Breni Wants to Hack Your Brain for Learning, By Ihsan Salisu Muhammad
What if learning could feel as addictive as scrolling TikTok, as personalized as a Spotify playlist, and as effective as having a memory coach in your pocket? That’s the radical question behind Breni, a new AI-powered learning app with bold ambitions: to rewire how the world learns—free, gamified, and accessible to all.
At the heart of the project are two young Nigerian innovators, Abubakar Sadiq Umar and Bilal Abdullahi. Both understand firsthand the frustrations of rigid, one-size-fits-all education systems. Sadiq, who has held leadership roles at Green Life Energy, Gameness, Kayi, and now Betastack, and Bilal, a seasoned software and AI engineer, are convinced that education’s next frontier isn’t just digital—it’s neurological.
Their bet is audacious: if you want to democratize education, don’t just put textbooks online. Hack the brain.
Learning with Neuroscience, Not Just Software
Unlike many edtech apps that drown users in vast content libraries, Breni takes a more radical route: it designs learning experiences around how the brain actually absorbs knowledge.
The platform draws on decades of cognitive science research, weaving in techniques like spaced repetition, active recall, chunking, and interleaving—all proven to strengthen memory and comprehension. Artificial intelligence powers the personalization, constantly adapting to each learner’s pace and preferences.
“Most platforms digitize textbooks; we’re digitizing neuroscience,” Sadiq explains. “Breni adapts to your brain, not the other way around.”
The app also doesn’t stop at memorization. Through adaptive feedback loops, contextual roleplays, and real-world application pathways, learners don’t just retain information—they practice applying it, making the learning stick.
Founders on a Mission
For Sadiq and Bilal, Breni is more than a startup; it’s personal. Both grew up in environments where quality education was scarce and prohibitively expensive. That lived experience shapes their vision: to build a borderless learning tool that removes cost and accessibility as barriers.
“Talent is universal, but opportunity is not,” Bilal says. “With Breni, we’re giving every learner—from a student in Kano to a professional in Manila—the same cognitive advantage.”
A Market Ripe for Disruption
The AI-in-education market is projected to surpass $80 billion by 2030, but much of that innovation remains behind paywalls or restricted to elite institutions. Breni flips the model on its head: free-first, science-driven, globally accessible.
While competitors bank on pricey subscriptions, Breni is betting that the next billion learners won’t pay $30 a month—but they’ll eagerly adopt a tool that helps them learn faster and better, at no cost.
Beyond Rote Learning
If Breni succeeds, the ripple effects could be profound:
Students could finally break free from rote memorization traps.
Professionals could upskill more quickly in an increasingly competitive global economy.
Learners in underserved communities could access the same cognitive tools as peers in elite schools.
In a world overflowing with information but starved of true comprehension, Breni positions itself as more than another edtech app—it’s a brain hack for humanity’s knowledge gap.
As the founders put it: “We’re not just teaching people what to learn, we’re teaching them how to learn. And that changes everything.”
Ihsan Salisu Muhammad writes from Kano. He can be reached at [email protected].
