Akuru Type Marketplace wins two ICT awards at Maldives Expo 2026

Akuru Type Marketplace has secured two awards at Maldives Expo 2026, earning recognition for its platform dedicated to the discovery, distribution and licensing of Dhivehi typefaces.

The marketplace won first place in “Other Innovations in Tech” under the ICT sub-category and third place in the overall ICT category.

Abdulla Shafeeu, known as Abo, Type Director and Co-Founder of Akuru Type, accepted the first-place award. Shazif Adam, Product Director and Co-Founder, collected the third-place award in the main category.

The awards mark a milestone for the venture, which was founded in 2024 and describes itself as the Maldives’ first dedicated marketplace for Dhivehi typefaces. Its platform brings independent type designers and foundries together in a single marketplace, providing users with access to fonts while enabling creators to license and earn from their work.

Akuru Type’s work focuses on improving access to Dhivehi typography for businesses, designers and the wider community. Alongside distributing fonts, the platform aims to support the protection of creators’ intellectual property and establish a more sustainable commercial environment for local type design.

By providing a dedicated channel for font licensing, the marketplace seeks to connect Maldivian creative talent with demand for Dhivehi typefaces across digital and print media. Since its launch, it has continued to expand both its font collection and its network of contributors.

The recognition at Maldives Expo comes as Akuru Type prepares to present further developments at the exhibition, which runs from 25 October to 4 November 2026.

The company will exhibit at the Digital Pavilion, where visitors can explore its marketplace, view its growing collection of Dhivehi fonts and learn about the role of typography in the visual identity of the Dhivehi language.

Akuru Type also plans to use the expo to introduce new products and fonts, as well as additional contributors to the marketplace. According to the company, these developments form part of its continuing efforts to expand the possibilities of Dhivehi type design and support the designers and foundries behind it.

The planned additions are intended to broaden the choices available to users while giving more creators an avenue to showcase and distribute their work.

Designers, businesses and members of the public visiting the Digital Pavilion will have the opportunity to meet the Akuru Type team and learn more about its platform, font licensing and upcoming releases.

Through its marketplace and community initiatives, Akuru Type aims to strengthen the local typography sector by combining access to Dhivehi fonts with opportunities for the people who create them.