OBM Education, Super Fny, and Crafty Workshop scored an investment from EdVentures and the
Academy of Scientific Research & Technology (ASRT) to expedite their growth through
EdVentures’ three months acceleration program.
The three startups have received an equity-based investment and will have a better opportunity to
connect with education experts in the EdTech sphere, take need-based training and intense
mentorship opportunities.
According to Dalia Ibrahim, Founder & CEO of EdVentures, “EdVentures is very proud to
continue supporting startups in the Edtech field. This time we extend our investment to cover
vocational education and handicrafts learning through Super Fny and Crafty Workshop. We also
believe in OBM’s team and the importance of their impact on high school students.”
The first investment, OBM Education, is an Egyptian educational company that provides services
and guidance content to pre-university students through various training programs and events.
Their online solution, Taleb, supports students’ needs from different aspects related to parallel
education and career choice through unlimited features and add-ons within their mobile app.
According to Co-Founder Omar ElBarbary: “We endeavor to have a new experience with
EdVentures and to expand not only in Egypt, but in the Middle East as well. Besides developing
our current solutions, we’d like to focus on our new tech product (Taleb), to act as a one-stop
platform for students. With this investment, we want to supplement and support our access to all
pre-university students segments with more services provided to fit their needs”.
As for the second startup, Super Fny, provides professional training in areas such as technical,
vocational, safety, soft skills, and entrepreneurship. They also provide employment opportunities
and activities for changing the social image: such as events, lectures, etc. As explained by Ahmed
Anwar, CEO & Founder of Super Fny, “The company is currently planning to convert its services
online and launch a platform in Egypt to provide technical training and job opportunities; in
addition to designing curricula in various professions through VR technology”.
The third startup, Crafty Workshop, presents online courses and resources for all creative makers
on all levels of craft-oriented topics. They also offer business-oriented courses such as product
development, photography, pricing, marketing, branding, and financials; to help the craft owner
develop a source of income. As noted by Hadeer Shalaby, Co-Founder of Crafty Workshop, “We
are pleased to have received support and funding from EdVentures, with their accumulated.
EdVentures is the first EdTech-focused corporate venture capital in the Middle East. In 2017, it
was launched as the newest arm under the prosperous umbrella of Nahdet Misr Group, a pioneer
in the education sector. EdVentures invests in EdTech startups in the pre-seed and seed stage
serving the sectors of education, culture, and innovative learning solutions. The company has
previously invested in 9 startups and is planning on expanding its portfolio in the MENA region.
President of the ASRT, Prof. Mahmoud Sakr highlighted that “the academy is considered the
largest supporter for startups in Egypt through INTILAC; which is one of ASRT various programs
aiming at supporting business leadership and providing financial and technical services for
emerging companies.”
He further added that “ASRT aims at choosing the best startups in many areas, including education
and education technology, in cooperation with EdVentures, which incubates and accelerates
startups in this sector excellently.”
Since 2015 till now, ASRT has provided 28 technological incubators with funding of EGP 70m.
Sakr noted that “more than 15 new incubators are going to join INTILAC club within the coming
few days with a fund that exceeds 75m and a wide geographical coverage in Egypt to satisfy the
needs of the different regions. There are 13 governorates that are served by INTILAC network and
we still have more”. Sakr expressed his satisfaction saying “Over 182 companies have taken part
in the programme, some of which have achieved more than 500% of revenue growth, and provided
more than 954 job opportunities for young innovators and pioneers, as well as entrepreneurs. A
total of 151 emerging technology companies are already operating in the local market, with a fund
provided by ASRT.”
Throughout the past four years, the successful partnership between EdVentures and INTILAC has
resulted in the support of more than 60 startups that are recognized among the largest and most
impactful startups in Egypt. Through diversified and advanced services, those startups were able
to help enhance the skills of youth, enrich learning opportunities, and enable educational
institutions to operate better through the deployment of latest technological solutions.
