GAGA
Saudi edtech company founded in 2021 that runs live, interactive online classes in Arabic for students aged 4 to 18. It raised a $2.5 million pre-Series A round led by Phoenix Venture Partners in March 2026.
Industry: Live online learning | Location: Riyadh, Saudi Arabia | Founded: 2021 | Total Funding: USD 2.5M
About GAGA
GAGA is a Saudi Arabian edtech company, based in Riyadh, that delivers live, interactive online classes for students aged 4 to 18. It was founded in 2021 by Abdullah Alkharsani, who is chief executive, and Eyad Alshabaan. The platform has a catalogue of more than 1,000 live programs across roughly 200 subjects, covering both academic and skill-based learning, and its content is built around Arabic-language, curriculum-aligned education for families in the Kingdom. Unlike edtech models built mainly on pre-recorded video, GAGA emphasizes real-time interaction between teachers and students, with the aim of improving engagement and learning outcomes. Coverage of the company says it combines live instruction with gamification and AI-based insights, and positions the service as an alternative to both traditional private tutoring and static e-learning platforms. In March 2026 GAGA announced a USD 2.5 million pre-Series A round led by Phoenix Venture Partners, with participation from family offices and individual investors. Phoenix Venture Partners said in its announcement, dated 25 March 2026, that it had led a priced equity round and described it as GAGA's first fully priced institutional round. Wamda and other outlets reported that the new capital brings total funding to approximately USD 4.2 million, following an earlier seed round of about USD 1.7 million. The date and investors of that seed round have not been published. The company plans to use the money to grow its teacher network, improve its programs, upgrade its technology infrastructure and expand Arabic-language content across Saudi Arabia. It is also developing AI tools that assess each student's level and identify knowledge gaps so that learning pathways can be tailored to the individual. In comments carried by MENA Startup Digest, Alkharsani described the round as a step toward giving every family in the Kingdom access to high-quality live education. The raise comes against a backdrop of a growing Middle East edtech market, driven by internet penetration, a young population and demand for flexible learning, and of Saudi national education-reform and digital-adoption initiatives. The competitive landscape includes hybrid and on-demand learning providers.
Leadership
- Abdullah Alkharsani, Founder
- Eyad Alshabaan, Founder