Alef Education Secures Dual Global Awards for Innovative Edtech Solutions

Alef Education seems to be on quite a roll lately, picking up not one but two global awards that many edtech founders in the region quietly dream about. The UAE-based company, which has grown into a familiar name across classrooms from Abu Dhabi to Jakarta, saw its Alef Science platform scoop up the 2025 CODiE Award for Best Science Instructional Solution for Grades K–8. That’s no small feat; the CODiEs are well-regarded in the software world, and this marks the fourth year in a row Alef has been recognised. I reckon consistency like that doesn’t happen by accident.

What stood out to me is how the award highlights Alef Science’s approach of making science feel accessible rather than a bit of a faff for younger learners. The platform leans on AI to guide students through tricky concepts, yet still pushes them to get their hands dirty with offline activities. And believe it or not, the Ask a Teacher feature lets kids type questions in their own words – something that can be a real lifesaver for students who freeze up when asked to speak in front of others. The AI Tutor, which offers small nudges rather than heavy-handed instructions, feels spot on for keeping kids engaged without overwhelming them.

On the flip side, the company’s second big win came from the GESS Education Awards, where Alef Pathways was named Best Digital Educational Resource/Product for 2025. This platform takes a more skills-based approach, identifying where each student stands and nudging them along with adaptive assessments. The idea is to give learners a sense of direction, instead of letting them wander through lessons without really knowing what’s next. I’ve seen plenty of startups try this model, but not all of them manage to keep students motivated the way Pathways seems to do. One thing I’m not exactly a fan of is how some AI tutors over-explain everything, but here the guidance is optional and modestly paced, which feels more in tune with what students actually want.

Hearing Alef Education’s CEO Geoffrey Alphonso describe the wins as proof of the company’s mission made sense. His comments about anchoring everything in pedagogy rather than shiny tech reminded me of a conversation I once had with a founder at an Arageek meetup; he joked that “AI is great, but if the lesson is boring, no algorithm can save it.” Alphonso’s sentiment echoes that, and it shows in both Alef Science and Alef Pathways, where the tech seems to serve the learning, not the other way round.

For those who follow the region’s edtech space, Alef Education has been expanding steadily since its launch in 2016. Today, it supports more than 1.5 million students and 65,000 teachers across thousands of schools in the UAE, Indonesia, and Morocco. Its mix of AI-driven insights and culturally relevant content has helped it stand out in a market that’s becoming, well… a bit crowded. But the company appears chuffed to bits to keep pushing ahead with its flagship Alef Platform, along with tools like Abjadiyat and Arabits.

As the education sector sprints towards more personalised and AI-enhanced learning, Alef’s latest accolades suggest it isn’t slowing down anytime soon. And if these platforms continue to evolve the way they have, I wouldn’t be surprised if the company finds itself back on the global awards circuit again next year — unless, of course, someone else swoops in with something even more inventive, which in this fast-moving industry is always a possibilty.

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