New Investment Opportunity: Nas Academy

New Investment Opportunity: Nas Academy

Online courses for the modern creator

Nas Daily creator Nuseir Yassin's online education platform teaches courses by global creators and influencers in content creation, crypto/Web3, business and entrepreneurship
$8.5M gross annual run rate at end Q1 2022; 40%+ margin; 50+ corporate clients, 100 creators, 200,000 students since launching in 2020
Corporate customers include Google, TikTok, Pfizer; Yassin joined by ex-Uber, Grab and other executives to run business
Cohort-based learning model increases course retention to 60%, far beyond MOOC average
$12M SAFE with $100M post-money cap or 10% discount, led by Pitango, BECO Capital

"We are at $8.5M ARR based on the first quarter." - Nas Academy Founder Nuseir Yassin outlines the case for investing.

BOOK A CALL
with your Investor Relations representative

Dear Josb,

People are eager for online learning, yet completion rates of Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) are very poor, averaging 6-10%. Gen Z and millennial consumers seek creator content on social media, but creators have a hard time monetizing their offerings.

OurCrowd is investing in Nas Academy, a rapidly growing Singapore-based company with an EdTech platform that provides content creators worldwide with the technology and opportunity to launch their own commercial online courses. The company, led by Nas Daily founder Nuseir Yassin, has served 200,000 students and achieved $8.5M gross annual run rate at the end of Q1 2022. The details in this email are based on information received from, and verified solely by, the company.

The problem
There is huge demand for online learning. After the pandemic hit, MOOCs reached 220 million global learners, not counting China. But engagement rates are very low. Only about 6-10% of the students that start a MOOC complete the course.

Gen Z and millennials look online for learning. Sixty percent of Gen Z individuals and 55% of millennials report that YouTube is their preferred learning method. Yet the creators of online learning content struggle to monetize their creations. Even YouTube celebrities with over one million monthly viewers can earn less than $17,000 a year.

The solution
Nas Academy provides an educational platform built for creators, by creators. Nas Academy provides courses across three categories: content creation; crypto and Web3; and business and entrepreneurship. The company has already signed up some of the biggest creators in the world as instructors.

Unlike MOOCs, which are impersonal and asynchronous, Nas Academy's cohort-based learning builds communities of people taking a course at the same time, allowing content creators to build communities of their followers. Completion rates are 60%, more than 6X the average rate for MOOCs.

Traction
Nas Academy had $8.5M gross annual run rate at the end of Q1 2022 with 40%+ margins. Since launching in January 2020, the company has added over 50 corporate clients, 100 creators, and served 200,000 students.

Thirty-five percent of the company's revenue comes from corporations, including Google, TikTok, and Pfizer, which use Nas Academy courses to upskill their employees.

The team
Nas Academy founder and CEO Nuseir Yassin catapulted to global internet fame with Nas Daily, a Facebook channel for which he made 1,000 1-minute videos in 1,000 days, amassing over 40 million followers. Born in Israel, Yassin studied computer science and economics at Harvard and worked as a software engineer for Venmo. Alex Dwek, CBO, and Akshay Sharma, VP Global Operations, held management positions at Uber and GrabFood respectively before joining Nas Academy.

The round
This $12M SAFE is led by Pitango and BECO Capital. Funds will be used to expand in the US market.

Meet the CEO
We're hosting a webinar/conference call on Sunday, June 12th, at 6PM Israel / 11AM New York / 8AM San Francisco for investors to meet CEO Nuseir Yassin and learn more about Nas Academy.

Can't make the webinar? Register and we will send you a recording of the call.

The Nas Academy solution
Nas Academy has found that the secret to keeping learners engaged is to build a strong sense of community through cohort-based courses, where users have an opportunity to interact with each other and the teacher during the progression of the course.

The company offers influencers CreatorTech, a toolkit to create cohort-based on-demand courses with in-house video editing, live sessions, WhatsApp groups, and alumni circles, helping creators build offline communities around their brands.

For students, the platform offers a marketplace of courses from creators they know and love.

For businesses, Nas Academy offers team upskilling opportunities in emerging categories.

Next steps:

Certain information in this email contains "forward-looking information" under applicable securities laws ("forward-looking statements"). These may include, among others, projected performance; expected development of the company's business, projects and partnerships; execution of the company's vision and growth strategy; and the like. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and should not be relied on in any way.

Nothing contained in and accompanying this communication shall be construed as an offer to sell, a solicitation of an offer to buy, or a recommendation to purchase any security by OurCrowd, its portfolio companies or any third party. Information regarding OurCrowd's limited partnerships and/or portfolio companies and the investment opportunities on OurCrowd's website is intended and available for accredited investors only (criteria at OurCrowd). OurCrowd urges potential investors to consult with licensed legal professionals and investment advisors for any legal, tax, insurance, or investment advice.OurCrowd operates in Canada through OurCrowd Canada Inc., an exempt market dealer registered in the Provinces of British Columbia, Alberta, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec and Nova Scotia.