Discover how a startup is revolutionizing school management in Indonesia through digital transformation. CARDS by Cazh is the solution.
CARDS by Cazh is a complete SaaS platform created to streamline the operational and academic systems of educational institutions. By merging administrative and academic functions, CARDS improves school management and enhances daily operations efficiency.
This platform digitizes traditional cash transactions like fee payments and student purchases, addressing issues such as poor record-keeping, monitoring difficulties, and potential fraud.
On the academic side, CARDS by Cazh offers a solution for parents who want better insight into their children’s school activities. The platform provides real-time monitoring of academic progress, extracurricular participation, and financial transactions.
This level of transparency and accessibility empowers parents to stay connected and informed, creating a stronger connection between home and school.
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CARDS by Cazh, part of the ninth cohort of the EduSpaze edutech accelerator program, is one of six promising startups that present a great opportunity for startups, offering seed funding and access to a well-established regional network of schools, universities, mentors, and investors in the edtech landscape.
e27 interviewed Muh. Arif Mahfudin, Founder and CEO at CARDS by Cazh, to learn more about their mission and how they plan to achieve it.
The conversation has been edited for clarity.
How did the product come about? What was the product development process like?
CARDS originated from the founder’s observation of the shortcomings in educational administration, especially in tier-2 and tier-3 cities. Existing systems did not meet the needs of users, most of whom are digital service users. Parents seeking convenience were unable to find it in schools due to the lack of technology.
In 2021, we tested our service in boarding schools. Our initial service offering included managing students’ pocket money and payments, which parents could control through a mobile app.
The service was well-received, and the features have evolved based on the schools’ needs, making it suitable for all types of schools, including boarding schools, private schools, and public schools.
Who are your users, and how do you acquire them?
Our service is used by the entire school community, including staff, teachers, students, and parents.
CARDS targets the B2B market by directly approaching schools through our sales team, forming partnerships with other companies, and collaborating with school organizations.
Moreover, our referral program has been successful in bringing in new leads from existing schools, and these leads are likely to join us due to the positive experiences of previous users.
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What are the recent milestones achieved by CARDS by Cazh?
From 2021 to mid-2024, we have successfully managed over 400 schools with over 80,000 students on our platform.
Our vision of digitizing schools is becoming more evident, with over 50,000 parent users by mid-2024. They actively engage on our platform for school fees and student pocket money top-ups.
We recorded 180,000 transactions totaling S$4.3 million in 2023, and we anticipate this to double in 2024.
We are also partnering with several national banks in Indonesia to offer our solution to their education sector customers.
How does participating in Eduspaze aid in the growth of CARDS by Cazh as a startup?
Participating in Eduspaze provides us with valuable mentorship, networking opportunities, and access to a broader educational technology ecosystem.
It helps us improve our product, expand our market reach, and accelerate our growth by connecting us with key players in the education sector.
EduSpaze has given us new insights as founders, helping us understand edutech better. This complements our experience in developing a platform that excels not only in administrative and financial solutions but also in educational features.
Could you briefly introduce the co-founders of CARDS by Cazh? How big is your team?
We started with a solo founder and later brought on our first employee, Hari Yuliawan (COO), as a co-founder.
As an early employee, Hari was involved in various aspects, from marketing to operations. His sales background helped guide the product to the right market. With ongoing learning in organizational development, we now have a team of 24 members across development, sales, after-sales, and operations. Moving forward, the organization will continue to grow, focusing on attracting top talent.
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Have you secured any external funding? What are your plans?
Yes, we have received funding from accelerators like Indigo Incubator by Telkom Indonesia and DS/X Venture.
We are currently seeking approximately US$500,000 in funding to expand our business. This funding will be used for organizational development, product development (particularly in our Learning Management System), product and market research to enter the SEA market, and acquiring new schools across all segments in Indonesia, including boarding, private, and public schools.
What are your big plans for 2024?
Our goals for 2024 include educating parents from all our partner schools. This education is expected to increase app engagement, boost transaction volumes, improve user satisfaction, and enhance company financial performance. This initiative involves enhancing business processes, app design, user experience research, and selecting more cost-effective payment service providers.
In addition, from a product development perspective, our development team is working on a Learning Management System feature set to launch early next year.
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Image Credit: Cards by Cazh
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