How Edtech is Changing the Business Landscape

In today’s technology-driven world, the rise of educational technology companies has provided an invaluable resource for schools, universities, and businesses.

These education-focused tech companies offer a wide range of products and services that help educators create better learning experiences for students and provide support for corporations to stay competitive in their industry.

Edtech startups are playing an increasingly important role in modernizing educational systems around the world by providing solutions such as virtual classrooms, AI-enhanced assessment tools, cloud-based collaboration platforms, and more.

Regardless of your business or organization's size or type, these innovative apps can assist you along every step of your journey.

In today’s RFS, I’m diving deeper into what makes these edtech companies so valuable – and why they're needed now more than ever before.

How India’s EdTech Scene is Leading the Way

With the outbreak of COVID-19, the Indian education system has struggled to facilitate classes with the limited number of online resources available, causing a paradigm shift in making the Edtech space a vital part of mainstream learning.

India is on track to have a booming edtech industry with an estimated worth of $10.4 billion with 37 million paying customers by 2025. It's clear the marketplace for quality, personalized learning outside academic courses in smaller cities has created huge potential within this field.

Edtech startups in India have seen remarkable growth over the past few years. Startups like BJYU’S, Unacademy and Toppr are some of the most well known in the sector. These startups have managed to transform education in India by providing high quality educational services at a significantly lower cost than traditional methods such as physical classrooms or private tutoring.

Their reach has extended beyond India to other countries such as China, Indonesia and the United States.

These edtech startups have paved the way for innovation in Indian education, helping bridge the gap between rural and urban areas. They’ve enabled access to comprehensive learning programs and content no matter where the student is located, from remote villages to major cities.

In addition to providing more affordable educational services, these companies offer mentorship programs which guide aspiring entrepreneurs through launching their own successful businesses.

EdTech Companies Around the World

There’s a list of emerging and growing startups in the edtech space around the world, and these are some of them.

💡 Edapp, based in Australia, is helping leading companies like CocaCola, Colgate and Deloitte equip their employees with the skills they need to succeed. They offer an abundance of free courses on diverse topics ranging from data protection to operating machinery, providing comprehensive instruction for both retail and corporate learners.

Funding: $7.2M (Corporate Round)

💡 Preply, an innovative Massachusetts-based startup, is revolutionizing the way people are learning. Thanks to their platform’s “structured learning” option and a growing tutor network of over 100K students worldwide.

Funding: $100.1M (Series C)

💡 Labster is an innovative startup that gives students an opportunity to explore science labs from anywhere with VR and AR software. Now, over 1,000 universities across the globe have access to Labster’s 150+ virtual labs – creating a new way of learning while staying safe.

Funding: $150.5M (Series C)

Edtech Companies in MENA and Pakistan

Technology has opened tons of new opportunities for the education sector in the Middle East and Pakistan. Here are some of the startups I came across.

💡 Abwaab is helping empower secondary school students in Jordan by providing online content tailored to the local educational curriculums. Through Abwaab, students can access lessons and receive feedback digitally instead of relying on traditional offline tutoring services. To further their mission, Abwaab recently acquired Edmatrix, a Pakistani edtech startup.

Funding: $27.5M (Total funding)

💡 Noon Academy is breaking down educational barriers with their innovative platform that makes learning enjoying and collaborative. The student-centric social learning service based in Saudi Arabia provides free, live interactive tutoring sessions supported by gamified features – available to students in Saudi, Egypt, India, and Pakistan.

Funding: $21M (Total funding)

💡 Almentor, based in Dubai, is a video learning platform for Arabic speakers, making professional education accessible to millions in the Middle East and North Africa,. With over 80 corporate partners across the region, Almentor has delivered more than two million unique educational experiences – empowering everyone with knowledge.

Funding: $14.5M (Total funding)

💡 Maqsad is changing the way Pakistani students learn. The innovative startup has opened up educational opportunities to an incredible 100 million people by providing engaging, gamified content in both English and Urdu. It’s a thrilling example of how technology can transform education for everyone.

Funding: $2.1M (Pre-seed)

Filling the Gap

From 2021 to 2025, the global edtech space is expected to grow to $112.39 billion with an annualized growth rate of 17.85%.

It’s clear that edtech startups provide an invaluable service for companies who wish to stay competitive in a rapidly changing technological landscape.

The potential of edtech startups cannot be overstated. They have the ability to shake up how business is done in the digital age, while empowering developing countries to have easy – and even sometimes free – access to education.