Education in general, edtech in particular, is one of the fast-growing sectors globally. In the last few years, we have seen the rise and gradual cultural acceptance of MOOCs across the world. We have experienced a growing use of technologies such as AR/VR in delivering educational content. Experiments around teaching technology skills and creativity have been on the rise. Startups like Lambada School in the US have been testing a new educational model where you only pay for your education when you get a job after graduation. Education is a huge thing and offers an incredible opportunity for entrepreneurs to build consequential ventures.
According to Tracxn data from 2016, more than $9.6B is being invested in the sector since 2006. Yet, it is easy to say that the sector is just getting started and we are just scratching the surface.
In recent years, we have seen a growing number of EdTech startups in Bangladesh. We have all kinds of companies starting from SaaS - targeting schools and management, online education, online tutoring platform, online test preparation platforms, after-school programs for kids, online coding platforms, and so on. Here are 20 startups that we have found interesting. For making this list, we have borrowed from a similar list we published in 2016 here and a list put together by the CEO of Light of Hope Waliullah here.
01. Eshkul: School management system that provides a cloud-based integrated system for teachers, students, and guardians through the web and mobile apps.
02. REPTO: An Online Course Marketplace that allows users to create and sell courses online. The startup recently graduated from GP Accelerator.
03. Educarnival: E-discovery, test preparation, and education resources portal.
04. ClassTune: School management software designed for Students, Parents, and Teachers.
05. CoderTrust: Helps new and existing freelancers to learn coding and computer by applying the microcredit model and also helps them to find work and earn from existing freelancing platform.
06. Light of Hope: Is an education company focusing on improving future skills of children like creativity, problem-solving, critical thinking and emotional intelligence. Learn more here.
07. Classroom: ClassRoom is a fun and convenient way to learn your academic courses. Cover all subject from Class VIII to Graduation.
08. Tech Academy: A place where futuristic science and technology is built and taught to kids of Bangladesh.
09. Lets Learn Coding: Lets Learn Coding aims to facilitate and educate the youth with the power of coding and programming to improve their lives.
10. 10 Minute School: Provides quality educational content so that anyone can learn anything, at any time, from anywhere, completely free of cost.
11. Eshosikhi.com: Provides quality education all over Bangladesh
12. Caretutors.com: Helps students/parents connect with qualified tutors in-person and online tutors in over 12 different categories.
13. AlterYouth: Scholarship platform where anyone can give scholarships directly to students in government primary schools.
14. Search English: Is an open platform for Bangladeshi people to practice English like a language and develop their level of proficiency in English writing and have a better career and better life. Which is why our slogan is “Learn English to Change life.”
15. Shikhbe Shobai: Online and offline learning platform help anyone learn technology and creative skills to achieve personal and professional goals. Students can enroll in our courses from anywhere in the world and have access to our wide range of services. Working as a freelancer knows no age limit; having a skill set is enough to start earning from home.
16. Shikkhok.com: The Shikkhok.com project aims to provide free online education and high-quality courses in the Bengali language to rural and disadvantaged students
17. BYLCX.com: BYLCx, the online learning academy of BYLC, provides online learning to equip young people with leadership, professional development, and 21st-century skills, and enable them to have high impact in public, private, and civil sectors. BYLCx is not an online leadership training program. It is not an extension of BYLC’s existing programs. In fact, with BYLCx, BYLC has entered the broader education market with a rather sophisticated strategy. It is a major departure from BYLC’s existing leadership-focused education offering. BYLCx will go beyond leadership and mainly focus on the professional development of young people with a special focus on employability skills
18. Shonod Edutainment: Founded by Saydujjaman Shamim. Shonod offers e-learning opportunity for children from Class 1 to 12 based on the national curriculum. Parents can buy DVDs of the entire class or subjects with a small fee. Shonod is one of the earliest startups to enter into curriculum-focused e-learning for students in Bangladesh.
19. e-Shikhon.com: Founded by Ibrahim Akbar, eShikhon (ই-শিখন) is the largest online skill development platform in Bangladesh. Unlike Repto, eShikhon has a broad range of courses and admission preparation tests for students too. Besides making their courses online, it also offers DVDs for students who don’t have high-speed internet to take online or live courses. Most interestingly, eShikhon now hired 45 local agents (local IT training centers) all over Bangladesh where interested students can come to take their courses using the agent’s computer and internet facility. This smart move enables them to use existing local training infrastructure to reach out to more students.
20. Tutoriaa.com: Similar to Caretutors.com, Tutoriaa also connects Students and Tutors through their platform. According to their website, they have 20,000+ tutors ready and scattered across the country for providing in Home tutor service, Online tutor service, and Group classes.
