Career 180, an Egyptian edtech startup, disclosed on Wednesday that it had received a six-figure investment from Den VC, a U.S.-based venture capital firm, to fuel its expansion in the Middle East, Africa, and Europe.
The funding will allow Career 180 to expand its Learning Management System (LMS), localise course content into Arabic, and enhance its market presence in Malta, Oman, and Saudi Arabia.
Career 180 was started in 2017 and uses a SaaS-based learning management system (LMS) to help unemployed young people get fundamental skills training and job matches. Their goal is to empower over 1 million people and hire 50,000 new beneficiaries.
Shorouk Alaa El-Din, Co-Founder of Career 180, emphasised the mission behind the startup: “Building Career 180 has been more than just a business for me; it’s been a mission. I truly believe that every young person deserves to find their path and succeed, no matter where they start. With the support of our amazing partners and the recent investment, we’re ready to take our work to new places. Expanding into Saudi Arabia and other regions means we can do even more to help young people shape their careers and become the next generation of confident, empowered professionals.”
Backed by VMS, Career 180 extends MENA reach to Saudi Arabia
Career 180’s expansion into Saudi Arabia is supported by Value Makers Studio (VMS), a Saudi venture studio that helps startups scale in the MENA region.
Moataz Abuonq, CEO of VMS, stated, “At VMS, we believe startups need more than just funding to succeed-they need local guidance, supportive networks, and specialized services that help them quickly adapt to new markets. Through our soft-landing services, we work side-by-side with startups to accelerate their entry into the Saudi market and overcome operational and commercial challenges.”
Den VC’s managing partner, Walid Khalil, expressed strong confidence in Career 180’s vision and execution: “We are proud to back Career 180 in its mission to close the gap between education and employment across the Middle East, Africa, and now Southern Europe. This investment reflects our commitment to scalable, tech-driven solutions with sustainable economic and social impact”.
Career 180 has been recognised by HolonIQ as one of the top EdTech startups for three consecutive years (2022-2024) and has partnered with organizations such as the International Labour Organization (ILO), GIZ, Coca-Cola HBC Egypt, and Plan International. Its founder, Shorouk Alaa El Din, was named among the Top 50 Female Entrepreneurs in Africa by the IFC and the Embassy of the Netherlands, highlighting the company’s focus on gender inclusion and youth empowerment.
With this new investment and strategic partnerships, Career 180 is set to deepen its impact across multiple regions by enhancing its LMS capabilities, localizing content, and expanding its reach to more young people seeking career development opportunities.