GITEX is one of those events that feels completely overwhelming the first time you walk in. Thousands of companies, investors from every corner of the world, and startup pitches happening on stages all across the floor. It's exciting and terrifying in equal measure.
So when Unitors was selected to pitch at the Oman Technology Fund Pitch Battle at GITEX North Star, I knew we had to make it count.
The Competition
GITEX North Star is the startup and innovation arm of GITEX — the world's largest tech event held annually in Dubai. The Oman Technology Fund Pitch Battle, sponsored by the Oman Technology Fund and the ITHCA Group, selected just 9 startups from a shortlist of 30 finalists to compete for a total of up to $1 million in investments.
26 finalists from countries including Brazil, USA, South Korea, Canada, France, Nigeria, Kenya and Oman pitched in front of a judging panel that included David Cohen (co-founder of Techstars) and Mike Butcher (Editor-at-large at TechCrunch).
We pitched Unitors as a peer-to-peer tutoring platform connecting students in the UAE and GCC with expert tutors from top universities. The core message was simple: finding a good tutor in Dubai shouldn't be hard, expensive, or uncertain.
The Result
We won. $50,000 investment cheque.
My Startup World reported exactly: "The companies each receiving investment cheques of $50,000 were: travel platform, Godoba; sports and recreation booking company Tamreen; peer-to-peer tutoring platform, Unitors; car spare parts platform, X Garage; 3D printing company, Binaa Express and real estate management company Mulk."
That moment was one I genuinely didn't expect when we first started building this.
What the Funding Meant
For an early-stage edtech startup in Dubai, $50,000 is significant. It meant we could be more intentional about how we vetted tutors, how we matched students, and how we built the experience for families. It accelerated everything.
More than the money, though, the GITEX win was validation. It told us that the problem we were solving — making quality private tutoring accessible and trustworthy in the UAE — was a real one worth solving at scale.
Unitors Today
Since GITEX, Unitors has become Dubai's most trusted private tutoring service — MoHRE licensed, 4.9/5 on Google, 8,000+ lessons taught, serving families across the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain and Oman. We're proud of how far we've come, and grateful to every student and family who has been part of the journey.
— Vamsi, Founder of Unitors
Source: My Startup World — Global startups secure funding at North Star during GITEX