The continually progressing educational landscape faces a constant challenge: traditional methods often fall short in meeting students’ diverse needs, resulting in a growing demand for innovative solutions. Persistent issues related to accessibility, efficiency, and personalized learning highlight the need for new approaches and technologies to overcome these barriers and enhance educational outcomes.
Tornike Asatiani, the Founder and CEO of Edumentors, addresses these challenges head-on. Born amidst the turmoil of the USSR’s collapse and raised in a region marked by economic disruption, Tornike’s early experiences fueled his commitment to creating a better future through education. Driven by a keen awareness of the inefficiencies and accessibility issues within the education sector, he established Edumentors—a groundbreaking tutoring marketplace designed to tackle these complexities efficiently.
Founded in February 2022 and based in London, Edumentors represents a bold step towards revolutionizing the way education is being provided. The platform connects parents with exceptional student tutors from prestigious universities like Oxford, Cambridge, and Warwick, offering personalized one-on-one role-model tutoring. With the integration of AI tools, Edumentors accelerates the learning process, ensuring students receive tailored support that meets their individual needs.
Tornike’s vision is distinct—by leveraging futuristic technology and a network of top-tier tutors, Edumentors aims to change the global education domain, making high-quality, personalized learning support accessible to students everywhere.
A New Era in Tutoring
Tornike comes from a post-Soviet country, where he witnessed the challenges and disruptions in the education system. This experience ignited his passion for ensuring students receive high-quality education.
During his university years, he tutored to earn pocket money and found it incredibly rewarding. He bonded well with his students and saw them achieve great success. Tornike realized that having a tutor who is a recent graduate from a top university creates a unique and effective learning dynamic. This insight formed the underlying model behind Edumentors.
Tornike’s personal mission is to impact 1 million people positively, and he expresses his excitement by stating, “We have already transformed the lives of thousands of students through Edumentors.”
Addressing the Dual Challenges of Trust and Talent
Tornike faced significant challenges in gaining the trust of parents, many of whom were initially skeptical about the effectiveness of online tutoring. To address this, he introduced free 15-minute introductory sessions, allowing parents to observe how their children emotionally bond with the tutors. This strategy proved effective, and as several parents came on board, Tornike and his team quickly identified and addressed the main pain points during the customer onboarding process.
Another challenge was attracting top talent from leading UK universities. However, once a few tutors start earning well and achieving great results with their students, word spreads quickly among the academic community. Building trust takes time, but the success stories of the early tutors and students play a crucial role in overcoming initial doubts.
Inspiring the Future
Tornike is constantly motivated by the incredible potential of innovation and AI in education. The idea of leveraging technology to provide personalized and effective learning experiences drives him every day. His passion lies in making high-quality education accessible to students, regardless of their location.
Tornike is inspired by the positive impact students have on his life and is committed to helping them achieve their dreams. He emphasizes, “Seeing the positive impact we have on students’ lives and knowing that we’re helping them achieve their dreams keeps me inspired and committed to pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in the education field.”
Making Tutoring Smarter and More Effective
Tornike and his team are always on the lookout for new technologies that can enhance their platform. They created an AI-based GCSE Exam Marking tool called MarkMyGCSE, which automatically scores students’ exam papers and provides personalized feedback, helping students understand their mistakes and improve.
Tornike is also working on an AI Co-pilot designed to assist tutors by providing valuable insights and recommendations, making their sessions more effective. He asserts, “By integrating these cutting-edge technologies, we aim to make tutoring significantly more effective.”
Listening and Adapting
Tornike values the expertise of the educational experts among their investors, who have dedicated their entire careers to the education sector. This deep knowledge helps contextualize every business opportunity in terms of what is valuable to students, parents and tutors.
In addition to this, Tornike and his team maintain close communication with both parents and tutors. This ongoing dialogue allows them to gather valuable insights and feedback, which are then used to continuously improve their services.
Whether through direct conversations, emails, or their online platform, Tornike ensures they always listen to what their users have to say. He emphasizes, “This approach helps us stay aligned with their needs and ensures we’re providing the best possible learning experience.”
Strategy for Team Innovation
Tornike ensures that all teams use AI and other technologies to optimize their work. He encourages everyone to experiment with new ideas and tools, providing the resources and support needed to turn these ideas into reality.
By fostering an environment where creativity and innovation are highly valued and rewarded, Tornike ensures that his team stays at the cutting edge of AI technology. He emphasizes, “Automation and optimization are key factors when building an operation-heavy marketplace,” and they always seek ways to streamline processes and improve efficiency.
Innovating on the Fly
At Edumentors, Tornike and his team believe in constant experimentation and quick execution. When they come up with a new idea, they don’t wait—they quickly develop a prototype and test it in the market. This agile approach allows them to stay responsive to changes and trends in the EdTech industry.
Tornike emphasizes, “By being flexible and willing to take risks, we can ship products quickly and see the feedback from the market within months or sometimes weeks from the inception of the idea.” This mindset ensures that Edumentors remains at the forefront of innovation.
Scaling New Heights
Tornike and his team already serve customers in 16 countries and are constantly looking to expand further. The British education system is recognized and used in many parts of the world, providing a solid foundation for their growth.
Tornike’s goal is to enter all geographies where the British system is prevalent, making high-quality education accessible to students everywhere. However, he emphasizes, “The UK remains our top priority as we continue to grow and develop our services,” ensuring that their home base continues to thrive while they explore new markets.
New Learning Paradigms
Tornike is particularly excited about AI-generated avatar-based technology and the potential of Large Language Models (LLMs) to revolutionize education. These technologies are set to change how we teach and learn by providing more interactive and truly personalized experiences.
At Edumentors, they have launched a contest for students called ‘AI in Education,’ which encourages them to explore and innovate with AI. Tornike invites readers to learn more about it on their website, stating, “You can learn more about it on our website here.”
Growing Together
Leading Edumentors has been an incredible journey of growth for Tornike. As the team expanded to over 25 people, Tornike developed his leadership and management skills to meet the demands of a growing company.
He reflects on how every challenge and success has taught him valuable lessons, contributing to his personal and professional evolution. Tornike acknowledges, “It’s a continuous learning process, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to grow alongside Edumentors.”
Access to High-quality Education
Tornike envisions the future of EdTech as a place where studying is enjoyable. He notes that current schooling systems were established centuries ago and formalized during the industrial era to produce factory workers with standardized knowledge.
Tornike believes that the world has already changed, and students now have countless ways to build their careers. He sees Edumentors bridging the gap between school students and the job market by offering tutors who provide real-life experience and insights into job opportunities.
Tornike emphasizes, “We want to make this high-quality education accessible to all students, regardless of their location or background.” He envisions a world where technology breaks down barriers and provides personalized learning experiences that empower students to achieve their full potential.
At Edumentors, Tornike and his team plan to contribute to this vision by continuously improving their tutoring proposition and enhancing their platform through innovative technologies.
Innovate, Persist, Succeed
Tornike acknowledges that the education sector is ripe for innovation but also challenging. He advises staying passionate and committed to one’s vision. Understanding the needs of users—whether students, parents or educators—is crucial.
Tornike emphasizes focusing on creating practical, effective tools that users will want to use and pay for. He warns that the journey involves a lot of hard work and setbacks but encourages not losing sight of the potential impact.
Tornike notes, “The opportunities for innovation and disruption in EdTech are immense, so stay curious and keep pushing forward.” He also prepares newcomers for an exciting journey that may become monotonous as they build their business, only to become exciting again once a self-sustainable model is in place.
