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Jamshaid Akbar, Chief Executive: Merlin Ventures: Making Learning A Joyful and Enriching Experience

Merlin Ventures aims to make learning more engaging by providing activity-based science kits and lessons. Their solution includes hands-on kits mapped to school curricula, online lessons, assessments and tracking tools. Their goal is to move away from rote learning towards active learning. They have experience in education technology and publishing. Their business model involves annual subscriptions for kits, online tools and teacher training. They are working to refine their model, raise capital, partner with schools and publishers, and have begun pilot programs with initial schools in Pakistan.

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Erum Shahzadi
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76 views

Jamshaid Akbar, Chief Executive: Merlin Ventures: Making Learning A Joyful and Enriching Experience

Merlin Ventures aims to make learning more engaging by providing activity-based science kits and lessons. Their solution includes hands-on kits mapped to school curricula, online lessons, assessments and tracking tools. Their goal is to move away from rote learning towards active learning. They have experience in education technology and publishing. Their business model involves annual subscriptions for kits, online tools and teacher training. They are working to refine their model, raise capital, partner with schools and publishers, and have begun pilot programs with initial schools in Pakistan.

Uploaded by

Erum Shahzadi
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Merlin Ventures:

Making Learning a joyful and enriching experience

Jamshaid Akbar, Chief Executive


The Team
Jamshaid Akbar, MBA; over 15 year experience in EdTech, Bain Consulting
(Relevant previous/current ventures: Koobits, Strawbees, EduExcellence, 3D
Science Animations, Centre4Writing, Virtual Smartboard)
Ruhie Jamshaid, M.Ed, Head of Curriculum Design (Currently Head of
Science Publications at MCE Singapore and Owner Centre4Writing
Singapore)
Noor Zamiya – UX Design, communication and digital platforms
Nayyar Ali Shah – Chief Innovation officer – CEO National Grammar
School, Lahore
Sardar Shaukat Amir, Chief strategy & Literacy Development
What are the problems we
are trying to solve?
Problem no. 1: Rote Learning Rulz Revisely 2.0
the platform
Hardly any Teaching & Learning in the
science classrooms

Industrial teaching and assessment methods.


Problem no. 2:
Lack of Trained Teachers
for the
21 century Teaching &
st

Learning Environment.
Irrelevant curriculum, no integrated lessons
or assessments nor Instructional scaffolding.
Teachers spend hundreds of hours teaching
using “chalk and talk method” with rote
learning & an exam focus.
Problem no. 3:
The Power of Activity Based Learning
and critical reasoning remains unused

At Merlin, we believe that a student learns best when he/she


has an opportunity to “experience the concept” they have
read in textbooks or discussed in the classroom– by building
one him/herself.
So, what is Merlin Ventures
and what is our solution?
The Learning Platform
• Low cost High Value “Activity Kits” "Our goal is to help teachers
for each student (8-10 x kits per deliver outstanding science
student per year) lessons and for students
• Ready-made integrated science lessons provide a joyful science
• A Portal for assessment, lesson plans, learning process.”
kit building instructions
• Assignment Marking Software
• PPT Sciece Presentations
Business Model / Strategy:
• Product: 12 month agreement with schools and/or homeschoolers / independent
users
• Hands on Activities mapped to the school curriculum, Kits Customized to the school
requirement
• Pricing: A set of 8-10 x kits @ US$ 30 per set per student
• + US$ 1/month for online assessments, lesson plans and capability tracking (portal)
• + US$ 1/month - assessment marking tools
• + Online teaching subscription per teacher (with ECTS credits)
• Distribution: Digital, Publishers, Distributors, Direct to school, Home schoolers
Go To Market Strategy :
• Product specification - completed
• Complete Product development (under way) - critical
• Conduct first market and customer analysis (under way)
• Assess findings
• Review conclusions with stakeholders
• Develop 12-15 month GTM implementation plan
• Build Business detailed strategy
How big is the market: e.g. Punjab
• As per the 2016 censuses, there are total 60,502 private schools while the number of
public schools is 52,231 across the province. 
• Private money currently pays for more of Pakistan's education than the government
does.
• The analysis further reveals that Lahore, the provincial metropolis, is a true hub
of private schools as these make to a whopping 82 percent of all schools the city
has for its children. Against 5,436 private schools there are just 1,219
public schools in the city
How can NIC Help:
• Refine the business model
• Reach Investors to raise capital (We have sufficient Investors for next rounds) in
Singapore
• Coaching & Mentoring
• Provide Access to Public/Private schools
Traction:
• Established Access to over 2,000 private schools in Pakistan (all main chains)
• First 5 x kits / lessons sent to partner schools (5)
• Have established a Teacher Training Alliance with Finnish Universities
• Aligning Kits to MCE Singapore & OUP Pakistan
• Paramount Distribution Alliance
Making Learning a joyful and enriching
experience.

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