Scholarly: A Self-Serve Tutor App by Sibling Founders 

Written by Xinhui Wong and Sher Maine Wong

We are in an era where AI is reshaping industries, especially in Singapore’s booming tuition sector. Scholarly, founded by sibling duo Cherry and Jerry Goh, alongside co-founder Edmen Tam, leverages cutting-edge technology to offer a fresh approach to the private tuition industry. 

In just eight months since its launch in October 2023, they have successfully onboarded over 1,000 tutors on their self-serve tutor app platform, including tutors from prestigious institutions to even TikTok dance tutors! 

What sets Scholarly apart from traditional tutoring services is their all-in-one platform – which offers AI-powered job matching, tuition job postings, and a full suite of booking management tools. This makes learning more personalised, accessible, and impactful for students, tutors, and even parents. 

We are thrilled to be part of Scholarly’s journey. They joined the August 2024 cohort of the SMU Institute of Innovation & Entrepreneurship incubation programme, SMU Business Innovations Generator (BIG). 

Cherry and Jerry were interviewed recently (13 September 2024) on Singapore's Money FM 89.3. Here are some of the most interesting takeaways from their airtime: 

You are siblings running a company! What is it like working with family? 

Cherry: One of the benefits of working with family is that you can say things that might lead to disagreement. I voice my opinion even if I know that Jerry may not like it. It leads to better decisions as we don’t censor ourselves. We do step on each other’s toes… 

Jerry: We been stepping on each other toes for 20 years. 

Why the name “Scholarly”? 

Cherry: Jerry came up with the name, he just really liked the sound of the word “scholarly”! It creates an image in your mind of someone who is educated. Our platform is meant to make it really easy for students, parents and agencies to find tutors. All you have to do is browse over 1,000 tutors, start a chat with them, book their time, and leave a review all in one place. 

How do you verify that the tutors are credible? 

Cherry: Tutors can submit personal documents like their academic transcripts, resumes, proof of qualification. Once we have verified them, we display that they are verified tutors. We also have a system for parents and teachers to leave a review, as a way to signal to others that this tutor knows what he or she is doing. 

What are some of the wackiest subjects on your app? 

Cherry: We have a TikTok dance tutor on our platform and also sports coaches! These are pleasant surprises! 

What are your next steps? 

Jerry: For sales, it’s expanding our teams. The design and main features of the app are already all designed. We have also just finished development of the website. We are mainly a mobile app but we are now focusing on our website to reach a wider audience. 

Visit BIG website: https://iie.smu.edu.sg/big  
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