Technology is changing approaches to education, increasing its effectiveness. One of the innovations in this area belongs to the Portuguese startup Intuitivo. It has created a platform that helps digitize the assessment process in schools.
The development attracted attention and won the PITCH competition at the Web Summit conference in Lisbon in 2024. Mezha.Media found out how the platform works and what changes it can bring to the education system.
What does Intuitivo offer?
The tool was developed primarily to improve teacher productivity. This is because they spend a lot of time grading papers in paper form. The platform reduces this problem to nothing.
To start using Intuitivo, you need to create an account on the company's website. At this stage, you should specify information about the curriculum: the language of instruction and subjects.
The next step is to switch to an account and develop tasks in digital form. And there are many interesting possibilities here! For example, multiple-choice exercises. Or tasks in which you need to determine whether a certain statement is true or false.
One of the features of the platform is that tasks can be created independently or using templates and ready-made works of other teachers. The existing content can be adapted to the needs of each teacher. And then share it with others.
The type of exercises allows you to automate the checking process, and the use of templates simplifies the preparation of tasks. Both of these features save the teacher's time.
Finally, once developed, the exercise is published and distributed to students to assess their knowledge. The tasks are accompanied by audio and video, various links, formulas, and other content.
How the evaluation platform came about
Intuitivo is a young startup that was founded in 2020. It all started with the words of the mother of one of the company's founders, Diogo Silva. As a teacher, she argued that teachers lacked a convenient and simple platform. So she decided to create one herself.
"Diogo's mom started using it at her school. Then other teachers tried it. So Intuitivo CEO João Guimarães said: "Hey, maybe this is the future." And the team plunged into work," says Henrique Manuel Rocha, the startup's business manager.
Diogo Silva's mother and her colleagues were actually the first testers of the new platform. Thanks to the feedback, the company always understood what kind of product they wanted to create. But it took time, in part because they had to find funding to implement the project.
Intuitivo has coped with this task. For example, Techstars accelerator and Demium Capital were among the investors in the Pre-seed round. Now the startup continues to look for potential sponsors and is preparing for the Seed round in early 2025.
The investment is an opportunity to hire people to help improve the platform. The team currently consists of less than ten people, but they plan to expand it by hiring technical and sales specialists. Geography is not a limitation, so a candidate can be from Ukraine, for example.
"Many of us work from home, so we don't screen candidates based on their location. Although it is important for us that our sales team speaks Portuguese. And the technical team - we can speak Chinese if they are comfortable with it," adds Henrique Manuel Rocha.
Where does Intuitivo work and how many users does it have
Today, the platform operates in the Portuguese market and has 160 clients across the country. These include both public and private schools. In total, more than 35 thousand teachers use the tool.
However, Intuitivo wants to do more - they are interested in attracting new customers among local schools and eventually becoming one of the "major players" in the country.
"Our platform is unique because it's very easy to use and has all the features you need. I think that's important for teachers-they want a platform that does what they need," says Intuitivo's business manager.
But the company's plans are not limited to Portugal. The team wants to bring the product to new markets and calls internationalization one of its long-term goals. They are currently thinking about starting operations in neighboring Spain.
Another potential option is Brazil, with its official Portuguese language and large number of schools. Intuitivo is ready to make a bet on this country and is already starting to establish contacts to get an idea of how everything works.
To realize its expansion plans, both in the local market and abroad, a startup must not only offer a quality product but also be recognizable. This is where last year's Web Summit technology conference came in handy.
"Winning the startup competition has attracted the attention of new clients. This is very important! But this does not change our work, we continue to work as actively as ever and add new features to the platform," says Enrique Manuel Rocha.
What changes to expect thanks to the startup
Intuitivo's research shows that one of the problems with the education system in Portugal is the lack of teachers. The company says that in some places, students have no teachers at all. And those who do are mostly older, with low salaries and lack of motivation.
"A lot of teachers are retiring, and there are not many new specialists. I don't know anyone who wants to go to school to teach. So, this is a big problem. And this is where technology can help. They give teachers more time, which they lack," the company's business manager is convinced.
However, this is not the only problem that a startup can solve. Another one concerns the environment. Since Intuitivo is a digital platform, educational institutions can reduce the excessive use of paper. And in doing so, they can take care of the environment.
In addition, there is a financial aspect, as the purchase of paper requires significant resources. The introduction of a digital tool will help optimize costs and direct them to other needs.
"So Intuitivo helps not only to save teachers' time, but also to take care of nature and the school budget," summarizes Enrique Manuel Rocha.