Qatar Science & Technology Park startup expands education innovation partnership to Sierra Leone

A startup that begun within Qatar Science and Technology Park (QSTP) is extending its work internationally through a partnership supporting education programmes in Sierra Leone.

Muallemi, an education technology startup founded by students at Georgetown University in Qatar and based in QSTP, is currently supporting more than 350 students at the Lamin and Kadie Bah Academy in Makeni, Sierra Leone. Their work includes education transition programmes, leadership development, mentorship and university readiness initiatives.

The company was initially established to help students in Qatar address gaps in mathematics and science through affordable, personalised tutoring. The approach has focused on working with educators who understand the local context and identifying how technology and partnerships can support their existing work.

In Sierra Leone, differences in digital access have led to greater emphasis on teacher capacity building, with technology positioned as a tool to support education rather than replace them.

The experience illustrates one of the challenges facing startups taking solutions developed in one market into another: successful internationalisation often requires adaptation to local needs rather than direct replication

For innovation ecosystems and the organisations that support entrepreneurs, connections with local partners can provide an important route for understanding different needs and applying technologies in ways that are locally relevant. In Muallemi’s case, working with local educators has helped shape how its approach can be applied in a different education system and context, building on the role of QSTP in supporting startups as they develop and take their solutions into new markets.