Redefining Social Learning

In this week's Founder's Hustle, we shed light on how Tarek Shafik turned a personal frustration into a mission-driven edtech startup.

Rethinking University Choices

For Tarek, the journey to building xedu was shaped by his own experience: “I had no clue what Lancaster University was before applying,” he admits. It wasn’t located in a go-to city in the UK for international students, like London, Manchester, or Edinburgh. Instead, it was a personal decision, heavily influenced by a visit from the president of the very program Tarek would eventually join, who pitched Lancaster directly at his high school.

This made him realize a larger problem: most students don’t get that kind of insight. “Everyone was just following a stereotypical pathway,” he explains. “If they were applying to the UK, it was always London, for students applying to the U.S., Boston, New York and Washington dominated.” Tarek saw firsthand how many students were unknowingly limiting themselves. “There are a lot of universities and programs out there that we’re just not exposed to,” he says.

This realization stuck with him, and he decided to take action during the pandemic. Tarek spent the next three years deep-diving into the global education landscape. 

The First 50 Users

By the time Tarek moved back to Egypt and began his mandatory military service, he had spent years thinking about the problem, but he hadn’t built anything yet.

“The military was a year free of work. My time was limited—I didn’t have access to my phone or technology at all, just one of those old Nokia phones”. But just two weeks into his service, he was able to get himself transferred to a post where phone use was permitted, allowing him to take the first real step toward xedu.

“I created a WhatsApp group chat. By then, my close friends and family knew I had been researching this for years. So I dropped a message and told them, ‘Add every potential advisor/High school student/recent grad you know.’” Overnight, the group grew to 50 people. With no real product, no official brand, just an idea, Tarek started texting every single person in the group, scheduling calls for his holiday break from the military, and that’s how it all started.

Democratizing Access to University Counseling 

At the heart of xedu lies a powerful mission: "Rediscover curiosity, cultivate knowledge, and embrace growth from one generation to the next.”

Xedu is built on the idea that real educational value comes from those who have firsthand experience navigating the system themselves. While high school counselors play a crucial role in guiding students, they often face challenges such as limited time and resources to provide highly personalized support. In some cases, a single counselor may be responsible for 30 or more students, making it difficult to tailor advice to each one's unique aspirations and university choices.. This has led to the rise of third-party university counseling services which come with their own issues:

1. Commission-Based Bias – Some agencies offer free counseling but push students toward specific universities because they receive commissions from those institutions.

2. Exorbitant Costs – Other firms charge parents thousands, sometimes tens of thousands, of dollars for counseling services. 

xedu eliminates both issues by creating a direct link between students and real advisors—current university students and recent graduates who have firsthand experience with the programs and schools students are considering.

So far, everything has been done manually—managing databases in Excel, coordinating bookings through WhatsApp and email, and hosting advising sessions on Google Meet. Even without automation, students have been using the service, proving that the demand is real. 

To scale its impact, xedu is launching a dedicated platform that will streamline the entire process. From searching for advisors to booking video calls and making payments, everything will happen within the platform. Advisors sign up, provide proof of identity by uploading a valid ID, and submit either a university admissions letter or graduation certificate. xedu determines the advisors' rates, with each advisor having a unique rate primarily based on where they study and their bonus structure. The average session costs between $25 to $45 per hour—a fraction of what traditional counseling services charge.

The Demand for University Guidance

To date, Tarek attends every single xedu advising session. What he’s observed is that most student questions go beyond admissions and focus on the overall experience—what student life is like, on-campus culture, how accessible professors are, and ultimately, whether this is truly the right place for them. And for students who don’t have the privilege of visiting a campus before applying, the gap in information can feel overwhelming.

While xedu was initially built with Middle Eastern students in mind, the demand has extended far beyond the region."Sub-Saharan Africa, for example, has incredibly talented students with huge ambitions,” Tarek says. "But their exposure to opportunities abroad is often limited.”

Ghana and Nigeria, in particular, stand out to Tarek as major hubs of students eager to study overseas. Asia is another massive market, with students from China and India representing some of the largest groups studying abroad.

For Tarek, the shift isn’t just about choosing the right school—it’s about redefining what “studying abroad” really means. As access to global education expands, he believes students should look beyond the usual destinations.

Scaling the xedu Network

One of the biggest strategic decisions for xedu is who to partner with. While some edtech platforms seek affiliations with universities, Tarek sees a major risk in that approach.

"If we go down that road, we’ll face biases—universities offering us better deals, and suddenly, we're steering students toward certain institutions just because we need the cash,” he explains. “That’s not what we’re here to do.”

Instead, xedu is looking to directly partner with high schools in order to offer a platform that makes university guidance more efficient, accessible, and fruitful for their students.

The team believes that partnerships alone won’t be enough. “We have to build an incredible product. Something that works seamlessly not just for students, but also for advisors, parents, and teachers.” 

Currently, school counselors juggle numerous students with limited time for personalized support. But with xedu, they’d have real-time insights into each student’s progress—who’s actively exploring their options, who are falling behind in their research, and who may need extra guidance to stay on track.

What’s Next for xedu?

After months of development and iteration, xedu is gearing up for launch. The app will soon be available for download on the Apple App Store, and in another significant step forward, xedu has officially received Knowledge & Human Development Authority (KHDA) approval. This recognition reinforces its mission to reshape the future of education in the UAE and beyond, enabling more students to connect with reliable mentors and make informed academic decisions.

Ultimately, xedu is redefining how students navigate higher education decisions—making the process simpler, more accessible, and free from bias. Because in the end, every student deserves the confidence to shape their own future.

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