NativeX lands $2.5m to expand English learning in Vietnam

The NativeX team / Photo credit: NativeX

Mastery of the English language is considered a boon to job seekers’ employability in Southeast Asia. A 2023 study found this to be true in Vietnam, with some students enrolling in private English classes to widen their career prospects.

One company that helps students meet this need is NativeX. Established in April 2023, the online English-learning platform offers live classes taught by foreign experts.

The edtech startup has recently wrapped up its seed round by raising US$2.5 million, which brought the total to US$4 million. Ansible Ventures and Blueprint Ventures co-led the round, with participation from Northstar Ventures and other investors.

Its system groups students based on their proficiency levels and schedules. NativeX told Tech in Asia that these personalized learning paths help it stand out against companies with similar offerings.

According to NativeX, its paying students spend 15 million Vietnamese dong (US$608.8) in course fees on average.

“This places NativeX in the highest premium segment compared to all online English teaching competitors and in the upper-middle segment compared to offline teaching competitors,” the company said.

The company added that half of its users are working professionals with financial means and experience, who hail from areas like IT, healthcare, marketing, and business.

Planning to spend 80% of the new funds on product enhancement, NativeX is preparing to launch a dual learning program in June. It is going to combine English conversation lessons and soft skills training, said Ai Chau, co-founder and academic head at NativeX.

“The goal of NativeX is to provide students with English skills in a real work environment rather than just a certificate,” the company said.

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Currency converted from Vietnamese dong to US dollar: US$1 = 24,640 dong.