The B2C EdTech Space Is Booming. Here’s Why


Online education continues to be one of the fastest-growing investment opportunities worldwide, with global education and training expenses expected to top $10 trillion by 2030.  The pandemic helped to fuel the surge of those seeking online learning opportunities, paving the way for sustained digital integration by normalizing this way of being taught.

 

When it comes to educational technology, companies who were early adopters have had an advantage over their brick-and-mortar peers, who are just at the start of their digital maturity journey. The Genius Group, which has focused on educating entrepreneurs since its inception in 2002, is poised for tremendous growth, making it an attractive investment opportunity. Since the launch of their EdTech platform, GeniusU in 2015, the company’s internal growth has outpaced the market, a sign of the strength of their products suite. In fact, from 2021 to 2022 the company experienced an impressive 60.68% year-over-year growth in revenue.

 

In addition to years of experience in the space, the Genius Group also stands out from its peers in the online education space in their positioning as an alternative, rather than a supplement to, the current education system, particularly to aspiring entrepreneurs. The company’s emphasis on entrepreneurship and business skills that teach individuals to create their own job rather than learn to get a job, has differentiated them within the EdTech space.

 

According to Statista, by 2027, an estimated 86.5 million people will be freelancing in the United States, making up roughly 50 percent of the total U.S. workforce. The Genius Group helps aspiring freelancers and gig economy workers to successfully pursue their career goals through the company’s proprietary targeted learning modules. Currently, students and partners from 20,000 cities in 200 countries connect to the Genius Group platform.

Other notable players in the EdTech space include Udemy, which recently reported revenue growth of 22% year-over-year and a long-term growth target of 25% to 30% and Coursera, which reported their expected revenue growth to be 25% for Fiscal Year 2022.

 

These companies’ growth rates hover around the 20% mark mainly due to their sales in the B2B market. However, their B2C segments are growing at a much slower rate. The Genius Group, by contrast, has focused their efforts primarily on the B2C segment and are finding success with a continuous increase in organic growth. Customers who try one course frequently return to purchase additional Genius Group courses.

 

Today, people turn to their computers first to research and learn about areas of interest, whether it’s to broaden their skill set or gain specialization in a specific area. And many of those seeking knowledge from their screens learn from influencers on social platforms like YouTube, TikTok and Twitter. Platforms like these are specialized in their domain and the Genius Group has built partnerships with  many of these influencers and helped to make their content accredited. This has completely upended the traditional model of education.

 

No other EdTech company currently offers the depth and breadth of entrepreneurial courses that the Genius Group does. They own the majority of their own course content across all subsidiaries and acquisitions, which allows them to focus on keeping content costs low and in turn helps to boost gross margins. In addition, most of this course content is accredited which is a main differentiator from other EdTech platforms, who are primarily providing content from third party providers  As the Genius Group continues to make acquisitions in the EdTech space, the opportunity continues to increase for greater revenue synergies, by aligning sales channels and expanding the content library.

 

Additionally through partnership with thought leaders, Genius Group plans to accelerate its student base growth and improve operational metrics, making this company the leader in the B2C EdTech market. The projected EBITDA for FY 2023 is net positive, with an expected revenue of $48 million to $52 million, a 37% increase from $35 million to $38 million 2022 pro forma guidance.




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