iSchool Acquires Rubikal to Build AI Infrastructure for MENA Schools

Mohammed Fathy

Last updated 22-04-2026

4 min

iSchool has acquired Rubikal to build its own AI infrastructure.

The deal brings 21 engineers and Rubikal’s founders into leadership roles.

After years as a “core engineering partner”, the lines have vanished.

Owning the tech stack offers faster product iteration and tighter data control.

The move reflects MENA edtech “growing up” and bringing capabilities in-house.

iSchool is no longer content with simply teaching children how to code. The K-12 AI and coding platform, which operates in more than 20 countries, has acquired software engineering firm Rubikal in a move that signals much bigger ambitions: building the underlying AI infrastructure that schools themselves will run on.

At first glance, it may look like a straightforward acquisition. But scratch the surface and it tells a wider story about where edtech in MENA is heading. iSchool is shifting from being mainly an education provider to becoming what you might call a full-stack technology builder. And believe it or not, that change could make all the difference in a region where many startups still rely heavily on outsourced tech teams.

The deal brings Rubikal’s entire engineering arm into iSchool, including 21 software engineers and the company’s founding leadership. Mohamed Ibrahim, Rubikal’s co-founder, steps in as Chief Technology Officer at iSchool, while co-founder Moustafa Badawy takes the role of Vice President of Engineering. That is not a light addition. It is a serious technical bench.

Interestingly, this was not a sudden match. Over the past three years, Rubikal had already been working closely with iSchool as a core engineering partner, helping to build and scale its platform. Sometimes these partnerships remain just that, partnerships. Other times, when the alignment clicks and the trust is spot on, the lines blur. In this case, they disappeared altogether.

Rubikal itself is no small player. The firm has delivered software solutions for international names including Discovery Inc, The Walt Disney Company and Vestaboard. It has experience building scalable systems across industries, not just education. Now, that expertise is being redirected towards AI-powered learning systems, internal tools and platform infrastructure for schools.

For iSchool, which says it has more than 150,000 graduates and works with government and institutional partners, this is about control. Owning the infrastructure layer means faster product iteration, stronger intellectual property protection and tighter integration of data systems. In AI especially, where models and data pipelines need constant tuning, relying on third parties can become a bit of a faff.

I have spoken to many founders across the region who admit, sometimes quietly, that outsourcing engineering works in the early days but becomes limiting later. When you want to experiment fast, when you want to build proprietary systems, you need the team inside the house. I reckon this is exactly the stage iSchool has reached.

On the flip side, for a company like Rubikal, the move also reflects a pathway beyond client services. Deep, long-term collaborations can evolve into something more integrated when product vision outweighs project delivery. It is definitly a sign of maturity on both ends.

There is also a broader pattern here. Across MENA, startups that began as content platforms or service providers are increasingly pulling technical capabilities in-house. Vertical integration is becoming less of a luxury and more of a competitive edge. And in education, a sector now buzzing with AI promises, controlling your own tech stack is like holding the keys to the engine room.

The real test, of course, comes next. Integration is rarely simple. Teams need to align on product roadmaps, culture and delivery timelines. How quickly iSchool can translate this engineering muscle into tangible tools for schools will determine whether this move is just strategic on paper or transformative in practice.

Still, from where I stand, it feels like a natural evolution. Edtech in this region is growing up. And sometimes, growing up means building your own foundations rather than renting them. For startups watching from the sidelines, especially those reading us at Arageek and wondering what scale truly looks like, this deal might just be a glimpse of what comes after the early wins.

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