How does a startup bring digital transformation to schools in Indonesia? CARDS by Cazh may have the answer.
CARDS by Cazh is a comprehensive SaaS platform designed to streamline educational institutions’ operational and academic systems. By integrating administrative and academic functions, CARDS enhances school management and allows for more efficient daily operations.
It digitises traditionally cash-based transactions, such as fee payments and student purchases, addressing common issues like poor record-keeping, monitoring challenges, and potential fraud.
On the academic front, CARDS by Cazh provides a solution for parents seeking better insight into their children’s school activities. The platform offers real-time academic progress monitoring, extracurricular participation, and financial transactions.
This level of transparency and accessibility empowers parents to stay connected and informed, no matter where they are, fostering a stronger link between home and school.
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CARDS by Cazh is one of the six promising startups in the ninth cohort of EduSpaze edutech accelerator programme, presents an excellent opportunity for startups, providing seed funding, and access to a well-established regional network of schools, universities, mentors and investors within the edtech landscape.
e27 contacted Muh. Arif Mahfudin, Founder and CEO at CARDS by Cazh, to learn more about their mission and how they aim to achieve it.
The following is an edited excerpt of the conversation.
How did your product come to be? What is the product development like?
CARDS originated from the founder’s experience observing the inadequacies in educational administration, particularly in tier-2 and tier-3 cities. The existing systems were not aligned with the needs of users (parents), most of whom are digital service users. Parents who sought convenience could not get it from schools due to the lack of technology.
In 2021, we validated our service in boarding schools. Our initial service offering in these schools included managing students’ pocket money and payments, which parents could control through a mobile app.
Our service was well-received, and the features have continued to evolve according to the needs of the schools, making it applicable across all school types, including boarding schools, private schools, and public schools.
Who are your users, and how do you acquire them?
Our service is used by the entire school community, including staff, teachers, students, and parents.
CARDS targets the B2B market by directly approaching schools through our sales team, forming partnerships with other companies, and collaborating with school organisations.
Additionally, our referral programme has effectively brought in new leads from existing schools, and these new leads have a high potential to join us due to the trust and positive experiences of previous users.
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What are the most important milestones CARDS by Cazh has made recently?
From 2021 to mid-2024, we have successfully managed over 400 schools with over 80,000 students on our platform.
Our vision of transforming schools digitally is becoming more evident, with parent users reaching more than 50,000 by mid-2024. They actively transact on our platform for school fees and topping up student pocket money.
Recorded transactions reached 180,000 with a total of S$4.3 million in 2023, and we predict this will double in 2024.
We are also collaborating with several national banks in Indonesia to provide our solution to their customers in the education sector.
How does taking part in Eduspaze help your growth as a startup?
Participating in Eduspaze offers us invaluable mentorship, networking opportunities, and access to a wider educational technology ecosystem.
It helps us refine our product, expand our market reach, and accelerate our growth by connecting us with key stakeholders in the education sector.
EduSpaze has provided us with new insights as founders, helping us better understand edutech. This complements our experience in building a platform that is strong not only in administrative and financial solutions but also in providing educational features.
Can you tell us briefly about the co-founders of CARDS by Cazh? How big is your team?
We started with a solo founder and later hired our first employee, Hari Yuliawan (COO), as a co-founder.
As an early employee, Hari was involved in many aspects, from marketing to operations. His background in sales helped steer the product towards the right market. With continuous learning in organisational development, we now have a team of 24 members across development, sales, after-sales, and operations. Moving forward, the organisation will continue to grow with a focus on attracting top talent.
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Have you raised any external funding? Do you have any plans?
Yes, we have received funding from accelerators such as Indigo Incubator by Telkom Indonesia and DS/X Venture.
We are currently seeking approximately US$500,000 in funding to expand our business. This funding will be used for organisational development, product development (particularly in our Learning Management System), product and market research to enter the SEA market, and acquiring new schools across all segments in Indonesia, be it boarding, private, or public schools.
What is your big plan for 2024?
Our agenda for 2024 includes educating parents from all our partner schools. This education is expected to increase app engagement, boost transaction volumes, and improve user satisfaction and company financial performance. This initiative includes improving business processes, app design, user experience research, and selecting more affordable payment service providers.
Additionally, from a product development perspective, our development team is working on a Learning Management System feature, which is targeted for release early next year.
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Image Credit: Cards by Cazh
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