From Game Designer to Education Disruptor: My Journey at Enuma

As a Korean-American entrepreneur, CEO & co-founder of Enuma, an education startup, I've overcome obstacles and doubts to revolutionize learning for children worldwide.

1. Sooin Lee is the CEO and co-founder of education startup Enuma.
2. The company focuses on addressing struggles in the learning process for all children worldwide.
3. They have four major products: Todo Math, Todo English, Todo Korean, and Kitkit School.
4. Todo Math, Todo English, and Todo Korean are popular in Korea, Japan, and China.
5. Kitkit School won the Global Learning XPRIZE competition and received a $6 million grand prize from Elon Musk.
6. Enuma has raised $23 million in venture funding and has more than 10 million downloads.
7. The company started with personal motivation after Sooin's son was born with health issues and required special education.
8. A doctor suggested that Sooin's background in game design could be helpful for children with disabilities, leading to the idea of creating educational software.
9. After realizing that existing software for special education didn't meet their standards, Sooin and her husband decided to develop something better.
10. They wanted to create an enjoyable learning experience for children, especially focusing on basic math skills.
11. Their son has thrived with special education and serves as inspiration for the couple.
12. Enuma's target market expanded from children with disabilities to all struggling learners after Sooin realized that many other factors could contribute to learning difficulties.
13. The company released its first flagship product, Todo Math, in 2014, designed for kindergarten to second-grade students who struggle with math.
14. They faced unintended consequences when their app became popular among wealthy parents in East Asia who used it to give their children an early advantage in school.
15. Sooin and her team decided to focus on public education and entered the Global Learning XPRIZE competition to prove the value of tablet-based education for underprivileged children.
16. In Tanzania, they realized that young children preferred watching videos over playing games, which led them to adjust their approach by adding tutorial videos.
17. Enuma learned that observing and conducting pilot tests were crucial when developing educational software for children with limited technology experience.
18. The company became a co-winner of the Global Learning XPRIZE competition, receiving $5 million from Elon Musk.
19. Sooin's second child was born two weeks after the XPRIZE deadline, but her investors continued to support her and Enuma during this challenging time.
20. The pandemic has increased interest in digital-based learning, making B2C revenue for Enuma grow ten times since the pandemic began.
21. Sooin considers Enuma a mission-driven company rather than a non-profit organization or a typical venture-backed startup.
22. She advises female founders to be brave and face challenges head-on, as they often have unique difficulties in fundraising and managing family and work life balance.
23. Sooin emphasizes the importance of sustainability and focusing on long-term success rather than short-term growth.
24. Enuma aims to continue developing better software for the B2C market while solving unique problems that may not be covered in traditional textbooks or educational resources.

Source: EO via YouTube

❓ What do you think? What are the most significant barriers that women-led startups in the education technology space face in terms of fundraising, market perception, and societal expectations? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments!