Kuwait-Based Edtech Baims Acquires Iraq-Based MedMasters As Part Of Specialized Learning Push
The partnership allows Baims to offer specialized medical education as well as to expand its footprint into Iraq.
Kuwait-based edtech Baims has acquired MedMasters, an Iraq-based online marketplace specializing in medical education, marking its first entry into the Iraqi market and a move into specialized learning.
Founded by Yousef Al-Husaini and Bader Al-Rasheed in Kuwait in 2017, Baims offers pre-recorded and live online courses and tutoring for K-12 and university students across the Middle East, with operations spanning Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Egypt, the UK, and now Iraq. Meanwhile, MedMasters, which was co-founded in Baghdad by Iraqi physicians Abdulazeez Salam and Ziad Al-Zamili, is a mobile-first platform that offers medical education to students and institutions across Iraq.
The deal marks Baims’ second acquisition in two years. In 2024, Baims had acquired Egypt-based one-to-one tutoring platform Orcas in a 100 percent acquisition deal. Since then, it has expanded its regional footprint and diversified its portfolio to include personalized education and integrated artificial intelligence (AI)-powered test prep.
In a conversation with Inc. Arabia, Al-Husaini, CEO of Baims, described the MedMasters acquisition as a deliberate step to expand into new markets and verticals. “Two years after Orcas, we became much more thoughtful about how we expand," he said. "We’re not chasing markets. We’re looking for platforms that already have real traction, strong unit economics, and founders who built something meaningful with very little noise. MedMasters stood out immediately. It became Iraq’s leading medical education marketplace with strong organic growth and very healthy margins. That tells me one thing: the product works.”
Al-Husaini also noted that the timing for Baims' expansion into Iraq reflects market readiness as well as structural opportunity. “Why now? Because Iraq is ready," he pointed out. "The medical student base is large and growing, digital adoption is accelerating, and there’s very little structured infrastructure around specialized education. We felt the timing was right to enter, not as an experiment, but with long-term commitment. For us, this wasn’t just about geography. It was about depth.”
According to Al-Husaini, medical education represents a natural entry point for Baims’ push into specialized learning, which he believes will play a key role in the MENA region moving forward. “Medical education is a very strong starting point," he said. "It’s focused, high-intent, and students are deeply motivated. Platforms like MedMasters show that when you solve for a real academic need, growth happens organically. Our priority right now is strengthening the foundation in Iraq, integrating payments, optimizing operations, and expanding instructor coverage across stages where there are gaps.”
The acquisition is also expected to bolster both companies' ability to deliver end-to-end learning solutions across the MENA. “MedMasters proved that Iraqi students are ready for high-quality digital learning without heavy marketing and with a lean structure,"Al-Husaini noted. "As for Baims, it will bring in scale discipline, structured growth, payment infrastructure, regional experience, operational systems, and artificial intelligence (AI) and product enhancement." Additionally, he noted that Baims will draw on its own experience in building and scaling as it expands into new verticals. “If you look at our journey, higher education with Baims and K-12 with Orcas, we’ve always believed in building strong verticals and then scaling intelligently," he said. "Specialized education will play an important role in the future of the region. We’re only at the beginning of that story.”
For Al-Husaini, the expansion also aligns with Baims’ vision for the future of edtech in the MENA. “In Iraq specifically, we see an opportunity to professionalize the marketplace, expand instructor supply, fill content gaps across academic stages, and introduce more structure into how digital education operates," he said. "Regionally, this aligns with what we’ve been building quietly for years, a multi-vertical education platform across the MENA. We believe the future of education in the region will not be built by one single product. It will be built by platforms that understand how to integrate strong operators into a larger ecosystem. We’re building that ecosystem step by step.”
In terms of advice for other founders building edtech solutions in the region, Al-Husaini suggested that they focus on the fundamentals, while keeping an eye on the long game. “First, build something real before thinking about funding," he said. "Real traction matters more than noise. Second, protect your margins early. Strong economics give you strategic flexibility. Third, focus on depth before expansion. Win your niche. And finally, think long term. The MENA edtech market is still young. The founders who focus on fundamentals, discipline, and sustainable growth will be the ones shaping the region over the next decade.”
Pictured in the lead image from left to right are Abdulazeez Salam, co-founder of MedMasters, Yousef Al-Husaini, co-founder and CEO of Baims, and Zaid Imad, co-founder of MedMasters. Image courtesy Baims.
