Kenyan startup Sunrise Homeschooling is tapping into the post-COVID homeschooling popularity via its online learning platform, having pivoted from a tutoring model.
Founded as a tutoring centre in 2016, Sunrise previously facilitated one-on-one meetings between tutors and students, a model founder and CEO Ben Kairu said was “expensive to run, inefficient, and would cost the customer five times more”.
“When Covid-19 hit, there were so many enquiries, and since we could no longer continue with in-person tutorship, we had to innovate around ways to continue offering services to our customers,” he said. “At the initial stages, we tried using Goggle Classroom, but they were so limited and we decided to develop our own portal.”
This was completed by December 2020, and launched in January 2021. Sunrise Homeschooling offers parents the option of a real and comprehensive school, offered virtually.
“This means we run real school as you know it, but virtually. Ours is not subject-by-subject tutorship or revision classes, even though this can be arranged, or even after school online classes. We are a real virtual school away from the traditional buildings,” said Kairu.
“We offer approved international curriculums, our students receive high quality, affordable, convenient education transmitted virtually, and after they are done with high school, they get to attend any university of their choice globally since the exams are recognised worldwide.”
The self-funded company, which charges tuition fees to parents, says it has seen “mind-blowing” uptake since its pivot.
“Since launch, we have thousands of students registered on our portal from over 15 different countries, and the demand keeps growing. This is impressive growth once you consider we have not done any major marketing drives so far. The majority of clients have been referred by other clients and no major outside capital has been obtained so far,” Kairu said.
“We have students from the US, all the way to China, and in-between. It’s a virtual product and accessible to students across the globe. There has been some technicality that comes with time differences, but we are in the midst of a solution that we shall be launching soon.”
Kairu says Sunrise is all set to go global.
“A revolution is underway, one that the world cannot resist,” he said.
