EdVentures, the investment arm of Nahdet Misr Group of Companies, a leading education sector entity in the Middle East, has announced significant investments in the Arab world at the GITEX Global Exhibition and Conference. The event, holding from October 16 to 20 at the World Trade Center in Dubai, serves as the backdrop for the revelation.
In a strategic move, EdVentures has unveiled a $400,000 investment round for “Crafty Workshop,” an Egyptian firm specializing in supporting handicrafts through its digital educational platform. This platform offers a diverse range of courses, training programs, and workshops, spanning creative domains such as crafts, design, photography, programming, game development, and animation. Notably, this marks EdVentures’ second investment round in Crafty.
Dalia Ibrahim, Chairwoman of the Board of Directors of Nahdet Misr Publishing and EdVentures Foundation, commented on the development. She stated, “Our strategic objective is to advance the educational technology sector and nurture the talents of entrepreneurs in this critical field.”
Ibrahim added, “We’ve had a hand in supporting 76 startup companies and entrepreneurs, with investments in 14 firms across the Arab world, now boasting a collective market valuation of $100 million. These companies are engaged in diverse educational pursuits, including e-learning services, STEAM-based educational programs (with a particular focus on coding), career guidance and training, youth job market preparation, technical education, vocational qualification programs, and initiatives aimed at empowering women.”
Emphasizing a collaborative approach, Ibrahim stated, “We collaborate closely with Nahdet Misr companies and startups backed by EdVentures to deliver the latest in educational advancements. Our aim is to address the varied needs of all segments of society and ultimately enhance the educational experience, paving the way for a brighter future for our youth and future generations.”
Ibrahim noted the ongoing global revolution in education, driven by artificial intelligence, with a focus on lifelong sustainable learning. EdVentures is committed to sustaining and expanding its investments in educational technology to remain at the forefront of this transformative shift.
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Looking ahead, EdVentures is poised to announce another investment round, this time directed toward the Egyptian firm “Sprints.” Sprints is unique in providing a range of educational services and programs aimed at bridging the technical skills gap. It tailors individualized educational journeys for learners, ensuring their readiness for well-paying jobs, while offering continued support throughout their career growth. This represents EdVentures’ second investment in Sprints.
The startups supported by EdVentures continue to expand across the Arab region, with four of them attracting fresh investments from Saudi and international backers due to their significant impact on the education sector. These companies include “OBM,” an Egyptian company offering training and qualification programs, career counseling services, and guidance for students in university and specialization choices. “Akhdar,” another Egyptian enterprise, provides cultural book summaries via its digital application. The Saudi firm “Jeel” offers an educational and entertaining mobile application for children, while the emerging “iSchool” provides advanced educational technologies for young students, offering a comprehensive STEAM-based educational journey tailored to children aged 6 to 18, complete with educational goals, projects, activities, certificates, and competitions, all tailored to the student’s age.
Crafty Workshop funding Crafty Workshop funding
Charles Rapulu Udoh
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 con