Galala University proudly celebrates a remarkable achievement as its student-led project, MediCompanion, secured First Place in Egypt at the prestigious Harvard Health Systems Innovation Lab Hackathon 2026.
Now in its seventh global edition, the hackathon marked a significant milestone this year with Egypt’s first-ever participation. The local round took place on April 10–11, 2026, hosted by The American University in Cairo and sponsored by Orange. The competition attracted over 650 applicants, from which only 22 elite teams were selected to advance to an intensive two-day bootcamp and final pitching round before a panel of distinguished judges.
Among these top contenders, MediCompanion stood out, earning the highest ranking from the Cairo branch. The project was developed by a multidisciplinary team of Galala University students, combining expertise from Pharmacy, Artificial Intelligence Engineering, and Graphic Information Technology. The team includes:
Mohammed Elshourbagi (AI Engineering)
Retaj Elshourbagi (Clinical PharmD)
Gamal Sheridan (Graphic Information Technology)
Fatma-Zahraa Amin (Clinical PharmD)
As a result of their outstanding performance, the team received a six-month Claude Pro subscription along with 12 months of mentorship through the Orange Mentorship Program, providing valuable support to further develop their innovative solution.
Building on this success, MediCompanion will advance to the international bootcamp stage, where winning teams from participating countries will join an eight-week online incubation program led by Harvard University. The journey culminates with the top 10 teams earning the opportunity to pitch their ideas live in Boston, USA.
This achievement underscores Galala University’s growing impact in fostering innovation and interdisciplinary collaboration, as its students proudly represent Egypt in its debut participation in this global competition.
