NativeX, a disruptive Vietnamese EdTech company aiming to revolutionize English learning for working adults, has raised $4 million in total funding in just eight months since its launch. The round was co-led by Ansible Ventures and Blueprint Ventures, with the participation of Northstar Ventures and other investors. With this significant funding, the firm is well-positioned to advance its mission of transforming English learning for 10 million working professionals in Vietnam before moving to other SEA markets.
Founded in April 2023, NativeX offers a comprehensive online platform that provides live classes taught by experienced foreign teachers. With its innovative and flexible group class model, the platform creates a collaborative and supportive learning environment for professionals with busy schedules. The company is committed to helping working adults unlock their career potential through English proficiency. It is committed to helping working adults unlock their career potential through English proficiency.
NativeX’s innovative and flexible group class approach is a notable feature, allowing students to arrange classes that work around their schedules. The collaborative and supportive learning environment is produced by pairing learners of comparable competency levels. This has proven to be effective. Ai Chau, Co-founder and Head of the Academic team highlights the company’s unique content-led approach to curriculum design and learning experiences, which ensures scalability and consistency in teaching quality as it grows.
Valerie Van V., Founding Partner at Ansible Ventures, emphasized the alignment between NativeX’s innovative approach and their investment thesis, stating:
Improving education through upskilling will be a crucial pillar in Vietnam’s EdTech market. Despite attracting international investments, Vietnam’s labour productivity lags behind other Asian countries, ranking 136th out of 185 countries as of 2021. As manufacturers strive to produce higher-quality products, the demand for skilled labour will rise. Consequently, initiatives for transformation and upskilling, mainly on-the-job training, will receive increased investments and efforts from business owners in Vietnam. We are excited to co-lead this NativeX seed round and firmly believe in the company’s potential to empower top Vietnamese talents as they advance in their careers.
The startup has already achieved significant success in its first year of operation, with learners reporting notable improvements in English communication skills. It attracts diverse learners, including 50% managers and professionals in IT, healthcare, marketing, and business. Continuous learning and adaptation based on user feedback and market trends have guided NativeX’s growth.
Moving ahead, NativeX seeks to use 80% of the startup cash to expedite product development. In June, the company plans to launch a new conversational English programme for intermediate-level customers, including soft skills training. Ai Chau highlights the uniqueness of their approach: “Why only English? Why can’t we learn English while also learning something valuable?
Given its young population and political stability, Vietnam has increasingly become an attractive destination for multinational corporations to outsource. This will undoubtedly create many more higher-paying jobs and require a much higher English proficiency level to ensure higher business quality and efficiency. In addition to supporting the local workforce in capitalizing on better employment opportunities in the FMCG and services sectors, NativeX intends to collaborate closely with IT engineers to develop an ecosystem supporting their success in the global outsourcing IT market.
