KSA's Ynmo raises $500K Seed funding from Wa'ed Ventures
Ynmo, the Saudi Arabia-based developer of the Arabic-English software platform for teachers of students with disabilities, has raised $500K in a Seed funding round, from Wa’ed, the entrepreneurship arm of Aramco.
Founded by Fahad Alnemary, Faisal Alnemary, and Abdullah Murad, the trio began working on a business concept that in 2017 led to the creation of Saudi Arabia’s first, and so far only, provider of Arabic-language software assisting educators and parents of children with disabilities, the startup states. Drawing on their work in autism spectrum disorders and behavioral science, Fahad and Faisal designed Ynmo to help boost parental involvement, therefore helping children become academically successful. Ynmo allows parents to engage special education teachers in productive conversations centered around their child’s learning, and parents can also access Ynmo’s individualized educational programs to support their children at home.
Ynmo’s software is sold on a subscription basis to schools and institutions and is currently being used in disabilities centers run by the UAE Ministry of Community Development. The company is currently enlarging Ynmo’s online curricula and assessment tools through collaborations with local and international publishers.
Ynmo founders say their software products are giving hope and help to children with disabilities and their families, while also helping to train a new generation of educators to not only provide high-quality services, but also integrate students with disabilities into the classroom to help them reach their full potential. Ynmo believes the actual number of Saudi students with learning disabilities could be higher in line with the global average – about 10-14 percent of all students.
Abdullah Murad, Co-Founder said, “With Wa’ed’s support, we are going to greatly expand the number of children with disabilities whom we can help in Saudi Arabia and beyond. It’s a way for us to give back to our community and have a big and sustainable social impact.”
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Wa’ed Managing Director Wassim Basrawi described Ynmo as a powerful example of a company that has brought unique Saudi solutions to Saudi challenges, “Our mission is to advance the Saudi start-up economy, and Ynmo is an innovative solution to a pressing issue affecting many Saudi children and their families,” Mr Basrawi said. “At Wa’ed, we are looking to support promising Saudi entrepreneurs such as Ynmo, who are the architects of our Kingdom’s economic future.”
The new funding through Wa’ed will help Ynmo scale up staff, support, and expand its instructional software - which will let teachers create unique individualized lesson plans for students with disabilities across the Middle East.
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