Vertex Tech Ltd, an ADGM-registered edtech startup, has officially launched FunFi, the UAE’s first gamified financial literacy app. Created by student entrepreneurs Mikail Ismail and Anwar Rizk, the platform is designed to help Gen Z and millennials master essential money skills through short, interactive lessons and localized financial tools.
Building Financial Literacy for a New Generation
FunFi aims to make learning about finance simple and engaging by integrating gamification elements inspired by popular learning apps. Users are onboarded with personalized questions to tailor their learning path across topics like saving, investing, or budgeting. To maintain engagement, the app utilizes XP points, streaks, and badges, catering to how the younger generation prefers to learn through interaction and rewards.
Each educational module is localized for the UAE, featuring examples that connect directly to daily life. The app also includes practical tools such as in-app calculators to help users create a monthly budget, split bills with friends, estimate Zakat, or convert currencies. “Most people our age were never taught any personal finance,” said Mikail Ismail, Co-Founder and CEO of Vertex Tech Ltd. “We built FunFi because financial literacy should be simple and accessible to everyone.”
From Classroom Idea to Startup Reality
The concept for FunFi originated in high school when founders Mikail Ismail and Anwar Rizk identified a significant gap between traditional classroom education and the real-world financial skills needed by young adults. They established Vertex Tech Ltd to bridge this gap, turning their idea into a functional startup. Over the past year, the team partnered with a Miami-based development group, designed a 20-module curriculum specific to the UAE, and built an AI chatbot named Toro the Bull to provide instant answers to finance questions within the app.
“There is incredible momentum in the UAE around youth empowerment and digital literacy,” added Anwar Rizk, Co-Founder and COO. “FunFi supports that mission by giving young people a space to understand money before they start earning or investing.” The app is now available on both the Apple App Store and Google Play Store in the UAE.
About Vertex Tech
Vertex Tech Ltd is a UAE ADGM-registered edtech startup focused on building localized, gamified learning experiences for the next generation. Its flagship product, FunFi, is the country’s first gamified financial literacy app that empowers young adults with real-world money skills through engaging, mobile-first education. Vertex Tech also plans to expand its broader financial literacy platform, Fundamental Finance, with online resources and community events across the GCC.
Source: Zawya
