Codeyoung: an EdTech start-up dedicated to introducing coding to K12 students
Codeyoung, a private start-up that provides live online coding classes to K12 students, was founded by IIT- Delhi alumni Shailendra Dhakad and Rupika Taneja in December 2019 and is based in Bangalore, Karnataka. The ed-tech start-up offers coding courses to K12 students between 5-16 years of age and is on a mission to develop cognitive skills and creative thinking among children through coding. Codeyoung claims to have achieved an impressive Net Promoter Score (NPS which is a commonly used benchmark in online learning) of 70+.
Coding helps instil a habit of curiosity in their impressionable minds; thus, pushing students to question, observe, analyse and record everything around them. Exposing students to coding at the K-12 level is a way of preparing them to adapt to the future. It is also in line with India’s new education policy in which the amendment prescribes courses in programming and web development for students in class 6 and above. At the end of the coding programme, K-12 students can build simple games, animations, and websites using Scratch and the more advanced learners in Classes 11 and 12 are introduced to the fundamentals of AI, ML, and robotics, and can develop responsive web pages and apps using Python. Fanning the curiosity of young, inquisitive minds is the cornerstone of Codeyoung’s mission, and something the platform aims to achieve in its community.
In September 2020, Codeyoung had raised $400,000 in a seed round from US-based Guild Capital and it had planned to use the funds to scale up in international markets, as well as strengthen its research, technology, and product teams. Presently, Codeyoung is a private team of two with 1 seed investor.
“We believe that the time is ripe for Codeyoung's products & services. We have seen that people are finding value in introducing their kids to coding at an early age and seeing a lot of positive impact on a kid's creativity and confidence. Being true to our values, we plan to launch several coding courses and engagement initiatives that will address the learning gaps, thus contributing towards the child's overall educational well-being. The trust shown by investors has further fuelled our desire to make coding more fun and contextual for school kids across the world”, said Shailendra Dhakad, Co-founder of Codeyoung
In just a year, Codeyoung claims to have enrolled over 15,000 students from five countries, including India, UAE, Australia, Malaysia, and the US. Half of the start-up’s user base comes from international markets. “Maximum traction, almost 70 percent, comes from students in Classes 4 to 7. That age group is showing good demand,” Shailendra reveals. Codeyoung has conducted over 40,000 live classes so far, and has a trainer/teacher base of 120 which is adding “15 new teachers per month”. The teachers come from varied backgrounds, including IITs and NIT. Given the ongoing boom in coding, Codeyoung looks to enrol 100,000 students by the end of 2021. The start-up says that it has recorded a 20 percent revenue growth month on month since April and plans to launch several new coding courses, interactive modules, assessments, and other engagement initiatives to fill the learning gaps in the school curriculum, and contribute to a child’s holistic development.
Codeyoung’s major competitor is Zuoyebang, China's largest online education start-up providing K12 tutoring company, that provides a web and mobile learning platform designed to assist K12 students. Its platform targets primary and secondary school students, enabling them to seek answers, get assistance on their homework, get teacher live streaming videos and homework evaluation. It attended the 2020 China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS) in Beijing during which Zuoyebang presented its cutting-edge suite of online education solutions including livestreaming courses, the latest Cocos-courseware for primary education, and Paperang P3 series miniature printer.
