EduSpaze: The Power of EdTech in Transforming Education

EduSpaze is an Edtech accelerator founded in 2019 and headquartered in Singapore that provides support to early-stage Edtech startups in both Singapore and Southeast Asia. This initiative is backed by Enterprise Singapore, the enterprise development agency of the Singapore government and managed by  Spaze Ventures, a venture capital firm specializing in early-stage startup investments throughout Southeast Asia. Their overarching objective is to cultivate a thriving ecosystem for Edtech startups in the region. EduSpaze is deeply dedicated to facilitating the success of Edtech startups across Singapore and Southeast Asia. With that, why don’t you join me in learning more about EduSpaze with its Managing Director, Alex Ng.

What inspired you to explore and invest in the startup ecosystem?

I started helping companies grow over the last sixteen years of my career after I switched from engineering to join a VC firm, and later joined IE Singapore (now Enterprise Singapore) to help companies grow and internationalize. When I started Spaze Ventures nine years ago, it was more to help very early stage startups. They were all idea-to-MVP stage startups and we quickly realised that it is not enough to just provide capital. The startups need a lot more support: they need resources, connection, clients, partners, mentors and a lot more to grow. And because of that, we started doing a lot of things that were very hands-on. We realized that we can try to bring all these stakeholders and partners to the startups and it became an operating model for us. 

When we started EduSpaze, we took a similar approach, but an education sector specific approach. With a sector focus, it became slightly easier to dive deeper and bring on all the right stakeholders. We brought in schools, universities, publishers, distributors, government agencies, associations and all from the education sector and “putting” them into one large network of ecosystem alliance and partnership. This can help startups test and grow faster across the region. For instance, we can connect each team to ten to twenty partners and schools to test the market and give them feedback; and it will be a better and faster way for them to assess and test the market. They are able to get on the ground feedback from teachers, schools, and distributors. So this has been our model and it's a quite natural progression for us to invest and build the edtech ecosystem to support the startups.

What inspired the founding of EduSpaze, and what are the key goals or objectives of the organization?

Timing and opportunity. Edtech is not new and it has been growing well in China and US for the last ten years, but very nascent in Southeast Asia. We wanted to dive into a sector that we are passionate and has growth potential. The long term goal and vision is to be the number one edtech accelerator and ecosystem in the region. We will continue to do what we’ve been doing and we really want to anchor down on this region and continue to work with more edtech startups, schools and partners. We have worked with about 50 edtech startups over the last three years and we want to continue to do this and to help each company be successful.

How does EduSpaze differentiate itself from other players in the education space? What makes it unique?

I think it’s putting everything together, having the ecosystem, capital and the way we work with  founders. The combination of all these becomes a rather unique way in which we have been functioning; and our way to differentiate. It also helps that we are the first and only edtech accelerator in this region supported by Enterprise Singapore. We are also one of the most active edtech investors in this region. When founders talk to other founders they tend to refer a lot more. So I would say it’s all three parts: ecosystem play which helps them grow faster, a founder friendly investment approach, and the way my team works with founders.

Could you describe some of the successful initiatives or projects that Eduspaze has implemented to support education and learning?

Education is important and we don't want to just drive education products or startups by growing the number of transactions. We want kids and adult learners to really benefit from it. We do not want to just sell a platform that transacts but does not help learners learn. The key focus here is that we make sure that the product and companies that we work with have a strong focus on learning. We are serious about pedagogy and have worked with Education Alliance Finland for the last three years to really help the teams dive deeper on pedagogy. They support the teams on their pedagogy for each of the products. Most of the academic teams also went through their certification, to review and ensure that the product is pedagogically sound. 

We also work with impact partners and foundations to make sure that the founders understand the need to measure impact. This is not easy but at least we increase the awareness and to direct the focus to maximise their mission and positive impact that the startups can eventually bring. All founders will go through these sessions during our programme to make sure that they are consciously aware.

There is another new initiative that we are launching, called “Adopt-a-School”, essentially for us to invite partners, companies, individuals to sponsor education tools to students or schools to provide access to education and to improve learning. Through our network, we identify the right schools that are willing to receive such support and match them with the right companies to sponsor edtech tools, digital content, or other products that some of the edtech startups in this region can provide. This initiative will serve all three parties, to achieve a triple win. 

What is Eduspaze’s relation to Spaze Ventures?

EduSpaze is Singapore’s 1st edtech accelerator supported by Enterprise Singapore. It is an education sector specific accelerator that runs programs to help startups strengthen their products and test new markets in the region. Spaze Ventures is essentially the seed capital firm that invests into the startups.

What is your vision for the future of Eduspaze? How do you plan to drive innovation and impact within the education industry?

We have always positioned ourselves as a partner to strengthen the ecosystem, and continue to work with founders to grow. The long term vision is to be the number one edtech accelerator and ecosystem in the region. But I think more importantly, the mission doesn't change. We continue to work with founders of edtech startups, and stakeholders of this entire ecosystem to make sure that we can all create that positive growth: to help startups grow, learners improve and also create positive economic impact.

Alex Ng is the Managing Director of Eduspaze. His primary task is to oversee investment strategy, manage mentorship programs, manage access to resources, and represent EduSpaze to the public and to investors. As the Managing Director, Alex is committed to giving the Southeast Asian region, and hopefully the rest of the world as well, easy access to education with the help of technology. He is committed to giving Edtech startups the help they need to scale and provide easier access to education across the region and the world.

Visit www.techshake.asia if you would like to know and connect more with Eduspaze.