JAZRO Robotic Academy (JAZRO), a robotics education startup incubated by PETRONAS Innovation Garage (PING), has secured an investment of RM1.2 million (~US$283,000) from Gobi Partners through the Khazanah Nasional Berhad-backed Gobi Dana Impak Ventures (GDIV) fund.
This funding will allow JAZRO to enhance its educational programs and expand its reach to more young learners, fostering a new generation of tech-savvy innovators.
Read more: Navigating challenges and opportunities in the Malaysian robotics industry
Founded in 2020 by Ir. Dzulfarqeish Bin Zainuddin (founder) and co-founders Yasser Rabanie and Khoirun Nisah, JAZRO provides inclusive robotics education to children through its tailored programs.
The startup aims to cultivate digital talents in STEM fields (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) by offering engaging content for students aged seven to 17 to explore robotics and coding in a fun and educational manner, aligning with the future career opportunities of Industry 4.0.
The inspiration for the company came from the founder’s struggle to find a suitable robotics program for his son while working as an engineer in Kerteh, showcasing the gap in the market for such educational initiatives in Malaysia.
JAZRO’s interactive curriculum caters to various learning styles, providing hands-on experiences in robotics and coding to ignite curiosity and creativity, earning accolades from TERAJU SUPERB 2021 and CRADLE MYStartup MYHackathon 2022.
Currently, JAZRO serves 50,000 students in locations like Kerteh, Kuala Terengganu, Chukai, and Cyberjaya.
Find out more: The transformative potential of humanoid robots: A VC perspective
In addition to its mainstream programs, JAZRO now offers specialized robotic education for children with autism, delivered by trained tutors in collaboration with occupational therapists to enhance cognitive, communication, and social skills.
Gobi Dana Impak Ventures is part of Khazanah’s Future Malaysia Programme, supporting the Malaysian startup ecosystem with the aim of creating an impact in the industry.
The article first appeared on e27.