CARDS, an Indonesian SaaS-based school management platform, has secured an undisclosed amount in a seed funding round led by US-based fintech investor Katha VC. The round also witnessed participation from DS/X Venture and edutech accelerator EduSpaze. With this investment, the company will fuel expansion and product development. It also plans to build a regional sales team, strengthen after-sales service teams to ensure smooth product implementation in every school and develop new technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) to facilitate school staff operations.
Co-founded by Muh Arif Mahfudin (CEO) and Hari Yuliawan (COO), CARDS offers a comprehensive platform to digitize various operational functions of schools, such as administration, finance, and digital payments. It encompasses all operational and academic activities and actively involves teachers, staff, students, and parents who utilize CARDS services daily. The startup aims to empower educational institutions, particularly those in tier 2 and tier 3 cities in Indonesia, to enhance efficiency and provide better learning experiences for students. This area needs to catch up in technology ownership compared with schools in tier 1 cities.
Speaking about the platform, Muh Arif Mahfudin, co-founder and CEO of CARDS, said:
We are building a new ecosystem in schools and not just providing partial solutions to problems. We address the most crucial aspect, the operational system, and then develop and transform other areas, such as cashless transactions in school canteens, more effective teaching and learning processes, attendance systems, and modernized financial reporting and school fee payments.
Since its launch, the company has experienced tremendous expansion, drawing over 500 schools throughout Indonesia, including private, public, and Islamic boarding schools, to manage various operational aspects. Its emphasis on user-friendliness, efficiency, and customer happiness has also enabled it to reach probability in a short period of time, as the firm claims, demonstrating the effectiveness and sustainability of its solutions.
CARDS is open to developing strategic alliances to improve market penetration and make a more significant effect, which matches its goal of becoming the premier digital transformation solution for the education sector in Indonesia and surrounding regions.
