EdTech company Leap Scholar to invest $20m in Middle East expansion – The National

EdTech company Leap Scholar to invest $20m in Middle East expansion – The National

Leap Scholar, an education technology start-up and a study-abroad platform for South Asian students, plans to invest $20 million to expand its operations in the Middle East.

The company, which has its headquarters in San Francisco, will offer its services to students in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, Jordan and Israel. It also aims to expand into neighbouring regions, it said on Wednesday.

“This is a major step in our journey as we move ahead full steam in 2022 to take the Leap Scholar platform global. We are starting with the Middle East and we plan to subsequently expand to South-East Asia, South Asia and North Africa,” said co-founder Vaibhav Singh.

Education, which was among the industries most affected by movement restrictions due to the Covid-19 pandemic, was also among the first to digitise.

The Middle East and Africa’s EdTech and smart classroom market is projected to grow to $7.1 billion by 2027, according to research company Report Linker.

The widespread adoption of digital tools such as smartphones, interactive displays and online learning is expected to drive the sector's growth.

The region — with a market potential of about $11bn and more than 300,000 students hoping to study abroad, according to Leap —