Speak Up

What Speak Up does

Speak Up is an Egyptian feminist nonprofit initiative founded in July 2020 that addresses technology-facilitated gender-based violence (TFGBV). The organization serves survivors primarily in Egypt and the broader MENA region, providing a confidential helpline with a stated 24-48 hour response window, structured case management, and content-removal services targeting abusive material posted on social media platforms. In parallel, it operates a Help Center with educational guides and runs awareness campaigns designed to shift public discourse around online gender-based violence.

The core service stack is a human-led, communications-mediated workflow rather than a software product. Speak Up does not appear to build proprietary technology; instead, it relies on existing consumer platforms (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter/X, YouTube, LinkedIn, TikTok) to receive reports, run awareness content, and coordinate takedowns through platform trust & safety channels. Supplementary assets include a Help Center of guides, ongoing awareness campaigns, and direct outreach to civil society partners, law enforcement agencies, and policymakers. No customer-facing pricing is disclosed because the service is provided free of charge to survivors.

The business model is that of a grant- and donation-funded nonprofit. Speak Up does not generate commercial revenue from its beneficiaries; instead, it is sustained by grants, donations, and institutional partnerships with civil society organizations. Funding sources, headcount, grant amounts, and audited financials are not disclosed in the available data, which limits any quantitative assessment of unit economics or sustainability. The organization's strategic posture is multi-stakeholder: it positions itself as a bridge between survivors, civil society, law enforcement, policymakers, and platform safety teams, with the implicit goal of both individual case resolution and systemic reform.

Name

Speak Up

Legal name

Speak Up

Website

https://speakupeg.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Speak Up is an Egyptian feminist nonprofit founded in 2020 that operates a confidential helpline, case management, and content-removal service for survivors of technology-facilitated gender-based violence across Egypt and the MENA region, funded by grants and donations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Social and survivor support services (gender-based violence nonprofit)

NAICS

Other Individual and Family Services (624190)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Protection, Child Protection & Gender-Based Violence (GBV) Response (BPAGAAAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Messaging, Chat & Live Interaction Safety (Text/Voice/Video) (BPAAALAC), News & Media Comment/UGC Moderation (Comments, uploads, livestreams) (BPAAALAJ), Protection Services (GBV, Child Protection, Legal Aid) (BPADADAH)

Keywords

• Gender-based violence support
• Survivor advocacy services
• Digital safety helpline
• Feminist nonprofit services
• Online harassment response

Headquarters

HQ city

Cairo

HQ country

Egypt

HQ region

Africa

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Grant Funding and Donations: Speak Up operates as a nonprofit feminist initiative. The organization funds its operations through grants, donations, and partnerships with civil society organizations and institutions rather than generating revenue from customers.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Speak Up operates a confidential helpline and case management service for individuals facing technology-facilitated gender-based violence (TFGBV), including online blackmail, harassment, non-consensual intimate image abuse, and SRHR content takedowns. The organization assists with content removal across major social platforms, evidence preservation, referrals to legal and psychological services, and survivor-centered advocacy across Egypt and the MENA region. All services are provided free of charge to survivors.

Product overview

Speak Up operates as a unified support network providing multiple interconnected services: the Speak Up Helpline serves as the core confidential support service for TFGBV victims, complemented by a Help Center offering self-service guides, and a content removal service that escalates cases to social media platforms. The organization also conducts awareness campaigns, research, and capacity building initiatives.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Speak Up Helpline A dedicated confidential support service providing assistance to individuals facing technology-facilitated gender-based violence (TFGBV), including online blackmail, harassment, and non-consensual intimate image abuse. The service also works to protect SRHR awareness content that has been unfairly taken down, and responds to cases within 24–48 hours via DM, email, or contact form.
• Content Removal Service Assists survivors in escalating cases to social media platforms (Facebook, Instagram, Threads, TikTok, WhatsApp, YouTube) to have harmful content removed quickly, working with platform trust and safety teams.

Quantifiable outcome

• Responds to cases within 24-48 hours

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Civil Society OrganizationscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSpeak Up collaborates with civil society organizations as a core part of its operations, working together to address online privacy and exploitation issues, provide survivor support, and advance advocacy efforts in Egypt and the MENA region.
• Law Enforcement AgenciescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSpeak Up works with law enforcement agencies involved in addressing online privacy and exploitation issues, facilitating connections for survivors who choose to pursue legal action.
• PolicymakerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSpeak Up engages with policymakers to advocate for stronger systems of safety, accountability, and justice, working to address systemic barriers that allow gender-based violence to persist.
• Social Media Platforms (Facebook, Instagram, Threads, TikTok, WhatsApp, YouTube)coreTechnology or IntegrationSpeak Up escalates harmful content to social media platforms including Facebook, Instagram, Threads, TikTok, WhatsApp, and YouTube, working with platform trust and safety teams to have content removed quickly.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• UN Women: United Nations entity leading global efforts on gender equality and the elimination of violence against women; comparable mission on GBV response and survivor-centered support at a much larger institutional scale.
• National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC): US-based nonprofit operating the CyberTipline for online child exploitation reporting and coordinating platform removals; comparable as a larger, established incumbent in the content-removal / digital-safety helpline space.
• Plan International: Global NGO with extensive child protection, GBV response, and safeguarding programming; comparable as a broader incumbent that overlaps on survivor support and safeguarding across regions including MENA.

Others

• AccessNow: Global digital rights organization that defends users' online freedoms and runs #KeepItOn campaigns; comparable as a digital-rights enabler relevant to Speak Up's platform and free-expression dimensions, though not a survivor-services provider.

Direct peers

• Thorn: US-based nonprofit building technology and partnerships to combat child sexual exploitation, including tools to identify victims and accelerate content removal; closely comparable in its blend of digital-safety technology and platform escalation work.
• Equality Now: International human rights NGO focused on ending violence against women and girls through legal advocacy and survivor support; comparable in combining survivor services, legal pathways, and systemic advocacy.
• HarassMap: Egypt-based initiative that crowdsources and maps incidents of sexual harassment and GBV; directly comparable as a regionally focused GBV response organization with similar digital-first, community-driven model.
• Internet Watch Foundation: UK-based hotline and reporting body that works with platforms to identify and remove child sexual abuse content; comparable operating model — confidential intake, content escalation, and platform-facing remediation.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/SpeakUp_00
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCKVQvQ40AVWk96TZYybZkMw
• Facebookfacebook.com/SpeakUp00
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/speakupeg
• Instagraminstagram.com/speakup.00
• TikToktiktok.com/@speakup_00

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Speak Up