EdTechReview has been extensively covering interesting players and cutting edge developments in Education Technology. In our quest to review every EdTech in the world, today we would like to present to you an EdTech startup called “Knolskape”.
Here’s what we have got to know about Knolskape from their CEO – Mr. Rajiv Jayaraman.
1. What would be an elevator pitch for someone who does not know about your company?
- KNOLSKAPE is an award winning immersive gamification and simulations company focusing on talent transformation. We help organizations attract, retain and grow talent using experiential learning software products. Companies use our products for on-boarding, training, assessing and engaging talent.
2. What is your company’s core value proposition? What problem are you solving and for whom?
Our mission is to transform talent in classrooms and boardrooms using experiential learning software products. Through gamification and simulations, we make learning a fun, active process where the learner takes ownership of the learning outcomes. We enable anytime, anywhere learning to help learners pursue continuous learning. Through skill analytics, we help individuals and organizations learn more effectively.
The problems we are solving for individuals and organizations are the following:
- Learning is by-and-large a passive activity, where experience plays very little role
- Training is largely confined to classrooms and training rooms
- Organizations use a one-size-fits-all approach to training talent
3. What has been the market response till now? How do you plan to check on the user satisfaction?
The market response has been phenomenal. Organizations realize that building engaged, talented workforce is the only differentiator over the long-run. The idea of using gamification and simulations to bridge the gap between theory and practice has struck a chord with a lot of organizations.
We track usage and user feedback relentlessly. We do skills analytics at an individual, team, department and organization level.
4. What inspired the idea of Knolskape? What is the driving passion for this company? What is your vision?
Our vision is to transform the way we learn using experiential methodologies. KNOLSKAPE (a portmanteau of KNOWLEDGE and LANDSCAPE). I started KNOLSKAPE in 2008 after my MBA from INSEAD. I wanted to start a venture at the intersection of technology and creative story telling. KNOLSKAPE, through its immersive gamified products creates a perfect blend of technology and virtual stories where the learner plays the role of the protagonist.
5. What is the stage of the product? Where do you see Knolskape in 6 or 12 or 18 months from now?
KNOLSKAPE has 4 product lines: simulations, case study platform, gamified e-learning and animated video based learning. We have 20+ tried and tested simulation products, making us one of the largest simulation companies in the world. In the future, we are looking at expanding globally, developing new products and delivering our products on newer form factors.
6. What is the biggest need for your company at this point of time?
Market access and publicity is what we need at this point.
7. What are your views about the growth of the Education Technology industry in India?
Given the scale and the geographical expanse of the country, technology based solutions are a must for ensuring reach and quality of education and training delivered. Mobile and tablet based learning are going to be big trends in India going forward.
8. Tell us about your team, who do you have supporting you? How did this start?
We are a team of well-accomplished professionals with MBAs from leading B-schools, engineering degrees from top universities in India, designers from leading design schools. The company was first setup in Singapore in 2008. A development office was setup in India in 2009. We have an impressive list of Top 10 academicians, Learning and development heads, ex-CEOs supporting us. Sanjay Anandram from JumpStartup has been a great source of support and mentoring.
9. What/Who motivates you? Any thought leader or companies with innovation which you follow for success?
Creating Wow experience is what motivates knollies (the KNOLSKAPE employees). I am fascinated by innovation at 3M, a company that has more than 55,000 innovative products in its portfolio.
10. What are the biggest challenges of your edtech company?
Ability to scale personalized learning experience online, bringing about awareness on the possibilities of gaming and simulations for learning.
11. Who would you call your competitors? And how are you different?
Harvard, Skillsoft and a host of other traditional learning companies. We are different because we have a large repertoire of digital products and solutions. Our products are immersively gamified, lend themselves well for fast customization, have built-in actionable analytics.
