How This Edtech Start-up Is Removing Maths Fear: Countingwell

• ByAyushi Ray     |    August 25, 2021

“Solving Maths is not just about symbol manipulation; it requires multiple skills which include conceptual knowledge, understanding, modeling as well as comprehension skills,” says Ravi Jitani, Co-founder of Countingwell, in an interview with Startup Story. 

Education 

Jitani has completed his executive MBA from INSEAD. He started his career as a software developer in 1999, and then later switched tracks to become a business analyst. “In 2007, I moved to the private equity space, working with firms in Nairobi and Dubai, in various operational roles,” says Ravi Jitani.

Idea Behind Counting Well 

“Maths is a challenge for most students. Thinking back to the days I spent at school, thinking of those challenges, you realize that solving a Maths problem is a very structured process, which when taught in a logical step-by-step manner, can be easily grasped,” explains Jitani, and this is precisely what led to the formation of Counting Well. 

Launching Process

Counting Well started operating in December 2020. It was launched on the same date as Ramanujan’s birthday, which is on 22nd December, by creating a competitive event called Indian Maths Day. “It has been an exciting journey; in the last few months, almost 50,000 students have enrolled,” shares Jitani.

Future Of Counting Well 

This Bangalore-based Edtech startup is going to launch a B2B offering in September. The company has already had a soft launch in the Middle East, but aims to officially make a formal launch in the month of October, and is preparing for the same. 

Effect Of The Pandemic 

“We were born pre-pandemic, we are still aligned with our objective of providing personal learning and affordable learning to one and all,” says Jitani. The pandemic has added to the cause, but CountingWell is here to stay well beyond it. 

Running The Show 

Countingwell has two co-founders – Nirmal Shah and Ravi Jitani. They also have the best curriculum team and content team. They work with strong content writers who create all the learning resources. They are in the process of setting up a Marketing team for the next phase of growth. 

Doing Away With The Maths Fear 

“One needs to understand what causes Indian students to fear Maths. You need to understand the ‘why,’ and only then will an app solve the ‘fear’ problem. So back in 2017, to understand what causes the fear, we found that students were taught that Maths is calculation – if you are good at calculations, you will be good at Maths. 

The reality is that Maths is also about language comprehension and modeling, and only then there is calculation. So there has always been a gap when teaching students problems. These gaps when filled in will do away with the Maths fear, ” explains Ravi Jitani. 

Funding 

Countingwell is angel invested – friends and family, and a school in Dubai have invested. The company is looking to raise pre-series funding. 

Standing Out In The Crowd 

According to Jitani, “All ed-techs are focusing on improving learning outcomes, so what matters is the approach.” Countingwell wants to create independent learners. It focuses on self-learning, making the product affordable and accessible to a large section of society.   

Inspirational Words 

“Excellence is a continuous process and not an accident.” – A. P. J. Abdul Kalam. We are in a continuous state of evolution , willing to adapt & enhance ourselves as we go along.

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