Online learning platform GuruPanda Sdn Bhd concluded its first round of crowdfunding with pitchIN on 15 November 2021, successfully attracting investments totalling RM500,000.
The monies are slated to fund the company’s expansion plans which will see a brand-new app, new user interfaces and attractive features to encourage more participation from its existing subscribers as well as attracting a wider base.
“We also eventually hope to incorporate AI and Big Data onto our platform. This is the future of e-Learning, and we want to ensure that we remain competitive and attractive as the industry grows, and offer our subscribers the latest learning applications,” says founder Kingsley Ting.
Launched in January 2021, GuruPanda is an e-Learning platform for children aged between 4 and 15 years old, with the various offerings in its stable based on the Malaysian education syllabus.
The platform’s learning programmes are presently divided into two - English and Bahasa Malaysia content for children between the ages of 4 - 7, and Mandarin content for the 10 - 15-year-old group, based on the SJKC syllabus for Science, Math, History and Mandarin Language. Programmes for the 8 - 9-year group will eventually be included. GuruPanda also provides music courses on their platform for young children.
“Our first initiative moving forward will be a new app that will enable subscribers to access the learning programmes on the go. This will be available for all three operating systems namely IOS, Android and Harmony,” says Ting.
With the launch of this app, projected for the first quarter of next year, GuruPanda is looking to triple is subscriber base, especially tapping into the Malay market to widen students’ access to affordable and quality e-Learning options. At subscriptions of between RM130 to RM220 annually, GuruPanda is the most affordable animated, cartoon-based learning platform in Malaysia.
“Our programmes are very digitally interactive and offer complete and high-quality content that suit each child’s learning level,” Ting adds.
True to its objective to make education fun, engaging, accessible and affordable for everyone, the planned new interfaces will increase the gamification and animation elements of the programmes.
“Currently, students take tests and quizzes and play games in the learning process, collecting badges as rewards. The new interface will be more interactive and we plan for students to be able to exchange these badges for physical prizes such as laptops and mobile phones as well as in-programme avatars and cartoon characters.”
GuruPanda is presently only available in Malaysia, with a subscriber base of some 6,000 users. The company is poised to break into the regional market with a Mandarin language programme, taught in Thai, next year. Expansion plans into Indonesia and Vietnam are also in the pipeline.
“Our goal is to develop GuruPanda into a household name, both in Malaysia and SEA nations, that is synonymous with Fun, Accessible and Effective Learning,” Ting says.
Towards this end, the company is anticipating investments in its next crowdfunding initiative, seeking partners and investors who share the same mind-set of expanding e-Learning facilities. For more information on GuruPanda, visit the website at www.gurupanda.com.my
About GuruPanda
A Malaysian EdTech start-up, GuruPanda offers e-Learning programmes for children based on the current local syllabus. Content for the various subjects offered are designed and created by teachers with more than 30 years’ experience and cover English, Bahasa Malaysia, Mandarin, STEAM, Mathematics, Pendidikan Islam, Science Experiments, Music and Story Time. It is the most affordable and the only e-Learning platform using animated cartoons in Malaysia, with a wide use of interactive interfaces that make learning fun.
