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Fawry, Egypt’s leading fintech platform, concluded the first edition of its “AI Rising Gen” competition by celebrating the work of promising young innovators in artificial intelligence. The initiative, held in collaboration with the Faculty of Computers and Artificial Intelligence at Cairo University, reflects Fawry’s continued commitment to nurturing local talent and fostering innovation in the fields of fintech and AI.

Themed “Surveillance for Retail Stores Application,” the competition challenged students to develop AI-powered solutions aimed at enhancing operational efficiency in retail. Projects focused on tracking customer movement, evaluating employee performance, and reducing wait times — ultimately improving the overall shopping experience.

Registration for the competition opened in February 2025 via the global data science platform Kaggle, drawing submissions from 28 teams across eight Egyptian universities. A total of 769 AI models were submitted by 74 participating students. The top ten teams were selected to present their final projects to a judging panel comprising Fawry experts and academic faculty.

As part of its support for the initiative, Fawry awarded cash prizes totaling EGP 200,000, with EGP 100,000 going to the first-place team, and EGP 50,000 each to the second- and third-place winners. Finalist teams also received commemorative medals in recognition of their innovation and effort.

Eng. Ashraf Sabry, CEO and Managing Director of Fawry, remarked:

> “Empowering students and turning their ideas into real-world solutions is one of our top priorities. This competition is a step towards creating a sustainable platform that identifies and develops tech talent across Egypt. Innovation is central to addressing everyday challenges in fintech and beyond.”

Sabry also emphasized the strategic value of Fawry’s partnership with Cairo University, describing it as a bridge between academic research and market needs.

> “The student projects demonstrated not only creativity but real potential for deployment,” he added.

Eng. Mostafa El Nahas, Fawry’s Chief Technology Officer, highlighted the company’s long-standing investment in artificial intelligence:

> “Our AI journey began over eight years ago with the development of a robust Big Data infrastructure, allowing us to process billions of records and gain deep insights into customer behavior. Today, we are entering a new chapter by integrating Generative AI and the Agentic AI Framework into our product roadmap.”

He also noted the company’s broader commitment to applied education:

> “We view initiatives like ‘AI Rising Gen’ as part of our social responsibility. Giving students access to real-world data and business environments helps shape the next generation of innovators. Investing in youth is an investment in Egypt’s technological future.”

Fawry announced that several of the winning projects will be incorporated into its future initiatives. Select participants have also been invited to join Fawry’s AI team or participate in specialized summer internships.

The company expressed its ambition to turn “AI Rising Gen” into an annual competition, providing university students with the opportunity to develop practical, AI-driven solutions to real-world challenges.

Many of the participating teams presented proof-of-concept (POC) solutions that aligned closely with actual retail needs. Through this initiative, Fawry continues to demonstrate its role as a catalyst for innovation in Egypt, bridging the gap between youthful creativity and enterprise-scale application.