EDGE Tutor founder and CEO Henry Motte de la Motte
EDGE Tutor International recently closed a US$1 million pre-Series A funding round led by investors, including Seaborne Capital, M Venture Partners, Kaya Founders, and Orvel Ventures. The Philippine edutech company plans to expand operations into North America, Latin America, Europe, and the Middle East.
In the context of the closing of its investment, e27 spoke with EDGE Tutor founder and CEO Henry Motte de la Motte.
Below are the edited excerpts:
EDGE Tutor’s B2B white-label model is quite unique. What led you to choose this over a direct B2C approach?
At EDGE Tutor, we saw an opportunity to bridge the gap between the global demand for high-quality, affordable tutoring and the surplus of skilled educators in the Philippines. With a substantial number of licensed teachers in the Philippines, we partnered with existing tutoring companies, allowing them to use our vetted, highly trained Filipino tutors under their own brand.
This B2B white-label model enables our partners to scale rapidly without the operational burden of hiring, training, and managing tutors. Filipino teachers bring strong teaching foundations, cultural adaptability, and a reputation for patience and professionalism.
You’ve mentioned accepting only 3 per cent of applicants. Could you walk us through your teacher selection process?
We maintain strict hiring and training protocols aligned with safer recruitment principles. This includes structured screening with safeguarding protocols, reference and background checks for integrity verification, qualification vetting, and C1/C2 language proficiency certification.
Selected tutors undergo intensive training in structured literacy, pedagogy, and engagement strategies, with ongoing mentorship, skill refinement, and real-time feedback mechanisms.
How does EDGE maintain quality control across thousands of tutoring sessions?
Quality is non-negotiable at EDGE Tutor. We’ve built a multi-layered quality assurance system that combines technology-driven insights with hands-on human support.
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- Tech-driven initiatives: We use AI-powered teaching software that monitors classes for student participation, learning outcomes, and teacher engagement.
- 24/7 human oversight & support: We have a dedicated team of professionals working around the clock to support both our tutors and our partners. This includes dedicated account managers, a live lesson support team, and ongoing training and development.
- Direct feedback & continuous improvement: Regular evaluations, student feedback, and lesson observations drive ongoing improvements.
What specific challenges do you anticipate as you expand into the Americas and EMEA?
Expanding into the Americas and EMEA presents exciting opportunities, but it also comes with unique challenges that we are actively preparing for through our proven market adaptation strategies.
Each region has its own set of legal, regulatory, and educational standards that we must navigate.
Cultural and linguistic differences are managed through region-specific training programmes and cultural competency modules. When competing with onshore tutoring providers, it’s also crucial to highlight EDGE Tutor’s unique edge—exceptional tutors, world-class training, and rigorous quality control—all at a fraction of the cost.
You said in a statement that EDGE’s revenue from international markets grew from 5 per cent to 30 per cent in two years. What drove this rapid expansion?
Several key factors have fuelled our rapid growth in international markets.
- Cost efficiency & scalable growth: We provide high-dosage tutoring (HDT) at a lower cost than traditional providers.
- Superior tutor quality & training: Our rigorous selection process and continuous training ensure high-quality educators.
- B2B expansion & seamless integration: Partnering with existing tutoring businesses allows for efficient scaling.
- Strategic funding & operational expertise: Funding secured in Q4 2024 supports expansion into new regions.
The goal of 5,000 tutors by 2026 is ambitious. How do you plan to scale while maintaining your strict selection criteria?
We plan to scale through nationwide recruiting, EDGE Hubs, and incentivised retention and career growth. EDGE Hubs provide on-site centres for tutors who lack access to high-quality equipment or internet. Competitive pay, health insurance, career growth pathways, and flexible work options contribute to a high tutor retention rate of 96 per cent.
With the rise of AI tutoring tools, why are your clients still betting on human tutors? Could you elaborate on your plans for AI-driven automation in teacher training and quality control?
For many learners, human tutors remain irreplaceable due to their ability to build relationships, create meaningful accountability, and build a learner’s confidence and love of learning. We see AI as a complement to tutoring rather than a replacement. The company is investing in AI-driven automation to enhance tutor training, quality control, curriculum development, and student support. AI tutors are seen as “co-pilots.”
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Only 20 per cent of tutoring happens online globally. How are you helping traditional tutoring companies make the digital transition?
EDGE Tutor assists traditional tutoring providers in making the digital transition by offering end-to-end tutor management, affordable, high-quality alternatives, and digital infrastructure.
Beyond geographical expansion, what other growth avenues are you exploring?
We are also investing in initiatives that reinforce our core mission—championing Filipino educators and enhancing the quality of online tutoring worldwide. This includes AI-powered tutor training and quality control, diversification into new subject areas, expanding the EDGE Tutor app for public school teachers, and strengthening the EDGE Hub Network.
How do you see the tutor outsourcing industry evolving in the next five years?
The tutor outsourcing industry is set for major transformations, including wider adoption of AI, greater demand for affordable HDT, the rise of hybrid models, and increased regulation and standardisation.
However, the industry is nascent and is about 15 to 20 years behind other industries regarding the use of outsourcing.
The post AI tutors are co-pilots, not replacements: EDGE Tutor CEO Henry Motte appeared first on e27.