ADQ Launches $40M AI Edtech Partnership With Gates Foundation

Abu Dhabi-based sovereign investor ADQ and the Gates Foundation have announced a four-year, $40 million partnership focused on accelerating the responsible use of AI and education technology to improve foundational learning across sub-Saharan Africa. The partnership was unveiled on the sidelines of Abu Dhabi Finance Week during a visit by Bill Gates.

Under the agreement, ADQ will contribute up to $20 million as part of the combined funding. The partnership frames digital learning platforms, data technologies, and AI-enabled tools as essential education infrastructure.

The funding will be channelled through two flagship programmes. The first is AI-for-Education, launched in 2022, which supports the development of AI-enabled learning models and provides policy advice to governments across the Global South. The second is the EdTech and AI Fund, a multi-investor vehicle jointly anchored by ADQ and the Gates Foundation and scheduled to launch next year.

The initiative is positioned against significant challenges in the region. By 2050, Africa is expected to be home to one in every three young people globally, yet nine in ten children in sub-Saharan Africa are currently unable to read or perform basic mathematics by the age of 10. Despite this, more than 93% of EdTech products used in low- and middle-income countries lack proof of learning impact, sub-Saharan Africa attracts only 2% of global EdTech venture capital, and just 4% of children in the region regularly use EdTech tools.

“AI has enormous potential to transform learning and expand opportunity," Bill Gates said. "This partnership brings together the expertise needed to apply these tools responsibly and scale approaches already showing results.”

Earlier this year, the Gates Foundation committed $240 million to expand its Global Education Program, a four-year initiative aimed at helping 15 million children in sub-Saharan Africa and India improve learning outcomes in collaboration with governments.