Scale It Forward: A new initiative targets Egypt’s venture debt gap for scaleups

• GIZ Egypt and enpact have launched Scale It Forward, a programme to activate venture debt solutions in Egypt.
• The initiative targets both financial institutions and scaleups, aiming to bridge the gap between capital supply and demand.
• Five financial institutions will be selected to pilot venture debt products and access a curated pipeline of startups.
• 30 scaleups will receive training and €5,000 in non-repayable support to improve financial readiness.
• The programme addresses a key gap as Egypt’s funding remains heavily equity-driven despite $614M raised in 2025.
• The initiative is part of a broader effort to build a more balanced financing ecosystem combining equity and debt.

Press release:

GIZ Egypt, in partnership with enpact, launched the “Scale It Forward programme", a strategic financing initiative designed to bridge the gap between Financial Institutions (FIs) and innovative scale-ups by introducing Venture Debt as a practical financing solution in Egypt. 

According to the Ministry of Planning and Economic Development, Egypt’s startup sector delivered a strong performance in 2025, raising approximately USD 614 million in total funding across equity, debt, and innovative instruments, marking a 51% year-on-year increase. However, capital deployment remains largely steered towards equity investments, highlighting a gap in structured debt solutions and financing alternatives for scaling businesses. 

“Diversifying the financing landscape in Egypt has become more necessary than ever. We need a financial architecture that embodies a balanced capital mix – where equity finances risk and debt finances scale,” says Sherif Younis, Head of Project Job Partnerships and SME Promotion in Egypt (JP-SME) at GIZ Egypt. 

Interested institutions and entrepreneurs can learn more and apply through the Scale It Forward website. 

“Financial institutions face challenges diversifying their portfolios, while founders struggle to access growth capital without giving up equity. Scale It Forward bridges this gap by enabling the activation of structured Venture Debt solutions within a supported environment,” adds Rawan Bassam, Country Manager of enpact in Egypt. 

The programme is open to Egypt-based institutions, including VC firms, PE funds, and microfinance institutions. NBFIs, specialised debt funds, and digital SME lenders are especially encouraged to apply. Only five institutions will be selected to take part in this cohort. 

Each participating institution will: 

● Access a curated pipeline of scaleups, reducing sourcing time and effort. 

● Receive specialised capacity support through GIZ Egypt to activate Venture Debt products.

● Deploy a structured, de-risked strategy with flexible debt tickets, starting from EUR 30,000 

mobilised to 6 scaleups to match the programme's non-repayable financial support. 

● Gain market visibility as early movers and enablers in Egypt’s Venture Debt ecosystem. 

At its core, Scale It Forward is designed to connect capital supply with investment-ready demand. The programme combines technical support for financial institutions with targeted readiness for scale-ups, facilitating the deployment of Venture Debt within an aligned, risk-reduced framework. 

Scale It Forward is co-developed by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH in Egypt and enpact under the patronage of Invest for Jobs – the Special Initiative “Decent Work for a Just Transition” on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).