Edtech startups in Singapore were developing education technology products before the COVID-19 crisis saw the edtech trends in Southeast Asia move towards internet-assisted home learning, in-class platforms and other technology-based tools and equipment for students of all ages. 

When the pandemic hit, the emerging edtech startups Southeast Asia was home to needed to step up their game to cope with the demand for homeschooling and lockdown educational needs. This increase in the necessity of access to learning online tools saw some of the following companies emerge as leaders in Singapore’s edtech scene. 

Doyobi

To increase pupil engagement in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) subjects in Singapore, Doyobi created its platform in 2020 to bring lessons from the Saturday Kids coding classes to the mainstream classroom.

Why Southeast Asia is attractive to foreign edtech startups

Doyobi’s virtual learning environment (VLE) technology helps make lessons fun and engaging while teaching the government and Google supported Code in the Community curriculum. With simple tools such as Scratch and games and videos making learning entertaining, the system encourages children to build their own projects and learn more about 21st-century technology. 

In October 2021, it brought in $2.8 million USD in pre-series A funding, with Monk Hill Ventures leading the way and local unicorns taking an interest through the CEO of Carousell and the head of Grab Financial Group amongst the angel investors. 

Cialfo

Deciding where to go for tertiary education is one of the biggest struggles many secondary level students face. With many options available both locally and abroad, Cialfo stepped up to the plate to offer a platform that assists this decision-making process. 

The platform helps bring all the information required in making such a life-changing decision into one, easy to use technology and offers support to students, their guardians, teachers and guidance counsellors as they make this journey. 

Making choosing a third-level education institute easier and assisting with the application process through its AI technology, Cialfo has come to the forefront of the edtech environment in Singapore. Its mission to help over 100 million students by 2030 is undoubtedly more achievable thanks to the $40 million USD it received recently, bringing its total funding so far to $62.6 million USD and making it an edtech “soonicorn”. 

Gnowbe

When Gnowbe launched in 2016, it entered the edtech landscape offering “bite-sized” online training courses for the workforce. Understanding that the world was rapidly moving towards online and mobile learning, Gnowbe tapped into the market and developed content for employees in many fields to continue their education and learn updated skills quickly and easily. 

The platform offers onboarding, sales enablement and learning and development solutions to various sectors, allowing companies to design and develop micro-learning content that assists their employees in their work. Its successful dissemination of information and training has led to it being named as the 4th best B2B SaaS company in Singapore in 2020.

Having raised $2 million USD in funding so far, the company is continuing to grow and is likely to garner more investment in the future, having come to the attention of many when it launched a free COVID-19 infection control course in March 2020. 

Geniebook

With the tagline “Learn Smarter. Do Better.” Geniebook has set out its mission as an edtech company that wants to work with each individual student to raise their education levels. Focussing on Mathematics, Science and English lessons, the platform uses AI technology to personalise the learning experience and enhance the educational experience of primary and secondary level students. 

Through its worksheets and assessment tools, Geniebook evaluates a student’s strong points and pinpoints their weaker areas, tailoring the lessons to tackle the problem areas and build the learner’s confidence. 

Before the pandemic pushed edtech to the forefront, Geniebook had received just over $1 million USD in funding. With the dawning of the new online learning age, it raised a further $16.6 million USD in October 2021 from East Ventures, Lightspeed Venture Partners and others. 

ACKTEC Technologies

By bringing together bite-sized mobile learning and a more extensive Learning Management System (LMS), ACKTEC Technologies have tapped into both the benefits of quick lessons and an eLearning platform that monitors progress and creates reports. 

With 16 countries now using its product, ACKTEC Technologies has over 750 thousand users and is poised to take on the more powerful global platforms. It raised $1 million USD in a funding round in March 2021, with other undisclosed amounts also making their way to the company since April 2020. 

As the edtech trends in Southeast Asia continue to evolve in a post-pandemic landscape, the edtech startups in Singapore are taking advantage of the opportunities now presented to them. Funding for technology in the region has increased despite global economic uncertainty, and the edtech startups Southeast Asia is producing are sure to reap the benefits of this new wave of investment in educational technology.