Algerian edtech startup LabLabee has successfully raised $3.4 million in a seed funding round aimed at advancing the adoption of 5G, cloud computing, and artificial intelligence (AI) across the telecommunications sector and various industries. The company plans to use this fresh capital to accelerate the development of its educational offerings and expand its presence both in the EMEA (Europe, Middle East, and Africa) region and the United States.
Key Investors and Strategic Partners
The seed round was led by Reach Capital, with additional contributions from Classera, a prominent education technology company. Existing backers such as Brighteye Ventures and e& capital also participated in the round. Notable business angels, including Cedric Sellin, a tech investor and advisor, and Mohammed Husamaddin, VP of business development at Naseej, joined the funding efforts as well.
This infusion of funds will allow LabLabee to enhance its training platform and pursue strategic partnerships with major cloud providers such as AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud Platform (GCP) to facilitate its expansion plans.
Enhancing Educational Offerings and Expanding Course Catalog
LabLabee plans to improve its educational tools by introducing hands-on training labs that focus on emerging technologies, including VMware, Redhat, and Windriver. These enhancements will be supported by the startup’s commitment to integrating immersive learning features, such as a sandbox learning environment where users can practice, test, and apply their skills on a unified platform.
Additionally, LabLabee aims to expand its course catalog to cover key topics relevant to the fourth industrial revolution (Industry 4.0), telecommunications security, telecom AI, and edge computing. This broader range of subjects will further solidify LabLabee’s role as a leader in providing practical, cutting-edge training for professionals in the telecom industry.
Strengthening the Team for Global Expansion
In order to support its growing user base and ambitious expansion plans, LabLabee is actively recruiting for international roles in engineering, sales, and customer support. These additions will enable the company to scale its operations and meet the increasing demand for its services globally.
Founders and Mission
Founded in 2021 by Samir Tahraoui and Mahfoud Sidi Ali Mebarek, LabLabee focuses on providing practical, hands-on learning experiences in the latest network technologies. The company specializes in the telecommunications sector, cloud technology, enterprise solutions, Industry 4.0, and networking. Through partnerships with telecom operators, software companies, system integrators, and educational institutions, LabLabee helps organizations incorporate practical exercises into their training programs, enhancing skill development and reducing costs.
Addressing the Skills Gap in the Telecom Industry
A recent survey revealed that the main challenge for telecom operators adopting cloud-native solutions is a shortage of internal expertise. LabLabee addresses this skills gap by offering on-demand labs in cutting-edge technologies such as 5G, IMS, OpenStack, GitOps, CI/CD, Docker, and Kubernetes. These labs equip learners with the essential skills to stay competitive in the rapidly evolving telecommunications landscape.
Investor Confidence in LabLabee’s Vision
Esteban Sosnik, General Partner and Co-Founder at Reach Capital, expressed his confidence in LabLabee’s vision and leadership, highlighting the personal challenges faced by Samir Tahraoui as both an engineer and trainer in the telecom sector.
“Samir, Mahfoud, and the team bring the ideal blend of deep technical experience and industry knowledge to help workers upskill, reskill, and thrive in this critical sector. We could not be more excited to back LabLabee,” said Sosnik.
A Mission to Simplify Learning
In addressing the growing complexity of technology in the telecom industry, Samir Tahraoui emphasized LabLabee’s commitment to simplifying learning. He noted that professionals often struggle to keep pace with evolving technologies while maintaining a wide skill set.
“LabLabee’s benefit is to make learning easier, faster, and field-ready,” Tahraoui remarked, reinforcing the startup’s mission to prepare workers for the future of telecommunications.