The EdTech sector has received a significant push in the past couple of years, as the digital transformation of this sector has accelerated in light of pandemic restrictions.
This proved a great opportunity for both experienced and new startups within the UAE to step up to meet a changing learning environment and shifting consumer expectations.
Here are 5 promising companies among these that are worth keeping an eye on.
Qureos
Founded in August 2021 by Alexander Epure, Mehrad Yaghmai and Usama Nini, Qureos began life as a passion project for the founders to accelerate careers by making mentorship more accessible. This passion project was validated when selected by the Dubai Future Accelerators programme to solve the skill gap in the transition from campus to the workplace and in between jobs.
Qureos is building an experiential learning community to change how people connect, learn and work. It is helping people from over 127 countries learn in-demand skills through cohort-based learning paths led by world-class industry experts that match the hiring demands of its business partners.
By creating a learning community, Qureos allows growing businesses to tap into an on-demand workforce of talent who have been mentored to deliver a high quality of work. With it, businesses are able to reduce their cost-to-hire by up to 79% and their time-to-hire by 36% through a proprietary performance-based hiring framework.
Englease
Founded in 2019 by Omar Chihane, Englease offers live English classes online round the clock, led by bilingual tutors delivering their own UK-accredited curriculum. Students simply complete a proficiency assessment test before being granted unlimited access to live classes with Englease’s tutors.
Students pay a one-time fee for the ability to access unlimited live group classes, or select their 1-on-1 tutoring option for up to a full year, thereby drastically bringing down the cost of synchronous education. Englease’s annual price rivals the monthly fee of offline ESL (English as a Second Language) schools, the company notes.
Englease attributes its early success to its product quality and stickiness as it further develops its reach through university and corporate partnerships. The startup is setting forth on a mission to help one million people become proficient in English through seamless tech and an affordable offering.
GeekExpress
Founded in 2017 by Manal Hakim and Rayan Najdi, Geek Express enables youth in the MENA region with the STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts and Mathematics) skills needed in today’s world. The STEAM-based learning experiences range from DIY boxes complimented by self-paced video lessons, to a comprehensive hybrid tech journey that includes camps and live online courses. All services and courses are accessed through a gamified app where students can engage, book, compete, and educate themselves at their own pace.
Geek Express has democratised technology, making it available to all youths independent of age and background. Students at Geek Express have the option of learning how to code, design, build, and create tangible projects that translate into reality. This is how students are able to process the concept and further develop their cognitive skills.
Geek Express’ students hail from across the MENA region, comprising K-12 learners.
SchoolVoice
Founded in 2016 by Ali Bin Yahia, SchoolVoice offers an interactive platform for simplifying communications between schools and parents.
Signing school forms or reading academic announcements can be time-consuming and inefficient. Schoolvoice was designed to help eliminate paperwork and help parents make better decisions.
The platform incorporates responsive designs, agile technologies and an easy-to-use mobile interface to give users a great experience, and increase school enrollment.
The company aims to brand Schoolvoice as the go-to platform between schools and parents within the education sector.
Key2Enable
In recognition of their efforts within the UAE, and in an attempt to create equal opportunities for all, the UAE changed its designation for people with disabilities to ‘People of Determination.’
Key2Enable, a Brazil-founded EdTech company now based in Abu Dhabi Global Market, is developing technology solutions to assist Children of Determination with learning.
The company’s primary product is a smart keyboard called the Key-X keyboard, which was developed with the support of individuals with cerebral palsy, to aid people with this condition to communicate, learn and develop their knowledge and capabilities. The company has also developed software that complements the usage of this device.
The Key-X Keyboard works with any computer, tablet or smartphone via a plug-and-play USB interface, and does not require the installation of any specific software, though there is some available for more complex uses. It features eleven touch-sensitive keys, which can even be triggered with a blink of an eye.
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