Social learning crucial to edtech says Noon Academy founder

Social learning crucial to edtech says Noon Academy founder

The coronavirus lockdown shifted attitudes towards education technology (edtech), accelerating its adoption across the Middle East and North Africa (Mena) region as students attempted to continue their education online. 

Founded in 2013, Saudi Arabia-based Noon Academy has established its name as one of the most prominent startups in the region's edtech landscape. Since the Covid-19 pandemic began, the startup has gone from strength to strength, with its continued expansion beyond Mena following its recent pre-Series B investment of $13 million.

We caught up with Mohammed Aldhalaan, CEO and co-founder of Noon Academy, to find out his perspective on the current state of edtech and his predictions for the sector in light of the Covid-19 pandemic.

How has the crisis impacted edtech in the region?

Prior to the Covid-19 outbreak, people did not fully trust digital learning let alone