Where engagement is just as important as content, Lithuanian edtech Memby raises $1 million

Imagine a world where educators are actively encouraged to ensure student engagement is just as, if not more important, than the content itself. This is exactly the scenario Vilnius-based Memby is creating, and in doing so, has raised $1 million in pre-seed funding.

Often one of the most undervalued, underappreciated, and underpaid members of modern society, teachers are leaving the profession in record numbers. Combine this fact with outdated methodologies and curricula that may or may not be updated every decade or so, and it’s no wonder that almost a third of Europe’s 60 million pupils are questioning the efficacy of the entire system.

In order to ensure the future success of their children, parents often turn to tutors, educators that are not bound by a traditional system or methodologies. These independent educators are encouraged to alter their style of teaching, tailoring it to each and every student, often resulting in much higher rates of engagement, and thus subject comprehension. However, with tutors often rightly charging anywhere between €20 to €70 per hour, per student, multi-child households can quickly feel the financial strain.

Memby has set out to change this. The platform wants to take the tutor experience from the one-to-one to the one-to-many, all the while, losing none of the individual touches along the way. And do so at a fraction of the cost.

Launched in 2020 by co-founders Eimantas Bekėža and Silvestras Stonkus, Memby has already carefully selected 48 educators (including Cambridge University alumni) who are not only experts in their field but also display a genuine interest in fostering a love of learning in students. The platform offers over 6,000 hours of educational content, 24 subjects and courses to select from, and prices that are 5x cheaper (on average) than many of the aforementioned one-to-one tutors.

“In the long term, what a student needs to achieve is motivation, inspiration, and guidance. Only a tutor who is passionate about both their subject and teaching itself can turn these lights on,” commented Bekėža. “Everyone in education is well aware of the need for quality teachers, and we have built a technology that excels at enabling superstar educators and scaling their talents to the biggest stage possible.”

After attracting over 3,000+ students and parents to the platform within the first six months of operation in Lithuania, Memby will now use the new funding to expand first into the Greek and Polish markets, with Slovakia and Italy slated for the H2 2022.

The pre-seed round was led by Change Ventures and saw participation from Brighteye Ventures and the Marius Jakulis Jason foundation. Notable angel investors Justas Janauskas (Vinted) and Martynas Gudonavičius (Trafi) are also backing the project.