Question and answer app Onuii has attracted 300 million won (USD $250,000) in seed investment from Strong Ventures, D.CAMP and Jinhak.
The service lets middle and high school students take photos of problems with their smartphones and receive detailed answers from qualified tutors within ten minutes. It means that students can get help for a tenth of the price of what they would normally pay for private classes, a lucrative industry in South Korea.
Onuii has gained 80,000 users in just one year, and over that time a total of 130,000 questions and answers have been sent via the service. The app is becoming popular among tutors who can earn money without having to set aside time to meet students, and currently offers Math, English and Social Studies as subjects.
For students, it also means a more effective way of learning – only asking for help with questions that they’re having difficulty with, instead of going through questions they already know with a teacher.
“Many families are feeling the burden of paying for private education, but students are actually in an environment where they can’t ask enough questions about things they’re not sure of,” says Yejin Go, CEO of Onuii. “Onuii will grow into an education company which realizes sensibly priced and personalized education by making the best use of its mobile advantage.”
Onuii also plans to ramp up its B2B services this year and has already signed contracts with study rooms.
