Technology is changing approaches to education, increasing its effectiveness. One of the innovations in this field comes from the Portuguese startup Intuitivo. It has created a platform that helps digitize the assessment process in schools.

The development attracted attention and won the Web Summit 2024 PITCH competition in Lisbon. Mezha.Media found out how the platform works and what changes it can bring to the education system.

What opportunities Intuitivo offers

The tool was developed primarily to improve the productivity of teachers. This is because they spend a lot of time grading paper-based assessments. The platform eliminates this problem.

To start using Intuitivo, you need to create an account on the company’s website. At this stage, you should specify information about the curriculum: language of instruction and subjects.

The next step is to log in to your account and develop digital tasks. And here, there are plenty of interesting options! For example, exercises with several correct answers. Or tasks where you need to determine whether a certain statement is true or false.

One of the platform’s features is that tasks can be created independently or using templates and ready-made works of other teachers. The existing content can be adapted to the needs of each teacher. And then it can be shared with others.

The type of exercises allows you to automate the grading process, and the use of templates simplifies the creation of tasks. Both of these factors help save the teacher’s time.

Finally, after developing the exercise, it is published and distributed among students to assess their knowledge. Audio and video, various links, formulas, and other content are added to the tasks.

How the assessment platform came to be

Intuitivo is a young startup that was founded in 2020. It all started with the words of the mother of one of the company’s founders, Diogo Silva. As a teacher, she claimed that teachers lacked a convenient and simple platform. So, it was decided to create one on their own.

“Diogo’s mom started using it at her school. Then other teachers tried it. So, the CEO of Intuitivo, João Guimarães, said: “Hey, maybe this is the future.” And the team got to work,” says the startup’s Business Manager Henrique Manuel Rocha.

Diogo Silva’s mother and her colleagues were actually the first testers of the new platform. Thanks to the feedback, the company always knew what kind of product they wanted to create. However this took time, particularly because they needed to find funding for the project.

Intuitivo managed to tackle this task. For example, Techstars accelerator and Demium Capital were among the investors in the Pre-seed round. Now the startup continues to look for potential sponsors and is preparing for the Seed round in early 2025.

The investment is an opportunity to hire people to help improve the platform. There are less than ten people on the team, but they plan to expand it by hiring technical and sales specialists. Geography is not a limitation, so a candidate can be from Ukraine, for example.

“Many of us work from home, and we don’t cross candidates because of their location. Although, it’s important for sales people to speak Portuguese. As for the tech team, we can speak Chinese if they want,” adds Henrique Manuel Rocha.

Intuitivo

Where Intuitivo operates and how many users it has

Today, the platform operates in the Portuguese market and has 160 clients across the country. These are both public and private schools. In total, more than 35 thousand teachers use the tool.

However, Intuitivo aims for more – it is interested in attracting new clients from local schools and eventually becoming one of the “major characters” in the country.

“Our platform is unique because it is very easy to use and has all the necessary features. I think this is important for teachers, they don’t want a platform that does things that they don’t need,” says the Business Manager of Intuitivo.

But the company’s plans are not limited to Portugal. The team wants to bring the product to new markets and calls internationalization one of its long-term goals. Currently, they are thinking about starting operations in neighboring Spain.

Another potential option is Brazil, which has official Portuguese language and a large number of schools. Intuitivo is ready to bet on this country and is already starting to make contacts to understand how everything works.

In order to realize its expansion plans, both locally and abroad, the startup needs to not only offer a quality product but also be recognizable. This is where last year’s Web Summit technology conference came in handy.

“Winning the startup competition has attracted the attention of new customers. This is very important! But it doesn’t change our work, we continue to work as hard as ever and add new features to the platform,” notes Henrique Manuel Rocha.

Intuitivo

What changes to expect thanks to the startup

Intuitivo’s research shows that the lack of teachers is one of the problems with the education system in Portugal. The company claims that in some cases students have no teachers at all. And the remaining teachers are mostly older, with low salaries and a lack of motivation.

“Many teachers are retiring, and there are not many new specialists. I don’t know anyone who wants to go to school to teach. So, this is a big problem. And this is where technology can help. It gives teachers more time, which they lack,” says the Business Manager of the company.

However, this is not the only problem the startup can solve. Another one concerns the environment. Since Intuitivo is a digital platform, educational institutions can reduce the excessive use of paper. And in this way, they can take care of the environment.

Moreover, there is a financial component, because purchasing paper requires significant resources. Implementing a digital tool will help optimize costs and redirect them to other needs.

“Thus, Intuitivo helps not only save teachers’ time, but also take care of the nature and the school budget,” concludes Henrique Manuel Rocha.