Kashef Labs, a startup based at the American University in Cairo’s (AUC) incubator, is looking to clear Egypt of its lethal reminders of World War II.

Home to one in five land mines worldwide, Egypt has nearly 23 million explosives in the ground, 17.2m of them planted by occupying Italian and German forces during World War II. As well as providing a fatal hazard, the mines are also blocking attempts to use oil and gas reserves in the Egyptian desert,…