In a significant milestone for inclusive educational technology, Reedah El-Saie, a London-based entrepreneur of Pakistani origin, has successfully secured a deal on the UK’s popular investment show, Dragons’ Den. She received £30,000 from three of the investors, known as the Dragons, to help expand her company, Brainspark Games. The company specializes in creating AI-powered, culturally inclusive educational games that aim to make learning engaging and accessible for everyone.
Mission & Founding
Reedah, a mother of three from London with Pakistani roots, founded Brainspark Games in 2021 after months of research on how gaming and artificial intelligence could enhance children’s learning.
Her mission is clear yet impactful: to make education enjoyable, inclusive, and relatable—especially for neurodiverse learners and children from minority or underrepresented backgrounds who often feel excluded by traditional classroom methods.
Brainspark’s platform utilizes AI and augmented reality (AR) to transform lessons in subjects like English, math, history, art, physics, and climate studies into engaging games. It is mainly designed for students aged 7 to 14, enabling them to understand challenging concepts in just a few hours, which might otherwise take an entire term to learn.
The Deal on Dragons’ Den
Reedah walked into the Dragons’ Den studio with a confident pitch — and walked out with three Dragons on her side.
Sara Davies, Deborah Meaden, and Touker Suleyman each offered £10,000 in exchange for 1 percent equity in Brainspark Games.
Speaking after the episode, Reedah shared how she prepared exhaustively for the pitch by studying every past episode and rehearsing possible questions. She said Deborah Meaden was “deeply enthusiastic” about the company’s vision, while Sara Davies, as a fellow mother, resonated with ease learning struggles for children. Touker Suleyman’s retail expertise, she added, would be instrumental in expanding into branded educational products.
Current Status & Challenges
Brainspark Games has already received seven innovation grants from the UK’s national innovation agency and has forged partnerships with universities, local councils and global corporations.
So far, the platform boasts:
- 71,000+ downloads worldwide
- Collaborations with 38 schools and 6 local authorities
- Pilot programs in youth and juvenile centers
Despite this momentum, Brainspark remains in the pre-revenue stage, still refining its monetization strategy. Converting schools into paying customers remains a key challenge. Yet, the Dragons’ investment signals strong confidence in its potential.
Statistics show that around 35 percent of children feel disengaged from traditional learning, and that students from neuro-diverse or minority backgrounds can lag behind peers by as much as 18–40 months. Brainspark aims to bridge this gap through gamified, inclusive learning tools that appeal to all kinds of learners.
Significance for Pakistan & Global EdTech
For Pakistan and its global diaspora, Reedah El-Saie’s success represents more than a personal win — it’s a reflection of how Pakistani talent continues to shape innovation worldwide. It shows that founders from diverse backgrounds can thrive in global markets by addressing universal challenges like education and inclusion.
As Pakistan’s startup ecosystem grows, her journey offers a model for aspiring entrepreneurs — proving that combining creativity, technology, and purpose can attract international recognition and funding.
Following the Dragons’ Den success, Brainspark Games plans to:
- Turn its large user base into paying school clients and education partnerships.
- Expand globally, reaching both English-speaking and non-English markets.
- Develop new revenue streams, including merchandise and premium educational content.
- Keep its inclusive design approach at the core, ensuring every child — regardless of background or learning style — can benefit.
Reedah El-Saie’s victory on Dragons’ Den is a brilliant example of how purpose-driven innovation can transform lives. By combining AI, gaming, and education, her company is redefining the way children learn, making classrooms more inclusive, engaging, and reflective of the world’s diversity.
Her story represents a victory not only for women and diaspora entrepreneurs but also for the future of global education, ensuring that learning is equitable, enjoyable, and empowering for every child.
