2024 Middle East & North Africa EdTech 50

The MENA EdTech 50 is aligned to the Global Learning Landscape, an Open-Source Taxonomy that maps the education and talent market

The 2024 MENA EdTech 50 highlights a region in rapid transformation, with workforce upskilling and K-12 digitization at the forefront of educational innovation. Upskilling organizations make up 24% of this year’s cohort, reflecting the region’s commitment to closing workforce skill gaps and driving economic growth. Established platforms like ITWORX are expanding their reach across Arabic-speaking markets with strategic partnerships, while management systems, which also make nearly a quarter of the cohort, exemplified by companies like Educore, are modernizing education infrastructure, reinforcing the region’s focus on digital readiness in schools.

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Exhibit 3

UAE and Saudi make up 40% of the cohort, while Egypt leads innovation with 32%

Geographically, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt anchor the edtech ecosystem, driven by sweeping reforms like Saudi Vision 2030, strategic investments, and large-scale demand. Saudi Arabia and the UAE lead innovation making up 40% of this year’s cohort, while Egypt’s population size and emerging innovation ecosystem sustain its influence—and emerges again as the leader of the EdTech 50 with representation at 32%. Growing markets like Jordan and Kuwait are also making waves, with regional pioneers such as Edraak and MyU demonstrating presence beyond their borders.

Exhibit 4

B2B models gain share as formal education systems digitize their operations.

Business models in MENA reflect a sector balancing direct-to-consumer (D2C) and institutional (B2B) demand. While D2C platforms targeting learners and parents dominate with 62% share, the rise of B2B solutions in 2024 to 36% of the group could reflect increasing technology adoption by schools and corporations in the region. A recent funding round by iSchool, a K-12 coding platform, underscores this trend toward confidence in growing institutional partnerships. 

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‍Exhibit 5

Half of the cohort are growth stage startups, with early stage companies struggling in a tight funding environment.

The 2024 cohort skews toward maturity, with a growing presence of companies aged 4-6 years. This trend reflects a maturing market focused on scalability over early-stage innovation. Notable incumbents like PraxiLabs, developer of virtual science labs, and Aanaab, learning platform for Arabic teachers, retain their relevance, while some such as Masterminds Early Learning tech-forward solutions. Backed by recent funding rounds and rising regional interest, MENA’s edtech ecosystem continues to deliver quality educational solutions for the future.

Exhibit 6

Track the 2024 Cohort

HolonIQ customers can track the data for the most promising EdTech startups in the region on the HolonIQ Intelligence Platform. Look for the 2024 Middle East & North Africa EdTech 50 list and double click into the data behind the charts. Request a Demo if you are not a customer and would like to learn more.