Technology has opened new horizons for the education sector by improving learning outcomes inside and outside the classroom, as educational technology (EdTech) has supported teaching facilities using online learning and smart applications in various academic and non-academic environments.
According to market research firm Values Reports, the global e-learning market has revenue for 2021 of approximately $15 billion, and the market is expected to grow at a rate of 6.5 percent from 2021 to 2028.
Arab News published a list of the top 10 educational technology startups in the Middle East and North Africa, as follows.
1. Abwaab
- Total funding: $27.5 million
- Founders: Hamdi Tabbaa, Sabri Hakim, and Hussein Al-Sarabi
- Investors: BECO Capital, 4DX Ventures, GSV Ventures, and Water Partners
- Funding rounds: Four
- Headquarters: Jordan
Abwaab platform was established in 2019 to provide online educational content for the local curriculums to secondary school students, filling the gap in the need for educational resources, and enabling students to participate in lessons, access comments, and join discussions offline.
In the latest funding round, the platform raised $20 million in a series A funding round to expand its services to Egypt and Pakistan.
2. Noon Academy
- Total funding: $21 million
- Founders: Mohammed Al-Dhalaan and Aziz Al-Saeed
- Investors: STV, Al-Turki Holding, and NFX Ventures
- Funding rounds: Two
- Headquarters: Saudi Arabia
Noon Academy is a student-centric social learning platform, the company was founded in 2013, to combine social features, learning, and gamified, providing gamification and cooperation for students, and with its presence in Saudi Arabia, Egypt, India, and Pakistan, the company was able to raise $ 13 million in a round of Funding for the year 2020 led by (STV).
3. Al-Mentor
- Total funding: $14.5 million
- Founders: Ihab Fikry, Ibrahim Kamel, Hesham Heikal, Husni Khuffash and Abdelrhman Fahmy
- Investors: Partech, Sawari Ventures, Egypt Ventures, and Sango Capital
- Funding rounds: Five
- Headquarters: UAE
Al-Mentor is a leading video learning platform that provides online content for Arabic speakers that includes a wide range of courses developed by distinguished experts. The company was founded in 2016 to deliver more than two million learning experiences with more than 80 institutional partnerships in the MENA region. In 2021, Al-Mentor raised about $6.5 million in a financing round led by Partech to maintain its position as a leader in the industry.
4. Orcas
- Total funding: $3.5 million
- Founders: Hossam Taher, Amira El-Gharib, Omar Fayez and Ahmed Ismail
- Investors: NFX Ventures, Launch Africa and Access Bridge Ventures
- Funding rounds: Five
- Headquarters: Egypt
Orcas mobile application was established in 2013 to connect parents and students with nearby tutors or online courses. The company provides K-12 students with live and in-person tutoring sessions over the Internet, and in January 2022 Orcas raised $2.1 million in a funding round to expand geographically.
5. Ostaz
- Total funding: $2.8 million
- Founders: Audrey Nakad, Zeina Sultani and Sibylle Nakad
- Investors: Hub71, Inspired Education, and Phoenician Funds
- Funding rounds: Five
- Headquarters: Lebanon
Founded in 2017, Ostaz connects students with qualified private tutors to support the pupils in setting learning goals on their academic journey. The UK-based Inspired Education Group acquired the company in 2021 as it had registered more than 43,000 students and clocked over 65,000 tutoring hours.
6. Al-Gooru
- Total funding: $2.6 million
- Founders: Khalid Abou Kassem
- Investors: Oqal, Raz Holding Group, 100 Ventures, Ray Investment and RZM Investment
- Funding rounds: Two
- Headquarters: Saudi Arabia
The Al-Gooru platform is one of the online geared for students to connect with their tutors. The company was founded in 2021, and has raised $1.8 million in a seed funding round to expand its reach in the education sector across the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
7. Baims
- Total funding: $2.2 million
- Founders: Yousef Al-Husaini and Bader Al-Rasheed
- Investors: Rasameel Investment Co. and AlWazzan Education
- Funding round: One
- Headquarters: Kuwait
Baims was established in 2017 to provide online courses for university students in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain and Jordan. The company has raised $2.2 million in a 2022 funding round to grow its content library and strengthen its presence in existing markets.
8. Al-Academia
- Total funding: $2 million
- Founder: Ahmed Ashour
- Investors: Entlaqa and Goldmines
- Funding round: One
- Headquarters: Egypt
Al-Academia is a distance learning platform focusing on professional development through small courses by industry experts. The company launched in 2020 after raising $2 million in investments to support the massive digital transformation sparked by COVID-19.
9. Aanaab
- Total funding: $1.5 million
- Founders: Mounira Jamjoom and Naila Al-Khalawi
- Investors: Nour Nouf and Wamda Capital
- Funding Rounds: One
- Headquarters: Saudi Arabia
Founded in 2016, Aanaab’s platform facilitates ongoing professional and personal development of Arab teachers through distance learning solutions, providing them an opportunity to acquire Cambridge credentials. The company secured its first funding in 2020 with a $1.5 million investment to strengthen its presence in Saudi Arabia and the UAE and explore business-to-business opportunities.
10. Zedny
- Total funding: $1.2 million
- Founders: Mohamed Youssef El-Baz and Basil Khattab
- Investors: Undisclosed
- Funding round: One
- Headquarters: Egypt
Established in 2020, Zedny is an Arabic learning platform that targets individuals keen on developing their business skills, acquiring general knowledge, and scouting for jobs. The company launched after a $1.2 million pre-seed funding round and has offered over 200 online courses on its platform since then.
