An Egyptian ed-tech startup called Orcas has recently raised $2.1 million in a pre-series A funding round and will be expanding its services in Pakistan. The funding round was co-led by CIRA’s NFX Ventures and Access Bridge Ventures. Orcas primarily provide K-12 students with live one-on-one tutoring sessions, both online and in-person, however, the learning environment is rather self-paced which creates a unique experience for students. This is offered through gamified and free question banks that are mapped to various learning systems and students’ ages. All users have free access to high-quality academic exercises designed by Orcas Education Department.
Alongside offering study guidance, tutors also complete learning style assessments about each learner to determine the best practices for each student. These are then used to create personalized learning plans tailored to the students’ needs for the entire academic year.
Since launching the feature in early November 2021, Orcas’ question banks have been adopted by many schools and school teachers as a form of auto-graded and credible homework source.
“Access Bridge Ventures continues to build on its deep global expertise in the education sector and Orcas is our second investment since our launch in 2021 in Edtech. We invest in innovative ideas, marketplaces, and technologies that will disrupt the traditional education model and create easier, better, and cheaper education access for kids globally. The team from Orcas is a perfect example of a strong team with strong technology that is looking to address a key emerging market problem.”, said Issa Aghabi, Managing Director at Access Bridge Ventures.
Earlier this year, Orcas also announced a partnership with CIRA’s school network to offer after-school hybrid learning programs for students who need extra help. This service is currently available in multiple cities and governorates in Egypt including Cairo, Assiut, and Suez.
“Going into this partnership, it was essential to find a partner that shared our same ethos, offering affordable quality education in underserved regions. With our visions aligned, this JV brings the best of both worlds. I am personally excited to see the outcome of joining forces between EdTech pioneers and innovators alongside established industry players; moreover, the benefit and impact that this partnership shall have on the students and their families.” – Ahmed El Kalla, CIRA Board Member and Managing Director of NFX Capital.
Co-founded by Hossam Taher and Amira El Gharib in 2019, the startup operates in Saudia Arab but aims to utilize its funding to further expand in Lahore, Pakistan, and then globally. According to Taher:
“Learners today have different needs that Edtech companies must cater to. For that reason, we have evolved into a learning platform that offers the complete spectrum of teacher-led and self-paced learning environments. With the funding, we will be able to continue to build our technology product, attract the best talent, and expand to new geographies in MENAP.”
Aly El Shalakany, CEO of the Cairo Angels Syndicate Fund, further added:
“The fund was designed to double down and invest in our best-performing startups and to continue supporting amazing founders like Hossam and Amira to build great businesses. We are very proud of Orcas’ performance so far and we are confident that with this latest investment they will continue to be market leaders within the space and will now be able to add more exciting educational solutions using cutting edge technology and to bring these products to new markets.”
