Pandemic has taught us the virtue of accepting uncertainty. The education sector had to come to terms with this forced uncertainty more than anyone else. Though we are almost out of its shadows, there is still a lingering fear of being denied the right of pursuing education, with all the able mentorship and learning resources, without losing valuable learning years. Ed-tech platforms have mushroomed like anything to cater to the growing demand for online education. However, due to the lack of visibility, many students and parents are left clueless as to which course to choose. Uolo, an online ed-tech company, with unique and thoughtfully designed programs, is fast emerging as a one-stop platform for online education seekers and tech-based learning portals. Analytics Insight has engaged in an exclusive interview with Pallav Pandey, Founder, and CEO, of Uolo.

1. Kindly brief us about the company, its specialization, and the services that your company offers.

Uolo is an online-first platform that brings tech-based learning programs to K-12 students via their school at a low cost. Our aim is to utilize technology to radically boost learning outcomes.

Affordability is a major challenge when it comes to disrupting the education sector with technology.

The most dominant edtech players currently available in the market are priced at around INR 20,000. In comparison, around 98% of students pay less than INR 30,000 per year in school tuition. As a result, economically disadvantaged students are unable to afford these edtech platforms. Uolo seeks to address this issue.

We believe pedagogy and technology must collaborate to provide scalable learning experiences with measurable results. Uolo partners with institutions to offer high-quality, yet affordable learning programs. In addition, we also provide state-of-the-art school-parent communication software and ERP features for school management at no additional cost.

Uolo's programs improve are focused on improving English communication skills, getting better outcomes in mathematics, and learning block programming and coding. We also offer an after-school online program to help students with their overall personality development.

2. With what mission and objectives were the company set up? In short, tell us about your journey since the inception of the company.

Technology has revolutionized all industries, from logistics and shopping to healthcare services and even wealth management. However, it had little to no impact on our education system. There are various factors that have prevented the technology from making the necessary shift when it comes to learning.

However, there was a massive shift amidst the pandemic two years ago. The restrictions related to COVID-19 compelled schools to move out of the four walls of the classroom and the routine of typical school hours through digital products. Yet, affordability continues to remain a major concern for the broader adoption of new ed-tech solutions in our education system.

We are on a mission to provide ed-tech for the masses. We started with about 150 -schools in the year 2015 and have now expanded as a  community with more than 5,500 schools and 2 million students across the country.

We don't charge schools for our products and services; instead, we monetize by offering affordable and quality ed-tech solutions. For us, schools are not our customers; they are our partners. Uolo also allows partner schools to build additional revenue streams with our learning programs. In addition, schools that use Uolo benefit from improved student outcomes, a stronger brand image, and increased enrollments.

3. Brief us about the proactive Founder/CEO of the company and his/her contributions to the company and the industry.

Pallav Pandey is the co-founder and CEO of Uolo. He holds a degree in B.Tech from IIT, Kanpur. Mr. Pandey, a serial entrepreneur, had successful exits from two startups, FastFox and Knowlarity Communications, before incepting Uolo. Both of them were B2B companies focused on large yet unorganized markets.

Mr. Pandey aims to provide high-quality but affordable offerings to K-12 students while helping schools enhance their communication and administration with their products through Uolo. As the co-founder and CEO, Mr. Pandey is responsible for the strategy, team-building, fund-raising, and overall growth of the company.

He also appoints the best professionals for Uolo's growth to improve their solutions and boost the overall user engagement. Besides improving teachers' efficiency, he also simultaneously focuses on retaining parents' expectations and students' participation.

4. What is your biggest USP that differentiates the company from competitors?

The ed-tech industry has witnessed tremendous growth in the past two years. However, with the recent global economic turmoil and the reopening of schools, there has been a slowdown, along with a funding drought. While on one hand, we have bootstrapped companies like Physicswallah, emerging as unicorns, on the other hand, we are witnessing downturns in the situations of companies like Lido, Vedantu, and WhiteHatJunior. The sector is also struggling to maintain its relevance and acquire more learners.

While there is no shortage of high-quality offerings, the issue lies in inefficient distribution and high costs. There is a demand for ed-tech solutions. However, these challenges have made it harder for market players to reach the general public.

To fill this gap, Uolo collaborates with schools to make digital learning programs available to students. This way, our partner service providers also reduce their expenditure on marketing and new customer acquisitions. Instead, we help them introduce their services on our platform to reach more students via schools.

5. What are your growth plans for the next 12 months?

Uolo currently works with 5500+ schools and 2 million students. We are focussed to take this to 50,000 schools and 20 Mn students by FY 2025.

In the short term (next 12 months), the company is looking to create high-quality affordable learning programs. These are being done in-house but the company remains open to opportunistically acquire companies that have good learning programs.

6. What is your leadership mantra?

My leadership mantra is firstly to hire intelligent people who are motivated by our mission to take EdTech to the masses because only talented people attract talent and create a cohesive environment to feel confident working with them.  Secondly, giving these A-grade people only high-level direction and letting them have plenty of room to execute along the strategic direction, is one of my guiding principles.

7. Where do you see growth coming in for the sector?

During the pandemic, parents gravitated toward digital platforms for education when every school was closed and children lost their way during critical developmental years. They served as an excellent bridge solution, but now that the schools have resumed operations, parents are debating whether edtech platforms are worth the money. This directly led to the closure of numerous ed-tech firms.

There is a need for K–12 education to intervene with edtech solutions and adopt a hybrid model. Besides improving academic performance, it will help the edtech sector grow in the coming days by innovating in data analytics and enhancing personalized learning experiences. Learning games are already being implemented in schools, as evidenced by STEM courses taught using Minecraft, for instance.

The next few years will be pivotal for us as we reshift our behavior in the post-COVID world. The same goes for education. And Uolo will continue to empower students with the affordable resources they need to co-create this future.