In a recent funding round led by VentureWave Capital, Egyptian-based educational technology firm iSchool has successfully raised $4.5 million, drawing support from prominent investors such as OneStop Capital UK, Webit Investment Network, and Oraseya Capital, the Venture Capital arm of the Dubai Integrated Economic Zones Authority.
Company Overview
iSchool, founded in 2018 by Muhammad Gawish, Ebrahim Youssef, Mustafa Abdelmon’em, and Osama Ghareb, has emerged as a dynamic force in the education technology sector. Specializing in live gamified classes led by expert coding instructors, iSchool caters to students aged six to 18, offering a comprehensive curriculum that spans AI, VR, app development, game development, and web development.
Rapid Growth and Unique Approach
The platform’s unique approach, blending live instruction with gamification and international accreditation, has fueled iSchool’s rapid growth. Originating as a solution for the lack of technology education access in the MENA region, iSchool has achieved a remarkable 72% customer retention month over month. With over 26,000 live learners and more than 1,000,000 training hours delivered, the company has worked with 35 schools, managing national-level initiatives in Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.
Global Expansion Plans
Buoyed by the recent funding, iSchool aims to expand its footprint into six additional countries in the MENA region. The capital infusion will also support technological scaling for the ‘Online Coding Platform’ and pave the way for extending its gamified online classroom app service throughout Sub-Saharan Africa.
Global Presence and Team Expansion
iSchool Holdings, the parent company, is establishing its presence in Ireland, marking a significant step towards global expansion. Plans are underway to grow a new team in Dublin to support the company’s ambitious goals.
Founder’s Vision
Muhammad Gawish, co-founder and CEO of iSchool, expressed his vision, stating, “Our mission is to empower today’s generations to become tomorrow’s technology leaders, beginning in the Middle East and Africa and spreading to the rest of the world. Using dynamic technology and a deep understanding of the end-to-end live class process, we are growing a simple idea into a product that we believe can improve the lives of millions of people.”
Investor Enthusiasm
Kieran McLoughlin, Managing Partner of VentureWave Capital, praised iSchool’s impact on education in the Middle East and Africa, stating, “This investment aligns perfectly with our mission to achieve social progress by supporting transformative entrepreneurs. We are delighted to play our part in iSchool’s ambitious plans to bring their unique educational model to new markets and empower the next generation of technology leaders.”
iSchool’s success in securing substantial funding underscores the growing importance of innovative education technology in the global landscape, particularly in regions where access to quality tech education is limited. As the company gears up for expansion, eyes are on iSchool to continue transforming the educational experience for thousands of students across the Middle East, Africa, and beyond.
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Charles Rapulu Udoh is a Lagos-based lawyer, who has several years of experience working in Africa’s burgeoning tech startup industry. He has closed multi-million dollar deals bordering on venture capital, private equity, intellectual property (trademark, patent or design, etc.), mergers and acquisitions, in countries such as in the Delaware, New York, UK, Singapore, British Virgin Islands, South Africa, Nigeria etc. He’s also a corporate governance and cross-border data privacy and tax expert. As an award-winning writer and researcher, he is passionate about telling the African startup story, and is one of the continent’s pioneers in this regard