Educatly, an innovative Egyptian startup, has successfully raised $2.5 million in seed funding to accelerate its expansion in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). Founded in 2020 by Mohamed El-Sonbaty, Abdelrahman Ayman, and Joan Manuel, Educatly aims to democratize access to global higher education opportunities. The platform enables students to search, compare, and apply to over 130,000 opportunities from more than 1,100 universities in 90 countries.
Currently serving over three million students across Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Nigeria, Kenya, and Ireland, Educatly plans to increase its reach to seven million students by the end of 2024. The funding round was led by TLcom Capital and Plus VC, with contributions from Egypt Venture and Ireland’s HBAN syndicate.
Educatly’s expansion strategy focuses on broadening its regional presence, particularly by establishing physical locations in the UAE and Saudi Arabia, and enhancing its technological capabilities to serve more students effectively, especially through AI integration. The platform also plans to introduce new services by year’s end to assist students in career planning and to enhance their digital experience.
The platform serves three primary stakeholders: students, universities, and financial supporters. For students, it simplifies finding suitable programs and universities, facilitates connections with peers, and supports seamless enrollment. For universities, Educatly provides a digital map to showcase global educational opportunities. Financially, Educatly collaborates with various partners to offer students installment plans and is seeking a license from the Central Bank of Egypt to provide educational financing directly.
El-Sonbaty’s personal challenges in choosing his education path inspired the creation of Educatly. Despite initially studying engineering at his father’s behest, he found his true passion in entrepreneurship, leading him to develop Educatly to assist students in making more informed decisions about their education.
With a jump in sales from $200,000 in 2022 to $1.5 million in 2023, Educatly is poised for further growth as it continues to break new ground in the global education sector.
