Outschool

Alumni Q&A

How did your company get started? (i.e., How did the founders meet? How did you come up with the idea? How did you decide to be a founder?)

One founder, who learned to code through a tutor their parents prioritized despite limited means, credits that early support for their later path. The company was built on the idea that children have varied interests and learning styles, using live online classes from real teachers to make subjects engaging (for example, teaching math through Pokemon).

What's the history of your company from getting started until the present day? What were the big inflection points?

The company started serving a large homeschooling population and grew more broadly during the 2020 Covid-19 pandemic when many children shifted to learning at home. It began international expansion in 2021 and now offers both extracurricular and academic classes, and is expanding tutoring services to address pandemic-related learning loss.

What is the core problem you are solving? Why is this a big problem? What made you decide to work on it?

The founders aim to make learning engaging by connecting it to children's interests, offering live online classes on a wide range of topics taught by vetted teachers since 2015. They position the platform as a flexible, more accessible option relative to private tutors, private schools, and after-school programs for families seeking alternatives to conventional education.