Venture Insights #4: Emile
"Reimagining online learning for high schoolers"
Quick Update:
Emile just announced a seed round on May 2021, led by Kleiner Perkins with participation from Softbank, Sequoia scout + execs Cameo, Uber & Goldman Sachs). Read here for more details.
The Pitch 💡
“Emile Learning is a subscription-based digital learning platform for secondary students. We are addressing the shortfalls of standard remote learning by providing professional-quality livestreams and a proprietary LMS focused on content mastery. Our vision is to develop a global community of learners who are no longer constrained by where they were born or the resources available at their school.
Our team is made up of educators, engineers, designers and business analysts driven by our mission to improve academic and economic potential of all learners.” - Emile
Founding Team 👥
Felix Ruano: Prev. CEO @ Vault Prep (prep assessment platform, placed students into the likes of Harvard, Stanford & Yale), Business Analyst @ Mckinsey.
Michael Vilardo: Prev. Digital PM @ Nike, Strategy & Ops @ Uber.
Jonathan Quiros: Prev. Tech lead @ Dun & Bradstreet (IPO-ed).
The Sparks ✨
The unbundling of K-12 education: The vast adaptation of distant schooling has accelerated the trend in online learning. As the students moving forward independently (less physical interaction with teachers and classmates), there’s a need to re-structure the way the curriculum is being constructed, to create a better learning experience that can fit into this so-called new norm. The demand for home-schooling doesn’t see a downward trend for the past 1.5 decades, and it might never be either. Hence, solidifying the justification above.
US Education Review - Union Square Ventures Make a way for affordable learning:
According to HSBC, the average total expenditure on children’s education from primary up to the end of their undergraduate study cost them about US$59,000, which is 35% higher than the global average expenditure. Given the context, UK pays out US$25,000 whereas Canadian parents consume just about US$ 23,000. This expenditure comes at the cost of their spending on other plans, which includes 21% on extended working hours, 20% make less of a contribution to long-term savings and 40% foregoing on leisure.
With just US$20/month, students can get access to an unlimited list of courses offered by Emile. This comes with propositions such as a community of learners and teachers, credit-earning for the AP exams and vetted teachers/instructors.
Blending core curriculum and interest-driven learning. Learning itself is a lifetime journey. It’ll never end regardless of when you end up getting your qualifications from. The ability to give students the power to construct their own learning path will be critical to their future careers. In the longer run, students that have exposure to autarchic and innovative learning have better reservations about the job information.
Gallup - Creativity in Learning report
Snapshot 📸
