Geek Express, an edtech startup based in Lebanon and the UAE, has secured $520,000 in a pre-Series A round from National Talents, IM capital, a Lebanese angel investor, and DHV partners. This latest financing brings the total amount raised by the startup to $860,000.

Founded in 2017 by Manal Hakim, and Rayan Najdi, Geek Express enables school students to access science, technology, engineering, art and mathematics (STEAM)-based learning experiences, helping them learn the fundamentals of coding, engineering, and digital design early on. The platform offers a comprehensive hybrid tech journey that includes camps and live online courses as well as self-paced videos.

Geek Express has over 1800 active students across the Middle East and North Africa region, ranging from K-12 to high school. It also has a team of more than 13 developers and community managers and over 200 teachers.

“We believe Geek Express sets the foundation of a futuristic school whereby thousands of Mena students will have access to STEAM skills from the comfort of their homes,” said Najdi, co-founder and COO.

The new funding will enable the startup to further develop its platform and secure content partnerships in 2020, before reaching the profitability and growth stage in 2021.

“The round is strategic given that National Talents are an edtech partner in Saudi, which helps us penetrate the market and expand our reach,” said Hakim, co-founder and CEO, “I am really proud to state that we have a 60 per cent-40 per cent female to male ratio between our team and students.”