"The most important skill we can give kids is learning how to be adaptable"

“Coding is one of the essential skills of the 21st century; nearly every job in the future will need coding in one form or another,” said Strive Math. “And even in jobs where this is not the case, those who know how to code will have a substantial advantage over those who don't.”

The company said it was built on the idea that the development of AI automation and tech implies that everything students may learn today could be outdated in a few years.

Strive Math Founders

"The most important skill we can give kids or anyone is learning how to be adaptable," said co-founder and CEO Tamir Shklaz. “If you want to inspire adaptable students, learning should be fun, and learning should be joyful. So we really started Strive for the core intention of equipping kids to thrive in the 21st century by making them fall in love with the process of learning."

The company took part in CTech’s Startup Boarding Pass series to share how it expects to change the online education system for the next generation of coders.

Company Name: Strive Math

Sector: Education

Product/Service description:

Strive Math is an online coding school for kids aged 8-16. We empower students with the tools and resources to discover a passion for technology and pave the way for a career in the industry. Above all else, we focus on making the process of learning joyful!

Founder Bios:

Tamir Shklaz - A three-time founder, and Pulkit Agarwal, who has earned a Stanford MBA

Year of Founding: 2020

Last Investment Round: $1.3 million

Last Investment Stage: Seed

Date of Last Investment: February 2023

Total investment to date: $1.4 million

Investors (leading and all): YCombinator, Soma Capital, and Goodwater Capital.

Current number of employees: 13

Website:
https://www.strivemath.com/

Social Media:
https://www.linkedin.com/company/strivemath/mycompany

How was the idea born?

The idea was born at a startup accelerator Entrepreneur First, where Pulkit and I met. We never had an idea when we started, but we had a mission to make education for kids more joyful and meaningful.

After speaking to parents, we realized that there were very few options for kids to learn to code, and the few choices that did exist were dry and outdated.

So we looked into how coding can be fun and engaging for kids.

What is the need for the product?

Coding is one of the essential skills of the 21st century; nearly every job in the future will need coding in one form or another. And even in jobs where this is not the case, those who know how to code will have a substantial advantage over those who don't.

Strive was built on the idea that the development of AI automation and tech means everything you learn might be outdated in a few years

"The most important skill we can give kids or anyone is learning how to be adaptable," said co-founder and CEO Tamir Shklaz. “If you want to inspire adaptable students, learning should be fun, and learning should be joyful. So we really started Strive for the core intention of equipping kids to thrive in the 21st century by making them fall in love with the process of learning."

How is it changing the market?

Strive provides a 10x more effective and engaging learning experience than any other way of learning to code.

• Captivating teachers that make learning a joy - Our teachers aren't just highly-qualified coding experts: they're equally skilled at breaking problems down simply and empathizing with beginners.
• Personalized classes that create committed kids - Kids can choose projects that excite them and are guided at the perfect pace and depth for their experience.
• Cutting-edge pedagogy/learning methods - You didn't learn to ride a bike by listening to someone talk about it. In Strive classes, students don’t passively listen; they actively learn by doing and building while getting instant feedback on their mistakes.

How big is the market for the product and who are its main customers?

We are focusing on more than 3.7 million international school students across Asia and the Middle East

Does the product exist already? If not - at what stage is it and when is it expected to hit the market?

Yes, we started in December 2020 and have taught more than 1000 students.

Who are the main competitors in this sector and how big are they?

• Other online coding schools for kids.
• Byjus: A $10 billion company
• Juni Learning, which has secured a Series A

What is the added value that the founders bring to the company and the product?

Tamir is a 3x startup founder, engineer, and has a deep passion and experience for education

Pulkit is a graduate of Stanford with an MBA, a 3x founder, and previously ran a SAT tutoring business.

What will the money coming in from the round be used for?

Building new and exciting coding content.

Hiring teachers.

Scaling operations.

Open positions:

Head of Growth:
Full-time teacher:
Part-time teacher:

In the "Startup Boarding Pass" section, CTech will cover the (relatively) small investments made in companies during the early stages of their existence - and the entrepreneurs and startups who have not yet had the opportunity to reveal their stories to the world. Please use the linked form and fill it out according to the guidelines. This form is intended for startups raising between $500,000 and $3 million from venture capital funds, angels, or official grants from Israeli and foreign institutions. If relevant, someone at CTech will be in touch for follow-up questions.