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CLASSERA CLOSES ONE OF THE LARGEST EDTECH SERIES A GLOBALLY, A $40M ROUND LED BY SANABIL

  • Established in Silicon Valley with an Emerging Markets Focus, Classera is the largest Edtech company in MENA and most of sub-Saharan Africa, educating millions in more than 30 countries.
  • Investment round led by Sanabil Investments, wholly-owned company by Public Investment Fund (PIF), and joined by Global Ventures, Endeavour Catalyst, 500 Global, as well as investors from Silicon Valley, emerging market, and global family offices.
  • The investment will advance Classera’s Learning Super Platform “LSP”, cement its position as a global leader in e-learning and accelerate its global expansion into new markets.

SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 27, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — Classera, a global edutech e-learning company focused on emerging markets, has successfully raised $40 million in a Series A round, the largest in EdTech globally for a company with no prior funding. The round also mark’s the largest funding round ever in Edtech, in MENA and most of Africa.

Classera founders: Mohammad Almadani and Mohammad Alashmawi

 

The round was led by Sanabil Investments, wholly owned company by Public Investment Fund (“PIF”), accompanied by Global Ventures, Endeavor Catalyst, 500 Global, Sukna Venture, and Seedra Ventures. The round additionally included a diverse set of investors from Silicon Valley, emerging markets, and global family offices. 

Proceeds will be used by Classera to continue developing its Learning Super Platform (“LSP”) for the education and corporate training sectors, and cement its position as a global leader in e-learning and EdTech. In addition, the investment will be used to target more growth in MENA, the rest of Africa, and to accelerate its global expansion especially into Asia Pacific (APAC) and elsewhere, via direct sales, channel partners, and acquisitions. The proceeds will also help Classera – via its specialized platform for corporate e-training “LeadXera”- to expand faster into that huge sector – which is on of the primary target post this investment.

Classera is the largest Edtech company in MENA and most of sub-Saharan Africa, educating millions of learners in over 30 countries. The Company’s LSP is a fully integrated eco-system that includes a gamified learning management platform based on A.I and social learning, an augmented reality learning app “C-Reality”, a full ERP for educational institutions “C-Smarter”, an integrated e-payment gateway “C-Pay” for pocket money, tuitions payments and financing, and a specialized educational marketplace for Edtech and educational supplies products “Edumalls”. All under one umbrella to ease the process and boost learning engagement and thus the overall learning experience.

Classera’s thousands of customers include over 10 Ministries of Education, private K-12 schools, universities, and corporates for e-training. It has developed over 100 strategic partnerships with global and regional players including Microsoft, Zoom, Amazon, Intel, Udemy, and HP. Last year, the company launched a co-branded solution alongside HP, under the name “HP-ClassEasy by Classera” which is now offered in several countries globally. 

Mohammad Almadani, CEO and co-founder of Classera, said:

“Today is a milestone in the Classera journey. I am honored to receive the backing of such an esteemed group of global investors, and immensely proud of our team whose passion has always been to revolutionise the learning experience. Together, we scaled Classera from limited resources to become a leading global EdTech platform. I am glad that we impacted and empowered the learning journey of millions, I hope our evolving story will serve as an inspiration to others, and we are optimistic that the best is yet to come.”

“The funding will help us take our “LSP” to the next level, making it smarter, inspiring and simpler, and for our clients and partners globally. Many learning institutions, especially after the pandemic, are convinced they need the next generation of e-learning solutions. This is where Classera comes in; as we aim to expand our offerings to more global markets and become the partner of choice for education and training institutions covering all of their needs in a turnkey solution and provide its members with a unique learning experience that enables them to reach their full potential.”

Commenting on the announcement, Sanabil Investments said:

“Classera has developed and successfully deployed a platform that reaches millions of users and has grown to become one of the leading emerging market e-learning solution providers globally. We are fully committed to enable Classera to further expand its reach to learners across all socio-economic backgrounds.”

Classera delivered one of the highest engagement metrics in the e-learning industry globally in the last academic year. In the journey, the engaging gamified platform enabled the company to secure close to 70% market share in several markets in the region, generating high engagement – leading to over 10 billion page-views. Along its path, Classera has also received several global awards in the Edtech industry including Bett, The Learning Award, GESS, Microsoft best global partner award and many more.

About Classera

Classera was founded in Silicon Valley by the entrepreneur Mohammad Almadani and his partner Mohammad Alashmawi – who both started their first company at the age of 18 – with a vision to revolutionize e-learning and enable learners in emerging markets to reach their full potential. They started by focusing on MENA and Africa to make the greatest impact. The cornerstone of Classera’s technology is its LSP which is powered by a gamified learning management platform built with cutting edge technologies. Its principle-based approach is cornerstoned around: inspiration through gamification, personalization through artificial intelligence, and collaboration through social learning – with the ultimate goal of reaching better engagement and therefore a better learning experience. Then to complete the ecosystem the ERP, the payment gateway and the marketplace comes in place all to make the LSP as a full turnkey solution. 

For more info@classera.com

About Sanabil Investments

Sanabil is a financial investment company, wholly owned by the Public Investment Fund (PIF), with USD 8 billion in paid-up share capital. We commit more than USD 2 billion in capital per annum into global private investments that include VC/growth. We are a dynamic, nimble, and highly experienced team of investment professionals. We provide partners with patient capital, the ability to invest across multiple funding rounds, and access to the region. At Sanabil, we invest in great ideas, great minds, and great companies.

For more information, please visit www.sanabil.com 

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Lumina Datamatics Wins IMC RBNQA – Performance Excellence Trophy 2025 in the Service Category

MUMBAI, India, May 6, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Lumina Datamatics, a strategic partner to global publishers and eCommerce retailers, has won the IMC RBNQA – Performance Excellence Trophy 2025 in the Service category. The award was presented at a prestigious ceremony held at the IMC Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Mumbai on 30th April 2026.

This esteemed recognition is part of the IMC Ramkrishna Bajaj National Quality (RBNQ) Awards for 2025, one of India’s most respected benchmarks for organizational excellence. The award underscores Lumina Datamatics’ unwavering commitment to business excellence, quality-driven processes, and continuous performance improvement. Notably, Lumina Datamatics Limited is the only organization recognized in the service segment this year, representing excellence across the Business Process Management spectrum.

The selection followed a rigorous multi-stage evaluation process conducted by an eminent panel of judges, assessing organizations on key parameters such as leadership, strategy, customer focus, operational effectiveness, and overall business performance.

Speaking on the achievement, Sameer Kanodia, Managing Director & CEO, Lumina Datamatics, and Vice Chairman & CEO, TNQTech said, “We are deeply honored to receive this recognition. This achievement reflects the collective dedication, collaboration, and relentless focus on quality demonstrated by our teams across the organization. It reinforces our commitment to delivering consistent value to our clients worldwide while continuously striving for excellence in everything we do.”

The milestone highlights Lumina Datamatics’ strong foundation in operational excellence and its ongoing efforts to set new benchmarks in service delivery across global markets.

About Lumina Datamatics:

Lumina Datamatics is a trusted partner in providing digital Content Services, Retail Support Services, and Technology Solutions to companies in the Publishing and Retail Industries worldwide. We are among the largest service providers in the Content space, and our customers include 8 of the top 10 academic publishers and 3 of the 5 largest Retailers and Marketplaces. Lumina Datamatics’ expert solutions combine its various in-house and client-facing platforms, partnerships with global technology leaders, and more than 7,500 professionals across the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, the Philippines, and India. This integrated global capability enables the company to deliver scalable, high-quality solutions to clients worldwide.

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HOP Events, helmed by Kalpesh Kinariwala, bridges Indian talent and global prestige at the Shows of India 2026 Conclave

  • The anchor sponsorship of the Shows of India 2026 Conclave marks HOP Events’ official pathway into the Indian subcontinent; the UAE-based premium live entertainment company aims to source and showcase extraordinary Indian talent in the markets it operates in.
  • This move will bridge the gap between iconic Indian artists — rooted in Indian and South Asian culture — and world-class international venues and global audiences.
  • In addition to headlining the conclave as its anchor sponsor, HOP Events also made its presence felt in crucial conversations and networking hubs, with Founder and Chairman Kalpesh Kinariwala gracing the conclave as a speaker.

NEW DELHI, May 5, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — HOP Events, a UAE-based premium live entertainment company, made landfall on Indian shores through the eagerly awaited Shows of India 2026 Conclave. The sixth edition of the event, which drew to a close on May 2, brought together high-profile industry veterans, change-makers, and disruptors who are shaping the future of India’s live entertainment economy.

Led by industry trailblazer Kalpesh Kinariwala, HOP Events not only participated as the anchor sponsor for the conclave but also broke new ground by offering Indian talent and agencies unprecedented inroads into global markets and prestigious productions.

Held at Delhi’s upscale The Leela Ambience Convention Hotel, the two-day Shows of India 2026 Conclave is India’s most anticipated flagship gathering focused on the live entertainment, events, and experiential segments. It brings together key players from across the industry’s value chain, including event professionals, artist managers, promoters, brands, and creators, and facilitates industry-shaping conversations and collaborations.

HOP Events’ rationale for backing the Shows of India 2026 Conclave was simple but powerful – as a hub for some of the greatest artistic talent in the world, India stands to benefit immensely from HOP Events’ proven expertise in the premium live entertainment industry. With the conclave sitting at the intersection of India’s creative excellence and its commercial ambition, it is the perfect avenue for HOP Events to seek the artists, managers, collaborators, and cultural voices they want to elevate and present to the world. This anchor sponsorship is thus a declaration of HOP Events’ intent to champion Indian talent and carry it far beyond India’s borders.

Elaborating further on the sponsorship, Kalpesh Kinariwala, Founder and Chairman of HOP Events, who also spoke at the conclave, shared:

“India is producing some of the most streamed, most loved, and most culturally significant artists on the planet. Arijit Singh ranks ninth among Spotify’s top artists globally. A.R. Rahman has 75 million followers and ranks ahead of global superstars. Rishab Sharma is the number one followed sitar player in the world. Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, Aditya Gadhvi, Anuv Jain — these are artists with massive, passionate global fanbases.

Yet their presence on international stages, particularly in the Gulf and beyond, remains far below what their stature deserves. That is the opportunity HOP Events is seizing. The UAE is home to a millions-strong South Asian diaspora — professionals, families, and communities who are hungry for these artists and have both the means and the desire to attend premium live experiences. The Shows of India 2026 Conclave gives us the needed platform to engage with this talent ecosystem at exactly the moment when appetite for Indian talent on the global stage has never been higher.”

The conclave’s growing eminence as a premium, high-production-value platform was further underscored by its association with HOP Events, an industry leader in creating large-scale experiential events. Through the years, the Shows of India Conclave has differentiated itself through its trailblazing properties and a star-studded artist line-up. By essaying the role of anchor sponsor for India’s premier business and entertainment conclave, HOP Events is throwing the doors open for partnerships with Indian artist managers, talent agencies, record labels, and creative professionals.

As the force behind the sold-out Etihad Arena concert with Arijit Singh, A.R. Rahman, and Rishab Sharma, HOP Events knows what it takes to market Indian artists to global audiences, fill premium venues, and create experiences that do justice to the cultural magnitude these artists carry.

In the mid-to-long term, HOP Events aims to become the defining bridge between Indian artistic talent and the global stage. The company is actively scaling across the GCC and extending further into South Asian diaspora hubs globally, with the goal of bringing world-class talent backed by high-end productions and marketing sophistication to deep, passionate, and underserved audiences for Indian and South Asian cultural experiences.

About HOP Events

Founded by industry veteran Kalpesh Kinariwala, HOP Events is one of the UAE’s most prestigious names in premium live entertainment. It is hailed for curating global live experiences across the UAE and beyond. The company brings together eminent international artists, creativity, and immaculate organization on one stage, delivering world-class live concerts and entertainment experiences that make a lasting impression on the cultural fabric of the region. HOP Events’ expertise spans from close-up intimate performances to sold-out iconic arenas and includes notable names such as Arijit Singh, A.R. Rahman, and Rishab Sharma. The company differentiates itself through the three pillars of innovation, excellence, and a strong community focus. In doing so, it creates experiences that anchor communities, build connection, and foster a stronger sense of belonging, while delighting audiences with seamless execution, elevated experiences, and disruptive thinking.

https://hopevents.ae/

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MSEED and SCOPE Global Skills University Sign Strategic Partnership to Shape the Future of Experiential Marketing Education

MUMBAI, India and BHOPAL, India, May 5, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Premium education institute MSEED (The Management School of Events and Experience Design) today partnered with SCOPE Global Skills University, Bhopal, to introduce a two-year MBA in Event Management and Experiential Marketing.

Besides boosting students academically, this association intends to equip them with the evolving demands of events and the experiential marketing ecosystem. Furthermore, the collaboration will be fueled by industry expertise and academic structure, helping students build a career in the fast-growing fields of events, entertainment, and experiential marketing.

At a time when experiential marketing is ‘evolving from a tactical activation to a strategic growth engine for brands’, this collaboration serves right.

Speaking on this exclusive partnership between MSEED and SCOPE, Joshua Newman, Vice-President – Marketing & Partnerships, MSEED, said, “Our focus has always been on outcomes, not just education. This partnership allows us to extend that vision by working with SCOPE Global Skills University to create a program that prepares students for real careers. From curriculum to classroom delivery and industry exposure, every aspect is designed to ensure that students graduate with confidence, clarity, and practical experience.”

The MBA program is designed to:

  • Provide a recognized postgraduate qualification with a specialized focus
  • Build practical skills through real-world projects and case studies
  • Offering industry interaction, mentorship, and exposure
  • Support students with internship and placement opportunities

Dr. Vijay Singh, Vice Chancellor of SGSU, hailed the launch as a landmark moment for the city. “This is a remarkable event not just for our university, but for the city of Bhopal. We are witnessing a paradigm shift in how specialized education is delivered in Madhya Pradesh. By launching this MBA in Event Management, we are providing our youth with a platform to master the art of execution, creativity, and management right here in their home state,” he said.

The partnership was formally cemented through the signing of an agreement between the two institutions in the esteemed presence of Mangubhai C. Patel, the current and 19th Governor of Madhya Pradesh, marking a significant milestone in the evolution of industry-integrated education in India.

For more information on events and experiential marketing, please visit our website.

Media Contacts:

For media inquiries, please contact

Tasneem Limbdiwala

tasneem@mseededucation.com 

About MSEED

MSEED, a part of EVA Group, India’s one of the largest live event companies, and backed by 200 odd industry veterans, the institute brings with it deep-rooted industry expertise and real-world insights. It is a creative business institute designed for the next generation of storytellers, strategists, producers, and brand builders. The mission is not just to prepare students for jobs, but to lead industries. 

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