How Nepal's Online School Bridge Built a Business Without Investors

Lucas and Luna explore how Bridge International Academies, now rebranded as Bridge, built a profitable chain of low-cost private schools in India and Africa using a tech-enabled, data-driven model. While many edtech startups burned through venture capital, Bridge focused on unit economics from day one, charging only $7 per month per student. The hosts discuss how Bridge used proprietary software to standardize lesson delivery, train teachers, and track student performance, achieving profitability in Kenya and Nigeria. They contrast Bridge's model with the failed for-profit education chains in the US and the VC-fueled edtech unicorns. Lucas explains the key numbers: 500 schools, 100,000 students, 80% of revenue from tuition, and a 15% operating margin. The episode also touches on the controversy around standardized curricula and the trade-offs between scale and local relevance. A donation segment for the show is included. #BridgeInternationalAcademies #Edtech #LowCostSchools #BusinessModel #Profitability #Kenya #Nigeria #India #UnitEconomics #DataDriven #Education #PrivateSchools #Scalability #EmergingMarkets #SocialEnterprise #BusinessAndTechnology #FexingoBusiness #BusinessPodcast Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo