Events · Showcases · Representation

Where ideas meet community, visibility, and opportunity

From demo days and founder meetups in Alexandria, to representing Egypt and Africa on the stages of AfriLabs, SEWF, and re:publica — icealex builds local presence and an international voice.

4
event formats
6+
signature series
14
countries attended
12+
years of convening
Upcoming · 22 April 2026 Co-Organised Partnership

The Future Belongs to Africa Exhibition 2026

The Career Arena · Alexandria

Co-organised by icealex with Bibliotheca Alexandrina and Université Senghor — one day, six career tracks, hundreds of students and graduates exploring the future of work in Africa.

📅 22 April 2026 📍 Université Senghor, Burj Al Arab 🎯 Free with registration
Full event page → Register on Facebook
22
Apr
2026
How we convene

Four formats. One ecosystem.

Whether a city hackathon, an awards night, a demo day, or a community gathering — each format serves a distinct purpose in the founder journey.

Hackathons & Challenges

Fast, design-led sprints that bring founders and innovators together to solve real challenges in specific cities — like the Delta and Upper Egypt Cities Hackathons.

ECH · Peace Hack MENA
🏆
Awards & Recognition

Ceremonies and showcases that spotlight impact-driven ventures — from the Sustainability Innovation Award to the African Social Entrepreneur of the Year Awards (ASEB).

SIA · ASEB
🎤
Demo Days & Showcases

Cohort-closing days where founders pitch to investors, partners, and decision-makers — the moment ideas convert into partnerships and funding.

Demo Days
🤝
Community & Ecosystem

Informal meetups, panels, and workshops that build the trust and relationships that keep the ecosystem alive — in Alexandria and beyond.

Founder Meetups
Signature highlights

The events that built our reputation

These are not one-off events — they are extensions of our programmes, the moments where training turns into impact and founders turn into a network.

Hackathon · Two streams
Egypt Cities Hackathon

Delta and Upper Egypt streams bring hundreds of founders together across cities to solve real urban challenges.

See programme →
Award · Annual
Sustainability Innovation Award

Recognising ventures advancing the green and blue economies and the Sustainable Development Goals.

See programme →
Showcase · Annual
Ladies Startups League

The closing day where graduating women founders meet a network of investors and mentors.

See programme →
Partnership · 22 Apr
Future Belongs to Africa 2026

The Career Arena — co-organised with Bibliotheca Alexandrina and Université Senghor. Six tracks, hundreds of participants.

See event →
Series · Techne
Techne Summit Mentorship Lounge

icealex runs the annual mentorship lounge inside Techne Summit — the region's largest founders' conference.

Regional hackathon
Peace Hack MENA

A design challenge engaging youth across North Africa and the Middle East to build solutions for peace and social cohesion.

In the public record

Our track record is documented — not just on our site

We work in the open. News of our events and outcomes are published on our institutional partners' platforms — you don't have to take our word for it.

Bibliotheca Alexandrina

Covers icealex exhibitions and joint initiatives — including the FBA 2026 edition.

VC4A

The continent's lead platform for African venture finance regularly publishes our programme calls and cohorts.

SEWF

The Social Enterprise World Forum — icealex is a regional representative and recurring panel contributor.

AfriLabs

icealex holds a board seat at one of Africa's most influential innovation ecosystem networks.

Conference & international representation

Taking Alexandria to the world's stages

Having a strong local ecosystem is one thing. Being invited to represent it globally is another. icealex does both.

SEWF — Social Enterprise World Forum

Regional representative and panel speaker at recent editions — one of the few Egyptian voices on the global SE stage.

AfriLabs Annual Gathering

Board seat and annual participation in Africa's largest convening of innovation hubs.

re:publica — Berlin

Representing Alexandria at one of Europe's leading conferences on digital society and innovation.

ASEB Awards 2024

Present at the African Social Entrepreneur of the Year Awards — celebrating the continent's impact-driven founders.

AB
Founder

Dr. Ahmed Bastawy

Founder of icealex, entrepreneur, and academic based in Alexandria. Over more than a decade, he has built an ecosystem that convenes founders, institutions, and community — and carried Alexandria's voice onto the leading innovation stages in Africa and Europe.

ahmedbastawy.com →
Upcoming

Upcoming Events

25
Apr
In Person
Innovation Workshop: AI for Social Impact

A hands-on workshop exploring how AI tools can be applied to solve local and regional social challenges. Open to all com…

🕐 10:00 · 📍 icealex Hub, Alexandria
Register
28
Aug
In Person
FBA 2026 — Demo Day

The culminating event of FBA 2026. Cohort founders pitch their startups to a panel of investors, mentors, and community …

🕐 14:00 · 📍 Bibliotheca Alexandrina, Alexandria
Register
Past

Past Events

18
Dec 2025
Leadership Program — Graduation Ceremony
📍 Université Senghor, Alexandria
Ended
20
Mar 2026
Founders Meetup — March 2026
📍 icealex Hub, Alexandria
Ended

Want to show up on our stages?

Whether you're a sponsor, an institutional partner, or a city looking to host its own hackathon — we'd love to talk.