EdTech
Saudi EdTech AILA Secures $3M Pre-Series A to Scale Adaptive Learning Engine
<ul> <li>Riyadh-based AILA closed a $3M Pre-Series A led by RUA Growth Fund to scale its AI-driven adaptive learning platform.</li> <li>Jordanian digital education leader Jo Academy joined as a strategic investor, providing localized market access and institutional sales expertise.</li> <li>The capital will fund the transition from AI-driven standardized test prep (Qudurat, Tahsili) to broad educational infrastructure across multiple international markets.</li> <li>AILA enters this growth phase with 95,000 active users, 30 enterprise clients, and an overarching thesis of shifting EdTech from digitized content to dynamic, personalized assessment.</li> </ul>
Noor Kids Founder Amin Aaser Turns Childhood Identity Struggle Into EdTech Platform Reaching 1.7 Million Families
• Noor Kids reached nearly 1.7 million families in 2024, shifting Islamic edtech away from rote instruction to high-quality storytelling. • Founder Amin Aaser left a corporate strategy career at 3M and Target to build the platform following the sudden death of his mother. • The company discarded adult-centric curriculums, instead developing characters that tackle complex theology (e.g., "Where is Allah?") to win over both parents and children. • Aaser advises founders to avoid chasing exciting ideas, urging them instead to solve deeply personal problems, seek painful feedback, and treat revenue as crucial "oxygen" rather than an afterthought.
Pakistan Demands Compute Equity at UN AI Summit, Pledges 1 Million AI Professionals by 2030
• Balochistan Governor Sheikh Jaffar Khan Mandokhail represented Pakistan at the UN Youth and AI Summit, demanding equitable access to global AI infrastructure and computing power for the Global South. • Officials outlined the National AI Policy target of training 1 million AI professionals by 2030 and announced the rollout of BS AI programs across all 11 public universities in Balochistan. • Summit delegates finalized a Youth-led Declaration to shape the UN Global Digital Compact, though critics noted the absence of young Pakistani technologists in the official speaking delegation.
Punjab Activates AI Delivery Unit Under 2029 Strategy, Projects 100,000 Tech Jobs
- Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif audited the Punjab AI Vision 2029 roadmap, evaluating the newly established AI Office's first two months of deployment. - The provincial government launched an "AI-enabled Delivery Unit" to track public project execution, enforced by a direct chief ministerial review mechanism called the "CM AI Stocktake." - Officials project the initiative will generate 100,000 tech sector jobs over three years, backing the claim by rolling out an introductory AI curriculum across 100 provincial schools. - Serving 110 million residents, successful execution of Punjab's roadmap would create a definitive benchmark for digital infrastructure upgrades across the rest of Pakistan.