London-based Agency Launches ‘Edtech 100’ to Celebrate MENA’s Edtech Efforts

London’s Edtechia, a creative, digital and sales agency specialised in working closely with some of the world’s leading global edtech brands and thought leaders in academia and tech, has launched Edtech 100. The initiative is a celebration of the work done by schools, universities, institutes and NGOs to effectively integrate edtech into their ecosystems, and innovatively utilising the burgeoning technology.

Edtechia is inviting schools, universities, government bodies and academic institutes from all across the MENA region to submit their case studies, which will be considered for a nomination by the London-based agency on deciding the final 100 list. All of the selected educational institutions will be featured in an e-book that will be available globally.

According to Edtechia, more than 177 countries in the world have had to shut down schools because of COVID-19, which has affected almost 1.3 billion students and learners worldwide. According to UNESCO, that amounts to 72.4% of enrolled pupils and students globally, a repercussion that has undoubtedly led to innovators in academia and tech to find viable and feasible solutions to teaching in a post-COVID world. However the search for solutions quickly pivoted from finding fixes that are complementary to on-ground learning, to laying the groundwork for remote learning that is fully-realised as a teaching platform of its own. 

“We know it can sometimes be difficult to implement new technology or gain access to the evidence and platforms or equipment that educators need,” said Hessa Rifai, Creative Director of Edtechia. “The benefits of digital technology are often seen as innovation that only digital experts can achieve, but that is not the case and there are many great examples of this. This is why the sector must come together to support and learn from each other and build research that innovators can access to create suitable products.”

The pandemic’s effect on MENA’s industries, much like every other region, was nothing short of a major economic downturn. However, despite the crisis, startups and SMEs in tech-enabled industries did see a great increase in investments and funds, including the edtech industry. 

While investors are gravitating more towards later stage startups, there is still a notable spike in demand for startups utilising digital solutions that are transforming industries, with e-learning and edtech reigning as one of the most sought after startups. One of Saudi Arabia’s biggest funding rounds in the first half of 2020, for example, is Noon Academy’s $13 million, ranking as the third highest funding round in Saudi Arabia during H1 2020.

To submit your case study go to https://www.edtechia.com/