StudiesIn has just secured €570k for its platform that aims to make the study abroad process much smoother and simpler. The Barcelona-based startup is now preparing for its upcoming platform launch.
Pursuing study abroad whilst at university is becoming more and more popular. From deciding to go on an Erasmus semester to taking a full year to study in a different country, it’s a phenomenon that’s growing. Not only does it give these students valuable life experience, but it is also a way to share talent across Europe and create international talent networks, as many students move abroad to study and find themselves staying for work.
Study abroad is also supposed to be a fun experience, however, for many students, the logistics and process of setting it all up can be stressful, costly and, sometimes, completely inaccessible.
Aiming to change this by democratizing access to international education is Barcelona-based startup StudiesIn.
New funding secured
StudiesIn, formerly known as Leap Studies in Spain, has just raised €570k in a seed round led by a Dutch investor with the participation of several strategic angel investors.
The startup will use the fresh cash for the upcoming launch of the app, which is planned for Halloween 2022.
Rodin Affourtit, Co-founder, and Head of Growth said: “International students are struggling to get transparent and unbiased answers to information which should be available to everyone. There is no streamlined and straightforward process to study in Europe, given the local specific requirements of each single country. We will use this investment to improve the lives of many students around the world who can use our technology and in-country expertise to design their academic future.”
Democratizing international education
Founded in 2019, StudiesIn is aiming to create a positive social impact, bringing transparency into international education and making it more accessible.
CEO & Co-founder, Tom Miessen explained: “Currently, there is a big problem in the education sector. Many educational consultants around the world are driven purely by commission and might recommend programs to young students which are not a good fit, only to maximize their own gain. We created this company with the vision to eliminate the bias in this industry and make higher education accessible to the people. Our approach of offering private as well as public education in Spain has proven to be very successful over the last years as it also enables students from mid and lower-income families to realize their study abroad plans. With this mindset we designed a new technology platform, to help as many students as possible and provide them with access to European universities. We call it StudiesIn.”
Choosing the right country and program is probably one of the most crucial decisions a young student will ever make. Studying abroad in a place like Spain can help students find employment and eventually reside in Europe, which is one of the top reasons to consider studying in another country.
However, deciding how and where to study abroad is not a simple task; there are hundreds of factors to take into account before making this paramount decision. Next to finding the right institution, program and financing options, students require detailed knowledge on and diligence for complex processes like visa applications and navigating residence permits in their destination country.
StudiesIn has been building a new tech-led platform that is solely focused on streamlining difficult procedures in bureaucratic nations, providing for the first time truly impartial advice on higher education to international students.
The startup supports students around the world with private and public university admissions, meaning students can study abroad for 1/5 of the fees – a game changer for students and education.
The platform will offer more than 3000 study options, which students can then sift through and compare, finding information on admissions, visa applications, and relocation management systems. Users will also be provided with counseling, whereby they are matched with an education specialist who will be able to provide unbiased advice. The platform also includes a knowledge base of more than 500 practical articles and study abroad guidelines.
Already, the startup has assisted more students from more than 110 different nationalities in navigating challenging study abroad procedures by leveraging digital approaches to an analog and outdated industry.
