Gredu, an Indonesian EdTech startup that works to keep teachers, parents, and students more engaged, has raised $4 million in its Series A funding round led by venture capital firm Intudo Ventures with participation from existing investor Vertex Ventures.
The Jakarta-based startup plans to use the fresh funds to expand its operations outside of Greater Jakarta, accelerate product development, and hire new talent.
Founded in 2016, Gredu aims to increase the level of engagement in a school environment to improve the overall schooling experience for teachers, parents, and students. The startup believes that technology can help improve the educational environment to create a better future and ecosystem. According to Rizky Aniez, Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Gredu, many teachers and parents in Indonesia rely on WhatsApp to keep in touch, creating “multiple groups that often become messy and highly ineffective, and result in confusion or lost threads.” Gredu was created to give everyone involved in the educational process – school administrators, teachers, parents, guardians, and students – a platform that lets them keep track of everything and communicate with one another.
While its initial target was K-12 education, the startup is now developing products to tap into new verticals, including preschools and university programs. The platform is currently used by more than 400 schools with a total of over 400,000 users.
Gredu’s platform currently has four main parts. Gredu School Management was created for administrators to access, process, and present school administration data, while Gredu Teacher lets educators monitor student attendance and create exam questions, and arrange class activities. Gredu Parents enables parents to keep track of the development of learning and activities carried out by children at school. Gredu Student lets students view test scores, attendance records, and the schedule of learning activities.
The startup has launched an online assignment feature before the COVID-19 pandemic, and during the pandemic, it added a new feature, Interactive Class, to facilitate remote learning. According to TechCrunch, the company plans to add new features and adapt Interactive Class for other uses once in-person schooling becomes the norm again.
Patrick Yip, Founding Partner at Intudo Ventures, commented on the funding, “Working with school districts and administrators, Gredu provides innovative solutions specifically tailored to enhance the quality, transparency, and effectiveness of Indonesia’s education system. We are proud to support Gredu at this critical juncture as they help more schools digitize their operations and create a positive impact for students throughout Indonesia.”
