Edtech

1. 1. The missing ingredient

   → The demand for online education is evergreen, but student motivation is a sticking point for lasting engagement.

   → As a remedy, startups are now adding in-built social layers to online learning, from fostering communities on their platforms to facilitating live learning.

2. 2. Cutting out the universities

   → Edtech startups increasingly aim to acquire students directly rather than via educational institutions or the B2B market.

   → This may make for a speedier process than selling to schools or universities, and arguably leaves more room for experimentation with alternative learning formats.

3. 3. Rethinking further education

   → The three-year university degree may no longer be able to accommodate reskilling and lifelong learning needs in the face of technological change.

   → Add to that the rising costs of tuition, and mix in the pragmatism of digitally native Gen Z, and it’s easy to see why alternative online solutions and income-sharing agreements are gaining momentum.

4. 4. The future of hybrid learning

   → With students back in classrooms, teachers will likely cast aside the niceto-haves and stick with tried and tested tools that make a real difference to their work.

   → Things look rosier for supplemental education, which can easily integrate so-called edutainment — tools designed to make learning playful — and score points for convenience by taking place remotely.

Who early stage startups are up against