Scaling EdTech Organically: Insights and Strategies

The benefits of technology have lent themselves to the education sector in recent times. This has led to the emergence of many EdTech startups.

EdTech, or educational technology, aims to enhance students' learning experience. It does this by incorporating technological tools and media in classrooms. In-classroom tablets, whiteboards, and virtual classrooms are all examples of EdTech. Students can learn how to use technology in a diverse learning environment.

Owing to its various advantages, this sector is proliferating. The Ed Tech industry in India grew at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 16.8% between 2017 and 2022^[1]. Globally, the industry is expected to expand at a CAGR of 13.6% from 2023 to 2030^[2]. As such, the market competition is intense.

To stay afloat in this scenario, EdTech startups must scale up and address challenges. Moreover, they also need to be on the lookout for growth opportunities. This blog details strategies to scale your Ed Tech startup for organic growth.

How to Scale EdTech Organically

Here are a few strategies to scale your Ed Tech startup. Remember, as opposed to inorganic growth techniques, which include mergers and acquisitions, organic growth strategy takes longer. But, it is also self-sustaining and long-term.

You can achieve lasting growth with patience, persistence, and applying the right methods.

Create a Comprehensive Roadmap

The first step is to create an exhaustive plan. Detail your goals, objectives, budget, market expansion tactics, and risk mitigation strategies. This might take a series of collaborative sessions, where diverse insights are proposed and organised. The result is a concrete plan with steps to install your revised strategy.

Also, think about the new industry trends and develop new ideas based on them. This will enable you to be a pioneer in the industry instead of a mere follower.

Improve Targeting

Altering your product to suit your buyers' needs better and resolve their problems is a foolproof way to improve sales. Here are some aspects to consider:

• Aim to make learning less complicated than traditional schooling methods. This will ensure that students take away knowledge while also having fun. Ideally, your platform should make students and teachers embrace the fun side of learning.

• Redesign the learning platform to be as user-friendly and straightforward as possible. The average schoolteacher might not have the time to figure out how to use a complicated new platform, which might lead to your efforts being in vain. Hence, it is essential to recognise how familiar your audience is with technology and tailor your efforts.

• Try to address the competitive spirit in students by introducing elements like a weekly scoreboard. This will help them track their progress while ensuring they return to your platform. However, make sure not to overdo it.

You can also take note of an approved school curriculum and develop innovative approaches to it. For example, Toondemy, an educational learning app created for children aged 3-10 years by Creative Galileo, aligned itself with NEP, NCERT, and CBSE to furnish strong foundations in basic concepts, learn phonics, and more.

Incorporate New Technology

Due to the exponential growth in the technology sector, new trends are introduced regularly. From the Internet of Things (IoT) to Virtual Reality (VR) and Artificial Intelligence (AI), there is no end to the variety of technology you can leverage to optimise your product.

What you choose to include depends on what you are aiming to do. Technology can help with alternate forms of representing information. This includes video, audio, image, etc. It can also help users find information.

Remember, your platform's productivity depends on your technology's efficiency. Furthermore, the kind of technology you bring to the table could be your unique value proposition (UVP). It sets you apart in the market, giving you a competitive edge.

Familiarity with technology and its correct usage can be challenging, especially for new startups. You can consider partnering with professionals to help you. At Growth Jockey, our experts, with their years of experience in the technological arena, analyse your requirements and provide optimal technical solutions.

Build Partnerships

Seeking out and fostering partnerships with schools, teachers, and organisations in the educational sector is instrumental when scaling your product. In addition to ensuring a vast market and expanding your reach, it will eliminate anxiety over product acceptance.

Collaborative approaches can include teacher training programs and offering joint services. Teachers that you build connections with can also help expand your product to other schools. Moreover, collaborations can provide you with critical insights from students and teachers. This, in turn, can help you understand your target audience better.

Challenges in the EdTech Industry

One of the most important questions you need to ask yourself while scaling your startup is, “What are the current challenges in the industry, and how can I overcome them?” Consequently, you can scale your EdTech business to address these challenges.

Here are some of the problems that the industry commonly faces:

Hesitation to Adopt Technology

Educational institutions generally prefer conventional learning methods and are reluctant to accept changes. This is mainly because parents and teachers consider technology distracting. They are not accustomed to using laptops and smartphones for educational purposes. There is also apprehension that technology will replace teachers.

To encourage the widespread adoption of EdTech, startups need to highlight the benefits of their solution and how it can make everybody’s jobs easier. They also need to focus on portraying the complementary nature of the solution effectively to mitigate concerns over teachers becoming obsolete.

Difference in Approaches

There is a considerable gap in the ideologies of the startup and the academic domains. Results and deliverables are the markers of the startup world. Education is more about discussing, conferring, and learning.

Hence, startups need to communicate better with their stakeholders to design better products. You can also include members from the educational sector in your team while scaling your business.

Privacy Concerns

Unprotected or poorly protected EdTech platforms can lead to privacy and data protection issues, especially with many connected devices. This might cause hesitation to integrate technology at the school level.

In this case, make sure you follow all the government-prescribed privacy regulations. In addition, demonstrate your products’ safety to alleviate these concerns.

Latest Industry Trends

In any industry, it is necessary to keep up with the latest trends and make the most of them for your business. The EdTech industry is no exception.

Here’s a look at some of the latest trends in the EdTech industry that will assist you in scaling your startup to be more relevant and efficient.

A Move to Hybrid Education

The pandemic has shifted online learning from an elite space to being commonplace. Subsequently, although the online and offline modes of education are separate at the moment, they are predicted to blend to become an efficient method.

India as an EdTech Leader

Multiple factors have led to the immense growth of the Ed Tech in India, including the following:

• The substantial English-speaking population allows international EdTech firms to expand in India without spending resources on translation.

• The lack of quality access to education in many parts of the country means EdTech companies can bridge gaps by offering cost-effective, quality education.

• Indian EdTech firms like Emeritus have achieved global success.

Wrapping Up

In conclusion, along with a clear idea of the emerging trends in the industry and building on them, there are various strategies that you can leverage to achieve organic growth in your business. Another crucial part of scaling a business is recognising challenges and mitigating them.

At GrowthJockey, our professionals are well-versed in several strategies. Our seasoned experts contribute a range of insights, from an acute understanding of the market to assistance in designing your product to well-developed growth strategies. With us, you can navigate the EdTech landscape with little trouble and potentially transform the education sector with innovation.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What are some examples of successful EdTech companies?

Khan Academy, Coursera, and Udemy are EdTech companies that offer good education with flexible courses.

2. How do we secure partnerships in the educational community?

Here are some ways to secure successful partnerships:

• Demonstrate your solution to the pain points and highlight the educational impact

• Provide training and support

• Stress the novelty of your approach and how you can assist better than your competitors can

3. What are some things to note before expanding internationally?

Scaling up might include international expansion as well. To do this effectively, consider cultural differences and tailor your platform accordingly. Create and use strategies to overcome language barriers as well.

1. 16.8% between 2017 and 2022 - Link ↑
2. 13.6% from 2023 to 2030 - Link ↑