Orcas, an Egyptian ed-tech business, just secured $2.1 million in a pre-series A fundraising round and plans to expand into Pakistan. CIRA’s NFX Ventures and Access Bridge Ventures lead the fundraising round. Orcas generally offers live one-on-one tutoring sessions to K-12 children, both online and in person; nevertheless, the learning environment is largely self-paced, giving kids a unique experience.
This is done through gamified and free question banks that are matched to different learning methods and ages of students. All users get free access to Orcas Education Department’s high-quality academic exercises.Tutors not only provide study assistance, but they also conduct learning type tests to establish the ideal techniques for each student. These are then utilised to build customised learning plans for the full academic year that are suited to the students’ requirements.
Orcas’ question banks have been accepted by numerous schools and instructors as a sort of auto-graded and trustworthy homework source since the function was launched in early November 2021.
“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.
Orcas also established a relationship with CIRA’s school network earlier this year to provide after-school hybrid learning programmes for children who require extra assistance. This service is now offered in a variety of languages.
“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.” – CIRA Board Member and Managing Director of NFX Capital, Ahmed El Kalla.
Hossam Taher and Amira El Gharib co-founded the firm in 2019. It now operates in Saudi Arabia, but plans to use its funds to expand to Lahore, Pakistan, and ultimately internationally. Taher claims that:
“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.”
