Singapore education technology startup Doyobi announced today (October 21) that it has closed a US$2.8 million pre-series A funding round led by Monk’s Hill Ventures, alongside other investors like Tresmonos Capital, Novus Paradigm Capital and XA Network.
Meanwhile, prominent angel investors include Carousell CEO Quek Siu Rui, Glints co-founders Oswald Yeo and Seah Ying Cong, and Grab Financial Group’s head, Reuben Lai.
Founded in August 2020, Doyobi empowers teachers to bring science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education and 21st-century skills to the classroom.
They hope to prepare kids to be inventors, entrepreneurs, and changemakers.
Empowered teachers means better students
The founding team of Doyobi has a depth of experience building and scaling companies in Southeast Asia, including founder and CEO John Tan, who has invested in tech companies himself, including Ninja Van, Chope, Redmart, Glints and Tribecar.
He is also the founder of coding school Saturday Kids and Japanese-inspired fashion label Controlled Commodity, and also a partner at venture capitalist group 8capita.
Today, Doyobi is a leading provider of STEM teaching resources and teacher professional development to schools through a virtual learning environment.
Through the platform, Doyobi educators can teach STEM and 21st-century related classes in a fun and interactive way, with guided courses that integrate videos, quizzes and projects.
Since its inception, Doyobi’s Virtual Learning Environment has been used by nearly 2,000 teachers in over 10 countries. Indonesia and the Philippines are two of Doyobi’s biggest markets, with a growing number of schools in Africa adopting Doyobi.
Doyobi’s curricula are also used in Code in the Community, the largest free coding programme in Singapore, supported by Google and the Singapore government.
There is a massive gap between what is being taught in schools and what children need to learn in order to be prepared for jobs of the future. Curiosity, imagination and empathy are just as important as literacy and numeracy skills.
Doyobi is focused on empowering teachers with the resources and skills to deliver STEM and 21st-century skills in the classroom.
– John Tan, founder and CEO of Doyobi
Future plans for Doyobi
With the new funding, the edtech startup said it will be used to launch new cohort-based courses aimed at upskilling teachers and to develop more resources to help teachers.
The edtech platform will also use the funding to grow ‘Teachers As Humans’, an online community for teachers to find peer support and opportunities for professional development.
Current partners include Leap Surabaya and Codercademy and private schools like HighScope Indonesia, Mutiara Harapan Islamic School and Stella Gracia School. A growing number of schools in Africa are adopting the Doyobi curriculum as well.
“We believe that Doyobi is the right team to address this massive gap in the education market. John and his team’s approach in combining both STEM and 21st-century skills delivered through their virtual learning environment are what will propel the education system forward,” said Peng T. Ong, co-founder and managing partner of Monk’s Hill Ventures.
Doyobi also has future plans to launch a fellowship for school leaders focused on STEM and 21st-century skills.
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Featured Image Credit: Doyobi via Facebook
