An Egyptian AI Chip Startup Steps Into the Global Spotlight
In a world where the semiconductor industry is usually dominated by giants in the United States, Taiwan, and China, a quiet shift is taking place in an unexpected location. InfiniLink, a Cairo-based startup, is positioning itself to compete on the global stage by developing cutting-edge chips designed for artificial intelligence data centers.
Founded in 2022 by Ahmed Aboul-Ella and Botros George, InfiniLink is working on optical chip technology that uses light to transmit data more efficiently inside data centers. This approach is meant to tackle one of the biggest problems facing the AI industry today: the massive energy and bandwidth demands of next-generation infrastructure. Their goal is to help data centers handle more traffic without overheating or draining power grids.
In March 2025, the company raised ten million dollars in seed funding. One of the major investors was MediaTek, a prominent Taiwanese chip company that also works with Nvidia. This is not just about financial backing. InfiniLink has been collaborating with MediaTek on technical development since day one. That partnership is what helped the Egyptian team focus on ultra-high speed wireline and optical technologies while still remaining an independent brand.
MediaTek’s support also comes at a time when the company is expanding its own footprint in the region. In April, it launched MediaTek Egypt, a new design center. This move sends a message that Cairo might not just be an outlier in chip development, but a strategic part of a shifting tech map.
InfiniLink’s founders are veterans of Egypt’s microelectronics scene. Aboul-Ella previously ran the local branch of Mixel, a US-based semiconductor firm. George spent almost twenty years at Si-Ware Systems, another Cairo-based company that raised nine million dollars in 2021. This deep local experience gives the team both credibility and context.
The technology they are developing is not just academic. It is being shaped to serve immediate commercial needs. The funds raised are being used to expand the engineering team, scale manufacturing, and move closer to launching products that could slot directly into the AI infrastructure being built across the Gulf region.
This is not happening in a vacuum. The global semiconductor landscape is in the middle of a major shakeup. The renewed trade tensions between the United States and China are forcing companies to rethink where and how they design and build chips. The Biden administration had already begun this shift, but the current US government is taking it even further by preparing tariffs specifically aimed at semiconductor imports from East Asia. That uncertainty in the East is opening up space in places that were previously overlooked.
The Middle East is largely outside of the current trade war. That neutrality, paired with access to capital and engineering talent, gives InfiniLink a real opportunity. If they succeed, they could help define a new chapter in the global chip supply chain. But even with this momentum, there is still a warning from the founders. Without a coordinated strategy from regional governments, the Middle East risks turning a rare success into an isolated case instead of a foundation for a long-term industry.
This is where the bigger picture comes into focus. One startup cannot carry an entire sector. What is needed is real state-level investment, long-term incentives, and policies that treat semiconductors not just as a tech product, but as a national priority. The Middle East is sitting on a chance to take part in one of the most important industries of the next decade. But it will take more than venture capital to build that future.
InfiniLink is trying to show what is possible. Whether others follow their lead depends on who is paying attention and who is willing to act.
Remember ”Nothing is more boring than talking to people who share my opinion anyway.”
Yanis Varoufakis