Maqsad app

We are making high quality after-school education accessible and affordable for Pakistani students. With an estimated population of 250m, Pakistan is the fifth largest country in the world with 100m between the ages of 4-21.

The country faces numerous challenges when it come to education including:

• One of the highest student-teacher ratios at 45:1
• Est. 22.8 million out of school children
• Female literacy 22.8pp behind that of males
• Children less likely to attend school as distance between homes and educational institutions increases, with girls being disproportionately affected

As a result, there is a huge dependence on after-school private tutoring to supplement school. Direct cost of tutoring is a big burden for families, alongside transport and accessibility challenges which disadvantages girls. Moreover, given the fragmented nature of their operations, these tutoring centres provide limited visibility to parents about their children’s progress. Despite the challenges, the prospect of achieving life changing outcomes of getting into a good university, pushes family to pursue this option.

Maqsad solves for these challenges through its mobile application that provides students with a highly-personalized after-school learning solutions from the comfort of their homes, which is up to 4x cheaper than traditional brick-and-mortar providers, and also provides transparency to parents.

Our solution entails building high-quality educational content with our in-house team and then using our technology-infused mobile platform to deliver a personalized learning experience to millions of students

There are two parts to our solution:

1. Building high quality and localized academic content that involves live/recorded video lectures, tests, notes and solutions to questions. This content is bi-lingual across English and Urdu, and made according to the local curriculum set by provincial governments in Pakistan
2. Using technology to personalize and scale this across our million of users

These two components come together in the Maqsad app which has been downloaded by over 5 million users in the last 2 years.
Overview of the Maqsad App:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lcEQ5i0g_1A.

The Maqsad app offers the following to students:

• Live Lectures: Our expert teachers conduct synchronous sessions where they conduct interactive lessons. Average session size is 100+ students where students have an option of interacting with teachers via chat. Students are given homework from across the app (e.g. tests, pre-recorded lectures etc) to complete on their own time. The platform uses technology built in-house to ensure smooth streaming across low-bandwidth internet connections.
  Here’s a link to our live lectures:
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-1j2SKXHov4
• Pre-recorded Lectures: Lectures are recorded in our studio that are enriched with animations to make them intuitive and appealing for students. These are categorised by topic/concepts so that students can revisit them in their own time.
  Here’s a link to our animated lectures: 
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9GhzFTXJoCQ
• Tests: These consists of thousands of tests based on prior exam papers, curriculum books and other sources in one place. This allows student to test their knowledge in real-time and get a comprehensive understanding of their areas of development
• DoubtSolve: This is Pakistan’s only instant-query resolution engine. Students are able to come and ask a question (via sending us a picture) and in most cases get an instant video solution from in-house repository of 400k+ solutions. This is made possible through a mix of OCR to convert the picture into text, which is then match via our matching algorithm (this is able to understand scientific notations etc) to video solutions in our repository.
  DoubtSolve demo video:
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A9juosShAs8
• Notes: These are in-app study notes compiled by our academic team that are used to enhance understanding and revise for exams

All of these features come together to form a personalized learning experience at scale where students are taught one topic via live lectures, they consolidate concepts via pre-recorded lectures, evaluate knowledge via tests and lastly ask any questions via DoubtSolve features. All of this is possible from their smartphones for $4 per month subscription

Maqsad's target population comprises the 100 million school-age individuals (aged 4-21) in Pakistan, particularly those facing barriers to accessing quality education. These include students from lower-income families, rural areas, and marginalized communities, as well as girls who are often restricted from attending traditional tutoring centers due to cultural norms and safety concerns.

Currently, these students are underserved due to various factors:

1. Financial Constraints: Many families cannot afford the high costs associated with after-school tutoring, which limits their access to supplemental education.
2. Geographical Barriers: Students in rural areas face challenges accessing tutoring centers due to long distances and inadequate transportation infrastructure.
3. Gender Disparities: Cultural norms often restrict girls' access to education, particularly after-school programs, leading to significant gender disparities in academic achievement.

Maqsad's solution directly addresses these challenges by:

1. Affordability: By offering a cost-effective mobile application, Maqsad makes high-quality after-school education accessible to families regardless of their financial circumstances. For context we are on average 3-4x cheaper than traditional providers
2. Accessibility: Through the use of mobile technology, Maqsad ensures that students in even the most remote regions of Pakistan can access educational content from the comfort of their homes.
3. Gender Equity: By eliminating the need for physical attendance at tutoring centers, Maqsad's platform promotes gender equity in education, allowing girls to participate in academic programs without facing cultural or safety barriers.

Overall, Maqsad's solution aims to empower all Pakistani students, particularly those who are currently underserved, by providing them with the tools and resources they need to succeed academically.

Note: given resource constraints, we started off with 9-12 grades and have been expanding our offering.

As the driving force behind Maqsad, I, Rooshan Aziz, along with my childhood friend, Taha Ahmed, am uniquely positioned to lead the design and delivery of our solution to the target population in Pakistan. Growing up in this country, both Taha and I intimately understand the challenges faced by our fellow citizens in accessing quality education.

My personal journey, marked by the struggle with dyslexia and the reliance on after-school tuitions for academic success, mirrors the experiences of countless students across Pakistan. Similarly, witnessing my friend Taha's family make significant sacrifices to support their education has underscored the systemic barriers to learning prevalent in our society. These experiences have fueled our shared commitment to democratizing education for all Pakistani learners.

We've built a diverse team dedicated to tackling Pakistan's education challenges, with a notable emphasis on gender diversity — approximately 45% of our workforce comprises women. Our academic team brings extensive teaching experience, while our tech teams develop a seamless learning platform. Our engineering lead has prior experience in educational technology venture, giving him valuable insights into Maqsad's challenges. Our design lead, with experience in developing educational games, focuses on crafting an engaging user interface, while our academic lead collaborates closely with education authorities to shape Maqsad's content to meet evolving needs.

Community input is central to Maqsad's design and implementation. We work very closely with students by virtue of our thousands of feedback calls, regular school visits and focus groups that feed into our iterative product development process.

Our solution, Maqsad, is in the Growth stage, representing an established solution available to communities and poised for further expansion. We’ve built a comprehensive educational platform, combining high-quality educational content with advanced technology to deliver personalized learning experiences to millions of students. With the latest seed round funding, Maqsad is investing in academic and technology capabilities to provide a highly personalized learning experience for Pakistani students, particularly regarding qualitative and subjective questions

What have we built and tested so far?

• Live lectures: Our teachers conduct regular classes and students have the opportunity to interact with teachers
• Pre-recorded lectures: Our team has put together high quality bite sized animated videos to consolidate conceptual understanding
• Tests and quizzes: With tests and quizzes, we provide students with the ability to track progress and for our teachers to measure learning outcomes
• DoubtSolve: This is Pakistan’s only instant query resolution system where students have the ability to take a picture of a question and in most cases get a very detailed video solution instantly! We’ve solved millions of student queries from across the country!
• Notes: These are in-app study notes compiled by our academic team that are used to enhance understanding and revise for exams

All of our content is bilingual (English and Urdu) and tailored to the local curriculum set by provincial governments in Pakistan to ensure relatability and relevance for students.

How many customers or beneficiaries have we served?

• The Maqsad app has been downloaded by over 5 million users in the last two years gaining significant traction in the edtech space
• We have sold 51k+ subscriptions across all our products including test prep (MDCAT, ECAT, BCAT), Courses for grades 9-12 and DoubtSolve
  • Answered 12 million student queries
  • Prepared 1,800+ students to get into medicine, engineering and business universities

What are our key accomplishments?

• Maqsad has experienced exceptional user engagement and growth, with 420k MAUs, 12m doubts asked, and 6m+ test questions attempted.
  • 98% of doubts are solved automatically in less than 3 seconds by Maqsad's proprietary DoubtSolve- MENAP's only scalable automated query solver.
• After consistent growth, Maqsad has cracked product retention, with 2/3rd of the students using the MDCAT product every week for 3 months (2x industry benchmarks)
• Maqsad is consistently ranked as the highest K-12 education app on Google Playstore Pakistan

We are applying to Solve because we believe in the power of collaboration and collective problem-solving to drive meaningful change. We see Solve as a platform that can provide us with access to a diverse network of experts, resources, and opportunities to accelerate the impact of our solution.

Barriers faced:

• Financial: Over the next 5 years, Maqsad aims to broaden its coverage beyond the current focus on grades 9-12 and university entry test preparation. The vision is to extend services to the entire K-12 education spectrum in Pakistan. This expansion requires significant financial investment in infrastructure, content creation, and talent acquisition.
• Technical: Accommodating a wider range of classes and subjects demands advanced algorithmic capabilities for our DoubtSolve feature, which are currently beyond our scope. Developing and implementing these technical enhancements requires specialized expertise and resources.
• Market: The education market's intricacies, including competition and varying educational priorities, present challenges in penetrating new segments and establishing a strong presence.

How Solve can help:

• Financial support: Solve's network offers access to potential investors and strategic partners who can provide essential financial backing for our expansion plans. By facilitating connections with funding sources, Solve can help secure the necessary investment to fuel our growth.
• Technical Expertise: Solve provides technical expertise and collaboration opportunities that can aid in enhancing our platform to accommodate a broader range of classes and subjects. By connecting us with skilled professionals and resources in algorithm development, Solve can support the implementation of necessary technical enhancements.
• Market Strategy: Solve can assist in developing a strategic approach to penetrate new segments effectively. Through market research, industry insights, and networking opportunities with key stakeholders, Solve can help devise a tailored market entry strategy to address unique challenges and opportunities in different educational spaces.

With the support provided from SOLVE, we plan to expand into new classes, focusing initially on classes 9-12 and university entry test preparation. Our vision is to serve the entire K-12 education sector in Pakistan comprehensively. To achieve this, we need support in expanding our subject offerings beyond STEM to include subjects like Computer Science and English, responding to the demands of our users and ensuring a well-rounded educational experience for all.

• How our solution approaches the problem in a new or significantly improved way?

  Maqsad’s solution fundamentally redefines how education is accessed and experienced in Pakistan. Unlike traditional after-school tuition centers, which are often costly, inaccessible, and lack transparency, Maqsad leverages technology to offer a mobile-first, personalized learning experience at scale.

  We build two things:

  • Content: Our highly specialized team of academics builds bilingual and localized content that is designed to achieve relevant student outcomes.
  • Technology: It allows for personalized learning for students on an unprecedented scale. For e.g., Maqsad has developed MENAP's only instant-query solving engine, which matches student queries to video solutions within seconds. We’ve answered 12 million student queries so far with 98% being solved automatically in less than 3 seconds

  
  The combination of super localized content embedded with cutting-edge technology makes our value proposition very unique.

• How could it catalyze broader positive impacts from others in this space?

  Maqsad doesn't just change education; it inspires others to do the same:

  • Leading the shift to mobile learning: By showing how well mobile-first learning works, we encourage others in the education technology sector to prioritize user needs and scalability.
  • Making education more affordable and accessible: Our emphasis on affordability and accessibility challenges traditional practices, setting a new standard for inclusive education.
  • Expanding reach through partnerships: Collaborations with governmental and educational institutions amplify our reach, extending quality education to underserved communities globally.
  • Driving change through collaboration: Through strategic partnerships, we foster innovation and collaboration, driving systemic change in the education sector.

  
  Our mission is not just to transform individual lives but to catalyze systemic change, driving forward a global movement towards inclusive, accessible, and transformative learning experiences for all.

• How could it change the market/landscape?

  Our product delivers world-class education to a market of 100m underserved learners in a localized way that makes sense for them. This is an ultimate equalizer especially since accessibility has traditionally been a huge impediment for Pakistani students given lack of public transport (girls are 4x more impacted). Maqsad is paving the way for equality in access and we’re already seeing this in data with girls forming ~50% of user base which is much ahead of the country-wide female enrolment rates

  Maqsad's vision is ambitious yet grounded in practicality. We aspire not only to achieve individual success but to revolutionize Pakistan's education sector entirely. Through scalable and cost-effective solutions, we aim to establish Maqsad as the go-to platform for education, characterized by unmatched quality, convenience, and affordability. By setting a precedent for positive change and innovation, we seek to reshape the educational landscape, leaving a lasting impact for generations to come.

Maqsad’s Theory of Change

Goal: Maqsad aims to democratize education, providing equitable access to quality learning for 100 million Pakistani students through a mobile learning platform. By delivering after-school teaching via live and recorded lectures, testing, and instant video solutions with our DoubtSolve feature, we seek to bridge the educational gap and empower students across Pakistan.

Input:

• Financial resources for content creation, technology development, and marketing.
• Human resources including educators, content creators, developers, and marketers.
• Access to relevant data and research on educational needs and challenges in Pakistan.

Activities:

• Localized content creation: Maqsad employs a bottom-up approach to create tailored educational content, aligning with the unique needs of Pakistani students and provincial educational boards. Continuous iteration ensures content relevance and effectiveness in addressing educational disparities.
• Community engagement and outreach strategy: Maqsad's community-driven approach leverages targeted engagement and outreach programs to acquire users organically, while promoting digital learning benefits. We collaborate with local influencers and community leaders to ensure our platform reaches underserved populations and drives meaningful impact
• Partnerships with educational institutions: We form strategic partnerships with schools, colleges, and universities to integrate Maqsad into their curriculum and educational programs. We co-create content with educational institutions to meet specific curriculum requirements and learning objectives.
• Parental engagement initiatives: We develop initiatives to engage parents in their children's education, providing transparency and resources to facilitate active involvement.
• Continuous research and development: We allocate resources towards ongoing research and development efforts to innovate and enhance the platform's features. We solicit feedback from our students to optimize user experience.

Output:

• Localized educational content: Tailored content aligned with provincial educational boards.
• Enhanced platform engagement: User-friendly features addressing local needs.
• Strengthened community relations: Growth in organic user acquisition and community engagement.
• Teacher training programs: Skilled educators proficient in utilizing the Maqsad platform.
• Increased parental involvement: Heightened awareness and engagement of parents in their children's education.
• Collaborative partnerships: Strengthened alliances with educational institutions and community stakeholders.
• Continuous platform improvement: Enhanced features and user experience based on feedback and research.

Immediate Outcomes:

• Tailored educational content and user-friendly platform features meet provincial educational board requirements and address local needs
• Empowered parents and guardians actively engaged in their children's education, resulting in a supportive learning environment at home and school.
• Strengthened partnerships with educational institutions and community stakeholders, facilitating the integration of Maqsad into formal education systems.
• Heightened awareness and interest in digital learning through community outreach initiatives.

Final Outcomes:

• Democratized access to education for 100 million Pakistani students, driving positive societal change and fostering lifelong learning.
• Reduced educational disparities and improved literacy rates nationwide, contributing to the overall development and prosperity of Pakistan.
• Maqsad serves as a catalyst for positive societal change, inspiring similar initiatives globally and reshaping the future of education on a global scale.

At Maqsad, our impact goals align with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), focusing on quality education (Goal 4), gender equality (Goal 5) and reduced inequalities (Goal 10). We measure our progress towards these goals through specific targets and indicators.

Impact goals & measurement approach:

• Goal 4: Quality Education
  
  • Target: Expand access to quality education by covering additional classes, including K-12 education and university entry test preparation (IELTs, GRE, etc.), within the next five years.
  • Indicator: Increase the percentage of classes covered annually
  • Measurement approach: Track new additions yearly and review content regularly to meet educational standards
    
  • Target: Achieve a 10% improvement in academic performance outcomes among Maqsad users compared to national averages within three years.
  • Indicator: Compare Maqsad users' scores in standardized tests with national benchmarks.
  • Measurement approach: Conduct yearly standardized tests for users and compare their scores to national standards to track progress.

• Goal 5: Gender Equality
  • Target: Ensure gender parity in educational access and achievement by maintaining a 50:50 gender distribution among Maqsad users.
  • Indicator: Percentage of male and female students enrolled on the Maqsad platform.
  • Measurement approach: Track quarterly gender distribution of new Maqsad platform users and employ targeted outreach for balanced representation.

• Goal 10: Reduced inequalities within and among countries
  • Target: Increase rural user engagement with Maqsad by 30% within three years.
  • Indicator: Measure the percentage increase in Maqsad usage among rural students compared to urban ones.
  • Measurement approach: Analyze user data and conduct surveys to understand rural usage patterns and barriers.
    
  • Target: Reduce educational disparities among socio-economic backgrounds by 25% in five years.
  • Indicator: Assess the difference in engagement and learning outcomes across income groups.
  • Measurement approach: Implementing targeted intervention, such as scholarships or fee waivers through financial aid program, to mitigate disparities and promote equity in educational access and achievement.

At Maqsad, we're revolutionizing education in Pakistan by leveraging cutting-edge technology to make learning more accessible, engaging, and effective for millions of students. Our core technology stack encompasses a range of tools and platforms designed to deliver personalized learning experiences, foster community engagement, and drive positive social impact.

1. Mobile application

   Our mobile application serves as the primary interface for students to access our educational content and features. Specifically designed for the Android platform, our app caters to the majority of internet users in Pakistan, ensuring widespread accessibility. The app offers a seamless and intuitive user experience. In addition to serving students, we have also developed supporting web app tools tailored for our teachers. Through our mobile application and complementary web app tools, we are empowering both students and teachers to unlock their full potential in the pursuit of education.

2. AI powered recommended engine

   With our AI-powered recommendation engine, every student embarks on a personalized learning journey tailored to their unique needs and preferences. We are doubling down on artificial intelligence to enhance personalization and adaptive learning within the app. This includes implementing AI-based solutions like Maqsad Urdu bot and an English tutor. Our AI capabilities extend to handling administrative queries interactively, employing tools like chatbots, enabling students to access information and assistance seamlessly.

3. Video content production studio

   Our in-house video production studio uses top-notch equipment to create high-quality educational videos, covering diverse subjects. Our video streaming tech is tailored for low-bandwidth internet in Pakistan. Using a dynamic video transcoding service, we adjust video quality based on users' internet speed. This ensures seamless access to our educational videos, prioritizing accessibility and enhancing student learning and retention.

4. DoubtSolve: Instant query resolution engine

   DoubtSolve, our proprietary instant query resolution engine, combines OCR technology with a vast repository of video solutions to provide real-time answers to student queries by simply uploading a photo of their question. Additionally, we have built an internal tool for the 'manual flow.' Doubts enter a queue, and DoubtSolve tutors are automatically assigned. They create video solutions in real time and send them back to the student, ensuring timely assistance and fostering continuous learning and comprehension.

5. Community engagement platform

   Beyond academics, our community engagement platform fosters collaboration and support among all stakeholders including students, teachers, and parents. Through Whatsapp groups, live chat support, and interactive forums, we create a vibrant learning community where everyone has a voice and a sense of belonging.

Our solution team comprises a total of 137 dedicated individuals. Among these, we have:

• 116 full-time staff members who are committed to driving our mission forward every day.
• 21 part-time/contractual staff members who contribute significantly with their specialized subject-specific skills and are operating 24/7 to ensure students receive a seamless response to their questions via our DoubtSolve platform

Our team has been working on our solution since August 2021, which means we've dedicated over 2.5 years to its development. 

Diversity of our leadership team

At Maqsad, diversity isn't just a goal; it's a reality ingrained in our leadership team. Currently, 50% of our leadership team members are female, reflecting our commitment to gender diversity. Moreover, our leadership team boasts a rich mix of cultural, gender, and professional backgrounds, ensuring that diverse perspectives shape our decision-making processes and drive innovation

Our team’s goals for becoming more diverse, equitable, and inclusive

While we take pride in our current diversity metrics with ∼45% female representation, we recognize that there's always room for growth. Our team is committed to elevating our diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts to new heights. Our goals include:

• Achieving gender parity across all levels of the organization
• Providing equitable access to opportunities for all team members
• Fostering a culture where every individual feels valued, respected, and empowered to bring their whole selves to work

Actions we have taken to achieve the goals:

• To turn our diversity aspirations into reality, we've implemented transparent recruitment processes to ensure fairness, transparency, and diversity of talent.
• We've implemented fair and transparent performance evaluations, providing regular feedback and mentoring to all employees. Clear career progression and leadership pathways ensure equal opportunities for advancement and our transparent compensation practices guarantee fair rewards for contributions.
• We prioritize inclusion through regular feedback channels like surveys and open-door policies, ensuring every voice is valued. Seeking input from diverse backgrounds drives continuous improvement. Additionally, our inclusive holiday policy celebrates diverse cultural and religious holidays.

We are building a diverse and inclusive workplace that allows individuals from various backgrounds to find their purpose (”Maqsad”) and make a mark on the world! While our journey is ongoing, but our resolve to build a team that truly reflects the world we live in is unwavering.

What products or services do we provide?

Maqsad operates on a B2C freemium subscription model, offering users limited free interaction with the app (e.g., 3 free doubts, select lectures, and tests) before encountering a paywall for a monthly subscription bundle (~$2-3 p/m) or comprehensive entry test bundles (~$35-50) valid for extended periods until the end of their exams. These include access to high-quality after-school academic support for 9-12 grade STEM students in Pakistan, university entry test preparation courses for medical/engineering/business schools, and a unique DoubtSolve feature providing instant query-solving. All content is delivered in a highly localized manner through live and recorded lecture videos, tests, and notes tailored to the local curriculum.

How do we provide these products or services?

Our primary mode of product delivery is through a mobile application available on Android, complemented by our web app accessible to iOS users. To unlock full access, users can subscribe to a monthly subscription bundle or purchase comprehensive packages.

Why do they want or need them?

Our users, primarily students in rural and urban centres of Pakistan, seek affordable yet high-quality educational resources that complement traditional schooling. After-school academic support is a common necessity in Pakistan, with private tutoring representing a significant portion of household spending, totaling over $3 billion. Renowned coaching centres have established their presence in various vicinities and cities, primarily focusing on offline support. With the rising cost of in-person tuition centres and the increasing competitiveness of university entrance exams, there is a growing demand for accessible and personalized learning solutions. Maqsad fulfils this need by offering a convenient platform for students to supplement their studies, prepare for exams, and receive instant academic support, catering to the prevalent after-school academic support culture in Pakistan.

How are we bringing/will bring in money to fund our work:

Maqsad operates on a hybrid business model combining revenue streams from various sources to ensure financial sustainability. Our primary sources of revenue include:

• Subscription Model: We offer a freemium subscription model where users can access limited features for free, with the option to upgrade to a monthly subscription bundle or purchase comprehensive packages for extended access. This subscription-based model provides a steady stream of revenue from our user base.
• Investment Capital: We have successfully raised funding through seed rounds led by prominent investors such as Speedinvest, Indus Valley Capital, and other strategic angels and the news gained enormous traction receiving coverage by major global outlets such as Forbes, Bloomberg, Dealstreetasia and Gulf news. This investment capital has enabled us to invest in content development, research, and development, as well as expand our operations to reach more students.

Funding success:

We have raised a total of $5 million in funding so far, making Maqsad Pakistan’s top-funded edtech. Our seed round raised $2.8 million, led by Speedinvest and Indus Valley Capital. Preceding this, we secured $2.1 million in pre-seed funding, with support from various investors including Indus Valley Capital, Alter Global, Fatima Gobi Ventures, and individual founders. This funding has fueled our initial growth, content development, and technological innovation, laying a strong foundation for our journey.

Evidence of Success:

Since our launch, the Maqsad app has garnered over 5 million downloads and consistently ranks as the top education app in Pakistan on the Google Play Store. This widespread adoption reflects the value proposition of our platform and validates our revenue model. Additionally, our commitment to quality content, personalized learning, and innovative technology has earned us a strong reputation in the market, further bolstering our revenue-generating capabilities.

Maqsad has so far:

• Touched the lives of 5 million students
• Experienced exceptional user engagement and growth with 420k MAUs, answered 12m student queries and 6m+ test questions attempted
• Cracked product retention with 2/3rd of the students using our MDCAT product every week for 3 months (2x industry benchmarks)
• Prepared 1,800+ students to get into medicine, engineering and business universities
• Sold 51k+ subscriptions across all our products including test prep (MDCAT, ECAT, BCAT), Courses for grades 9-12 and DoubtSolve
• Partnered with numerous schools and charities to make allow them to use our content and technology