ConnectED: The Qatari Platform Helping Gen Z Navigate University

In this edition of NextGen, our series highlighting rising entrepreneurs across the region, we turn our attention to ConnectED, a student-focused platform based in Qatar reimagining how students navigate the path from school to university.

Founded in 2025 by 16-year-old Mohab Mohammed Kamal and his brother Ahmed Mohammed Kamal, ConnectED helps high school students navigate university options while giving schools and counsellors a clearer view of their students’ journeys.

Like many of his peers, Mohab found himself navigating university admissions with little clarity and even less structure. Students are often told to do their research, but the process quickly becomes overwhelming as information is scattered, inconsistent, and rarely tailored to the individual. More often than not, students are left more uncertain than when they began.

But the problem does not stop there.

Schools also struggle to effectively guide students through this journey. Counsellors lack the tools to track progress, identify needs, or provide structured support at scale.

“Existing platforms often fail because they’re either overly complex or disconnected from how students actually think and behave,” Mohab explains. “Traditional guidance platforms can feel more like administrative tasks than something students genuinely want to engage with. Built largely by adults, they often miss the emotional and practical realities of being a student trying to figure out the future.”

ConnectED flips that approach.

Designed as a modern, intuitive marketplace, the platform connects high school students with universities in a way that feels natural and relevant. Rather than acting as a static directory or search tool, it focuses on building meaningful, personalised connections. Students discover universities aligned with who they are, schools gain visibility over their students’ journeys, and universities access the right students at the right time. “In short, it’s a system built by Gen Z, for Gen Z,” Mohab adds.

That mindset extends to the team itself. Every member of ConnectED is a high school student experiencing the problem firsthand. This shared reality shapes both the platform and the urgency behind it - a level of conviction that is difficult to replicate from the outside.

Despite being in its early stages, the platform is already gaining traction. ConnectED has onboarded 706 users in Qatar without any paid advertising, signalling strong organic demand. The startup also generated over 500,000 organic views during Web Summit Qatar, where Mohab stood out as one of the youngest exhibitors.

The recognition does not stop there. ConnectED has secured the Lenabtaker Excellence Award and placed third for Best Prototype, while also reaching the finals of competitions such as Al Fikra and INJAZ Mubadara. Furthermore, the startup has attracted backing from Hamad Al Hajri, founder of Snoonu, marking an early vote of confidence as it enters its pre-seed fundraising stage.

Still, the road ahead comes with its challenges.

Scaling quickly is critical. With early traction validated, the focus now shifts to building, forming partnerships, and expanding globally before the opportunity window narrows.

“For me, running a startup isn’t a full-time job; it’s layered on top of being a high school student,” he admits. “Managing academics, leading a team, competing in international competitions, and pursuing funding all at once is the most demanding and defining part of the journey.”

Looking ahead, the ambition is anything but modest.

In five years, ConnectED aims to become the global infrastructure layer connecting students, schools, and universities - the default platform every high school student uses to plan their future. From there, the vision expands into the next phase: linking university students with employers, completing the full education-to-career pipeline.