Latest news with #SharkTankEgypt
CairoScene
19-05-2025
- Business
- CairoScene
Robert Herjavec to Appear as Guest Shark on ‘Shark Tank Egypt'
The Canadian investor and tech entrepreneur brings global expertise to the fourth season of Shark Tank Egypt. May 19, 2025 Canadian-Croatian entrepreneur and investor Robert Herjavec is set to join the upcoming season of 'Shark Tank Egypt', marking a major crossover moment for the region's startup scene. Best known for his role on the US edition of 'Shark Tank', Herjavec will appear as a guest investor alongside Egyptian and regional business leaders as the show spotlights the country's growing entrepreneurial talent. "I'm heading to the land of the pharaohs, yes, Egypt. I'm beyond thrilled to announce I will be joining 'Shark Tank Egypt' as a guest shark on May 23rd," Herjavec said on social media. "The show has only been running for three seasons, but the talent, the ideas and the drive coming out of this market, it's incredible." With a background in cybersecurity and tech, and as the founder of The Herjavec Group—a company acquired in 2021 in one of the industry's largest private equity deals—his presence on the Egyptian version of the show is expected to bring global perspective to local pitches. Applications are currently open for budding entrepreneurs to appear on season four of 'Shark Tank Egypt'.
CairoScene
13-02-2025
- Entertainment
- CairoScene
Egyptian Streetwear Label Zonta Debuts First-Ever Arabic Sneakers
Launching the footwear collection on the season finale of Shark Tank, Zonta walked away with quite the impressive deal. To anyone living in Cairo, the sight of Arabic word-art plastered on walls is as ubiquitous as it is beautiful. Yet what perhaps is unusual to encounter is Arabic on footwear, which is exactly the market gap Egyptian-born streetwear label Zonta sought to fill with the launch of their very first Arabic footwear collection, which debuted on the season finale of Shark Tank Egypt - and walked away with quite the impressive deal. Zonta's Drop 1.0 collection puts Arabic front and center, with sleek, minimalist sneakers. Words like Hob (love), Shaghaf (passion), and Fakhr (pride) are inscribed across the footwear—bold, unapologetic, and deeply rooted in Arab identity. Ahmed El Hefny and Sameh Radwan, Zonta's co-founders (and co-founders of e-commerce agency Amzolute), know how to scale brands. But with Zonta, they're carving out an entirely new lane. 'Not only are we pushing something new, we're creating an entirely new sub-genre of Arabic sneakers. This is not something a lot of brands can proudly claim, and that is our edge,' he tells SceneStyled. Merging his love for sneakers with a deep appreciation for Arab culture, El Hefny was clear on Zonta's direction from the start. 'When we launched a little over a year ago, I knew this is what I wanted to do, but I also knew there was going to be a big learning curve ahead of me.' That learning curve coincided with a pivotal moment—Zonta's appearance on Shark Tank Egypt. 'Shark Tank called right when we were reinventing ourselves and introducing the new Arabic line, and I said, 'It's funny you would reach out now.'' With its debut collection setting the stage, Zonta is just getting started. The goal? Merging Arab culture with premium streetwear and taking it global. 'We want to be next to Axel Arigato and all these big names at Harrods and Selfridges,' El Hefny says. 'We're not just targeting Arabs in the region, we're targeting Arab diaspora all over the world—we want to go global.' Of course, designing sneakers with Arabic script comes with cultural considerations. 'It's sensitive putting Arabic words on footwear; you can easily offend if you choose the wrong word,' he explains. 'So we went for positive and affirming words. No one is more passionate than an Arab—even habibi is the most popular word in Arabic. We chose words that represent our culture and push positive messages.' And the gamble paid off. On the Shark Tank season finale, Zonta secured a massive EGP 5 million deal for 15% equity from sharks Mohamed Farouk, Abdallah Sallam, and guest shark Noor Sweid. 'To say it went really well would be an understatement—we got five offers. It was a spicy episode,' El Hefny laughs.
CairoScene
13-02-2025
- Entertainment
- CairoScene
Egyptian Streetwear Label Zonta Debuts Arabic Calligraphy Sneakers
Launching the footwear collection on the season finale of Shark Tank, Zonta walked away with quite the impressive deal. To anyone living in Cairo, Arabic calligraphy is a sight as ubiquitous as it is beautiful. Yet what perhaps is unusual to encounter is Arabic calligraphy on footwear, which is exactly the market gap Egyptian streetwear label Zonta sought to fill with the launch of their very first Arabic calligraphy footwear collection, which debuted on the season finale of Shark Tank Egypt - and walked away with quite the impressive deal. Zonta's Drop 1.0 collection puts Arabic calligraphy front and center, blending old-school sneaker silhouettes with sleek, minimalist design. Words like Hob (love), Shaghaf (passion), and Habibi (beloved) are inscribed across the footwear—bold, unapologetic, and deeply rooted in Arab identity. Ahmed El Hefny, Zonta's founder (and co-founder of e-commerce agency Amzolute), knows how to scale brands. But with Zonta, he's carving out an entirely new lane. 'Not only are we pushing something new, we're creating an entirely new sub-genre of sneakers. This is not something a lot of brands can proudly claim, and that is our edge,' he tells SceneStyled. Merging his love for sneakers with a deep appreciation for Arabic culture, El Hefny was clear on Zonta's direction from the start. 'When we launched a little over a year ago, I knew this is what I wanted to do, but I also knew there was going to be a big learning curve ahead of me.' That learning curve coincided with a pivotal moment—Zonta's appearance on Shark Tank Egypt. 'Shark Tank called right when we were reinventing ourselves, and I said, 'It's funny you would reach out now.'' With its debut collection setting the stage, Zonta is just getting started. The goal? Merging Arabic heritage with premium streetwear and taking it global. 'We want to be next to Comme des Garçons and all these big names at Harrods and Selfridges,' El Hefny says. 'We're not just targeting Arabs in the region, we're targeting Arabs in the diaspora—we want to go global.' Of course, designing sneakers with Arabic script comes with cultural considerations. 'It's sensitive putting Arabic words on footwear; you can easily offend if you choose the wrong word,' he explains. 'So we went for positive and affirming words. No one is more passionate than an Arab—even habibi is the most popular word in Arabic. We chose words that represent our culture and push positive messages.' And the gamble paid off. On the Shark Tank season finale, Zonta secured a massive EGP 5 million deal for 15% equity from sharks Mohamed Farouk, Abdallah Sallam, and guest shark Noor Sweid. 'To say it went better than we expected would be an understatement—we got five offers. It was a spicy episode,' El Hefny laughs.
Daily News Egypt
30-01-2025
- Business
- Daily News Egypt
Egyptian Startup Hoods Secures EGP 5 Million Investment from Shark Tank
Egyptian e-commerce startup Hoods has secured a EGP 5 million investment from businessman Ahmed Tarek and entrepreneur Mona Ataya during its appearance on Shark Tank Egypt. The funding includes EGP 3.75 million in exchange for a 15% equity stake and an EGP 1.25 million interest-free loan for six months. Founded by Mostafa Hanafy, Hoods is pioneering the Live Shopping concept, a rapidly growing e-commerce trend that allows consumers to purchase products instantly while watching live-streamed content. This model combines entertainment and commerce, transforming the way consumers interact with online shopping. “We are not just building a platform for selling; we are shaping the future of e-commerce,†said Hanafy. “Consumers today want an engaging and interactive shopping experience, and Hoods bridges the gap between content creation and seamless transactions.†Hoods enables sellers and content creators to set up their own live shopping channels in just two minutes, offering a hassle-free alternative to social media platforms that lack built-in e-commerce tools. The platform eliminates the need for sellers to manage separate websites, payment gateways, and shipping services. Since its launch 14 months ago, Hoods has attracted 150,000 users, processed 20,000 successful orders, and generated EGP 30 million in sales, all while keeping marketing costs low. With ambitious plans for regional expansion, the startup aims to become the largest Live Shopping platform in the Middle East by 2026, introducing AI-driven shopping tools and new monetization models to enhance user experience and revenue generation.
