Syafunda
Organization that provides innovative learning solutions through mobile technology.
| Date | Investors | Amount | Round |
|---|---|---|---|
$140k | Early VC | ||
| Total Funding | 000k | ||
| USD | 2020 | 2021 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Revenues | 0000 | 0000 | 0000 |
| % growth | - | 40 % | - |
| EBITDA | 0000 | 0000 | 0000 |
| Profit | 0000 | 0000 | 0000 |
| EV | 0000 | 0000 | 0000 |
| EV / revenue | 00.0x | 00.0x | 00.0x |
| EV / EBITDA | 00.0x | 00.0x | 00.0x |
| R&D budget | 0000 | 0000 | 0000 |
Source: Dealroom estimates
Related Content
Syafunda, a Durban-based educational technology company, was established in 2013 by Zakheni Ngubo. The founder's personal experience growing up in a township with a shortage of textbooks and qualified maths and science teachers fueled his mission to provide digital access to educational resources for students in underserved South African communities.
The company operates in the ed-tech market, focusing on bridging the digital divide in South Africa. Syafunda's core service is a learning and data management platform that provides access to digital content, even in areas with limited or no internet connectivity. It achieves this by setting up digital libraries that come with terabytes of pre-loaded educational materials and function as Wi-Fi hotspots, allowing anyone with a mobile device nearby to access the content for free. The platform caters to students from high school to post-high school levels. Its content is aligned with the South African curriculum, with a particular focus on Maths and Science, and also includes resources for entrepreneurship, digital skills, and financial literacy.
Syafunda's business model involves partnerships with local content developers and publishers to populate its digital libraries. Revenue is generated through corporate social investment (CSI) programs, where companies sponsor the infrastructure for schools, and directly from schools that can afford the costs. The company has also been developing an online bookstore to allow students to rent digital textbooks. Over the years, Syafunda has secured funding from various sources, including a significant ZAR 2.5 million (approximately US$140,000) from Edge Growth in 2020 to scale its operations in response to increased demand during the COVID-19 crisis. Other investments have come from figures like SA SME Fund CEO Ketso Gordhan and the Injini edtech accelerator.
Keywords: ed-tech, digital library, offline education, South Africa, mobile learning, STEM education, curriculum-aligned content, educational access, rural education, township schools, data management platform, Wi-Fi hotspots, corporate social investment, digital divide, Zakheni Ngubo, high school education, teacher support, digital textbooks, entrepreneurship skills, financial literacy