Blog

Anurag Gupta explains how STEMROBO Technologies improves K-12 education

EdTech start-ups are transforming the education sector across the world by leveraging cutting-edge technologies such as artificial intelligence, robotics, IoT, computer vision, data science, and many more. Smart devices like tablets, laptops, and smartphones are driving the demand for online courses, especially post-pandemic. The global EdTech market size is expected to hit US$605.50 billion in 2027 with a CAGR of 15.52%.

Here is an exclusive interview with Anurag Gupta, Co-Founder of STEMROBO Technologies, who has explained how the company is offering AI Connect and Tinker Learning to transform K-12 education with advanced technologies for the welfare of kids in society.

1. Kindly brief us about the company along with the problem statement that you are endeavoring to solve.

I and Rajeev Tiwari, who had worked in the semiconductor and embedded industry for over 15 years, decided to develop a company that could provide an India-centric solution in the form of innovative products, hardware, software, and pedagogy for the particular difficulties that students encounter in the K12 space. In 2015, the company launched an EdTech start-up known as STEMROBO Technologies with the goal of assisting K-12 kids in adapting to STEM education and further enabling their minds to better learn and develop. Today, it is one of the most well-known educational start-ups, encouraging, and inspiring students to develop and invent.

With the advent of advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence, robotics, machine learning, augmented reality, and the Internet of Things (IoT), the scope for STEM education and its relevance has expanded as India is currently one of the technologically borrowing countries rather than a technologically independent or lending country. This indicates that there is a technical gap that must be filled through a variety of activities and interventions in the school system in order to provide the youth with technological fluency. The company’s mission is to provide a platform for students all over the world to use learning and innovative technologies in STEM education. Block-based programming, app development, AI, Python, 3D designing, Arduino programming, and fun with electronics are among the six primary innovations. The purpose and focus of STEMROBO Technologies are to use methodologies and project-based learning to tackle real-world problems while offering an immersive learning experience that caters to vital 21st-century skills. The courses and programs will help to change the global innovation landscape. The team uses technology in K-12 education, focusing on unique robotics, coding, IoT, and AI techniques for students. It is also pushing self-paced experiential learning through STEAM-based DIY kits and supporting after-school programs and has been establishing Atal Tinkering Labs in schools as a part of the NITI Aayog’s flagship initiative, Atal Innovation Mission.  With the government’s goal of becoming India Atmanirbhar, the team takes pride in being a 100% ‘Make in India’ company.

2. How does STEMROBO, with the help of technology, is promoting the culture of innovation and entrepreneurship among students?

The plan is to revolutionize the education landscape in India with the help of technology, the team believes in motivating and encouraging students by providing them with strategic technologies that can lead to inventions and the development of the country. To ensure that India’s prosperity becomes entirely self-reliant, the company believes that students’ culture should move from active listeners to active makers. It has set up Tinkering and Innovation laboratories in over 2000 schools, enrolled over 10,00,000 children, built over 30 activity centers, developed over ten robotics, and DIY in-house products so far. During the epidemic, workers maintained their bravery by converting face-to-face training to online training. The management changed the strategy from B2B to B2B2C, giving students access to experiential learning as well as all other services in one place. There are several courses available to students via apps, WhatsApp, videos, and webinars, all of which were mobile-friendly and have been providing solutions. These solutions focus on leveraging technology in education while also acting as a catalyst for students to learn and innovate in the fields of STEAM, robotics, IoT, and AI.

The company currently is concentrating efforts on developing and manufacturing novel electrical gadgets, software, and procedures for India’s K-12 market. At STEMROBO, it intends to instill curiosity, creativity, and imagination in young brains, as well as abilities like design thinking, computational thinking, adaptive learning, physical computing, and more through blended learning, 3D and DIY kits, and AI-based experiential and interactive learning endeavors is to provide an unrivaled experience to the students.

3. What’s your take on the future of the EdTech industry ahead?

Many EdTech businesses have emerged since 2020, promising to deliver unrivaled learning management resources, such as blended learning, 3D and DIY kits, and AI-based immersive and interactive learning. The education industry, like any other, has undergone an internet transition following COVID. However, the online education market is expected to rise by 11.6 billion by 2026. This demonstrates that the EdTech revolution is not a passing fad, but rather a long-term answer. The edu-tech or EdTech business is now thriving as all educational institutions, large and small, take a hybrid approach to learning. All inventions are born from a need and the need of the hour is to bridge the learning loss and is to adopt tech-based education, in order to move ahead and keep up with the global trends.

4. AI is projected to be the next market. How is AI contributing to the making of your products and services?

The promise of AI is particularly obvious in EdTech, which has experienced a sea change and pushed the future-forward during the previous years. Rather than replacing the human brain and innovation, the industry regards artificial intelligence as a supplementary tool. Although artificial intelligence is currently incapable of doing common-sense tasks in the real world, it is capable of digesting and interpreting massive amounts of data significantly faster than the human brain. The artificial intelligence program can then provide users with synthesized action. In this manner, artificial intelligence assists in the game-playing of potential outcomes of each action and streamlining the decision-making process. The company utilizes AI to collect data on how kids learn a language and frequent errors among users who share the same mother tongue, as well as to uncover trends in how knowledge is remembered.

5. How has been your journey in the Ed-tech industry and what is the core technology that you are currently working on?

The first meeting occurred in 2009 while working for one of the major technology and electronic organizations. Anurag and Rajeev used to sit at desks and talk about how both wanted to create their own businesses in the field of education technology. Rajeev had a commanding knowledge of technology and finance, but I had a strong desire to work in technology and education.  Both had 20 years of experience in their respective areas and wanted to make a genuine difference in society for K-12 children through STEM, STEAM, Robotics, IoT, and Artificial Intelligence (AI), allowing them to study in a certain new way. They went to universities, schools, and had webinars back then, and understood that every kid needs STEM and robotic education since they are missing in technical education— this is the future. They noticed an issue and a large gap in the industry and decided to start STEMROBO Technologies. So, in 2015, they both launched the businesses with the idea of a Make in India philosophy.

Anurag and Rajeev intended to create something new in the education sphere, namely in the EdTech sector. They observed foreign nations that were technologically sophisticated. The reason for this is that those countries have traditionally placed a higher value on K-12 education than on anything else. It’s why little countries like Finland and the Netherlands gave birth to world-famous corporations like Nokia and Philips. This would not have been conceivable if these countries had not prioritized basic education. In India, however, the notion of creating new brands or items was non-existent. Seeing the consumer attitude of Indians, it is intended to disrupt the education industry by developing STEMROBO Technologies in 2015, focusing entirely on basic education from K-12.

6. What is your road map for the international market?

STEMROBO is primed for rapid expansion both in India and internationally. The team is also forming global alliances and growing into overseas markets. Taking all of this into consideration, it has set a 500 X 50 aim for the next five years, with a revenue of 500 crores and a product reach of 50 nations.

7. Could you highlight your company’s recent innovations in this space?

There are two platforms for K-12 students known as AI Connect and Tinker Learning.

AI Connect is one-of-a-kind and comprehensive cloud-based software platform where students may practice block-based coding in Python for free. Using this curriculum, tinkerers will be able to do data analytics, Python, computer vision, coding, machine learning, algorithms, create robots, and games. But it also aids in the development of artificial intelligence abilities that can address day-to-day real-life problems. The AI Connect Platform has been chosen for the NITI Aayog and NASSCOM’s ‘AI Step-Up Module’ program. The module will be the next stage in introducing AI into Indian classrooms, with platforms like ‘AI Connect’ assisting in driving free AI and innovation education across the country.

Tinker Learning is a content-based platform where students can learn Python, coding, AI, ML, animation, etc.