
Olimi AI’s technology automates high-volume inbound and outbound customer calls while accurately understanding regional Arabic dialects alongside English and additional business languages. The platform converts every call into structured data, enabling enterprises to qualify leads, identify trends, and transform customer interactions into actionable intelligence.
Hazem Sorour, Co-Founder of Olimi AI shared: “Amazing event … great exposure, great startups! We’re going to use the cash prize for cloud credits and training our models.”
A Day of Celebrating Breakthrough Innovation
The Supernova finale formed part of a broader day of recognising standout AI innovation, with multiple special awards presented to AI startups:
• Sprint AI – Awarded a Day at IBM
• Raid AI – Awarded complimentary participation at Ai Everything Abu Dhabi, taking place from 11-13 May
• Kemet – Awarded complimentary participation at GITEX Global taking place from 7-11 December (Summit on 7 December and Expo from 8-11 Dec) in Dubai
Cairo Builds Momentum for Global AI Success
The inaugural Supernova AI MEA Challenge delivered a decisive opening chapter for Ai Everything MEA Egypt 2026, defined by the top calibre of over 250 startups, the intensity of competition, and a clear shift toward AI solutions built for real deployment. The combination of international participation and outcome-driven innovations signalled that the platform is now well-placed as a serious gathering ground for scaling AI innovation.
With that foundation set, Ai Everything MEA Egypt returns from 1-2 June 2027, sharpening its focus on AI-led growth, enterprise adoption, and startup advancement across the world. The next edition will build on this momentum, bringing deeper engagement between founders, investors, and public-sector leaders as Africa and Middle East’s AI economy enters its next phase.
