Career 180, a regional player in education technology and career development, has secured a new six-figure investment from early-stage investment firm Den VC. The capital injection is expected to accelerate the startup’s geographic expansion into Oman, Malta, and Saudi Arabia, and scale its Learning Management System (LMS) to reach a broader audience across the Middle East, North Africa, and parts of Southern Europe.
The Cairo-based startup, co-founded by Shorouk Alaa Eldin, has positioned itself as a platform aiming to bridge the gap between education and employment for young people. Since its inception, Career 180 has offered career counselling, upskilling programmes, and job readiness training, with a focus on underserved and unemployed youth.
The latest funding round will allow the company to localize its course content for new markets, enhance platform accessibility, and bolster recruitment efforts, with a stated target of training one million people and hiring 50,000 new beneficiaries over the coming years.
“Building Career 180 wasn’t just a business for me, it was a mission,” said Alaa Eldin in a statement. “Expanding into Saudi Arabia and beyond means we can help more young people shape their career paths. It’s not just about growing the company, it’s about making a real and sustainable impact.”
Den VC, which focuses on backing early-stage companies with scalable technology and social impact potential, cited the platform’s track record and focus on employability outcomes as central to its decision to invest.
“We are proud to support Career 180 in its mission to bridge the gap between education and employment in the Middle East and Africa, and more recently in Southern Europe,” said Walid Khalil, Managing Partner at Den VC. “We are confident in the team’s vision, execution ability, and deep understanding of youth employment challenges.”
The announcement comes at a time when regional policymakers are increasingly focused on employment and skills development, especially among youth populations. In countries like Egypt and Saudi Arabia, youth unemployment remains a pressing economic concern despite ongoing reforms and investment in education infrastructure.
As part of its entry into the Saudi market, Career 180 has partnered with VMS, a Riyadh-based startup studio that supports international ventures with market entry strategies in the Gulf. VMS will provide on-the-ground operational support and local advisory services.
“Startups need more than just funding to succeed,” said Moataz Abu Anq, CEO of VMS. “They need local guidance, support networks, and specialized services to help them quickly adapt to new markets. We work closely with startups to accelerate their entry into the Saudi market and overcome operational and commercial challenges.”
Saudi Arabia has become a growing destination for edtech investment, buoyed by government-led initiatives such as Vision 2030, which seeks to diversify the kingdom’s economy and invest in human capital development.
Career 180’s expansion also reflects broader regional interest in education-to-employment pathways. In recent years, a number of edtech platforms across Africa and the Middle East have received investor attention, targeting everything from coding bootcamps to remote skills training and job placement services.
While internet connectivity and mobile adoption have expanded rapidly across the region, digital skilling platforms continue to face challenges around retention, accreditation, and aligning content with local labor market needs. Career 180’s model, which combines career coaching, training, and direct hiring support, is intended to provide a more integrated solution.
Though the company did not disclose the precise size of the round, the “six-figure” capital injection suggests a continued appetite among investors for socially-oriented technology platforms with a regional focus. For Career 180, the coming months will be critical in proving its ability to localize effectively and achieve scale in new, diverse markets.