With 1.3 million newborns each year, Vietnam is experiencing not only rapid industrial growth but also a rising passion for education. The country’s private education market is estimated to be worth around KRW 20 trillion, growing by more than 10% annually. Among Vietnam’s population, around 24 million are under the age of 14, with the early childhood and primary education segment alone valued at approximately KRW 7 trillion.

Vietnamese parents, facing fierce competition and high educational aspirations, often struggle with how to best educate their children and which teachers to choose. The situation is particularly challenging for dual-income families, who have seen the traditional extended family structure shift to smaller urban households. Parents of children aged 2 to 12 face the dual burden of balancing both education and care. Many opt for academies or private tutors, but academies are often limited in what they can offer to younger children, while tutors’ educational quality can be inconsistent, adding to their concerns.

YAHO LAB is addressing these issues by offering a tutor-matching service tailored to the evolving needs of the Vietnamese education market and the concerns of parents. Since its interview with WowTale in 2022, YAHO LAB has launched new services and diversified its business.

YAHO LAB has adapted a proven in-home tutoring system from Korea to fit the cultural context of Vietnam. In-home tutoring is a flexible solution that meets the needs of the fast-growing nuclear family trend in Vietnam. As the country’s housing shifts from multi-family homes to apartment living, the demand for in-home tutoring is on the rise, making it a perfect solution for the market.

YAHO LAB’s in-home tutoring service, the first of its kind in Vietnam, goes beyond simply sending tutors to homes. Their aim is to provide high-quality education by developing excellent educational content, training professional tutors, and optimizing routes to improve service efficiency. Using AI, YAHO LAB ensures that lessons are prepared within 10 minutes, based on the needs of parents and the child’s data. This personalized approach enhances satisfaction for both parents and students, offering a service fully customized to Vietnamese culture and needs.

Through its mobile app, YAHO LAB’s “YAHO!” in-home tutoring service allows parents to choose classes and be matched with suitable tutors. They’ve also integrated a vertical e-commerce function specializing in early childhood and primary education, allowing users to easily purchase educational products and programs. By partnering with Korea’s leading education company Daekyo, YAHO LAB has onboarded the “Eye Level” program to enhance the diversity of their content offerings.

YAHO LAB is carving out a new education market in Vietnam through its in-home tutoring service, targeting 6.7 million households. The company predicts that the in-home tutoring market will grow to KRW 5 trillion within the next 10 years, significantly expanding their business potential.

Since the launch of YAHO LAB’s in-home tutoring service in January this year, the company has seen rapid growth. Their subscription service, priced at approximately $37 per subject, achieved monthly subscription revenue of KRW 32 million in July, reflecting a 900% growth since its launch. YAHO LAB continues to enhance its platform by analyzing the learning data collected through the service, refining its algorithms to offer tailored educational programs.

By deploying its entire staff in Vietnam and directly engaging with customers, YAHO LAB was selected as one of the Top 50 startups at Vietnam’s largest startup event, “Startup Wheel,” and gained attention by appearing on Season 6 of Vietnam’s startup audition program, “Shark Tank.”

Supported by the Incheon Center for Creative Economy & Innovation’s Youth Overseas Expansion Support Program, YAHO LAB has aggressively expanded its operations in Vietnam and plans to extend its reach into other major Asian markets.

Kwon Young-wook, CEO of YAHO LAB, is now seeking investment for further expansion in Asia. “We’ve pioneered the in-home tutoring market in Vietnam and proven its growth potential through our revenue. We’ve also helped Korean education companies enter Vietnam, demonstrating our ability to localize and sell effectively. As an edtech startup offering offline education through mobile platforms, we have a unique competitive advantage.”

He added, “Vietnam’s education market is set to grow rapidly, and the high demand for in-home tutoring driven by nuclear families and parents’ strong interest in private education will continue to support YAHO LAB’s growth and solidify our position in the market.”

What problem is YAHO LAB aiming to solve?

YAHO LAB focuses on addressing the concerns of Vietnamese parents regarding their children’s education. While Vietnam’s private education market is enormous—around KRW 20 trillion—parents of children aged 2 to 12 often struggle with deciding what kind of after-school education is best. 

Most parents either send their children to academies or hire tutors, but for younger kids, academies aren’t always the best option. Even when hiring tutors, parents often lack confidence in the quality of education. YAHO LAB aims to understand these concerns and offer tailored solutions.

How is YAHO LAB solving this problem?

YAHO LAB has introduced an in-home tutoring system to tackle this issue. This model, proven in Korea, has been adapted to fit the local culture in Vietnam, helping to resolve challenges around after-school education. In the past, multi-generational households were common in Vietnam, making in-home tutoring less practical. 

However, with the rise of apartment living and the increasing prevalence of nuclear families, the educational landscape is shifting. Now, many teachers visit homes to provide personalized tutoring. 

YAHO LAB is the first in Vietnam to introduce this in-home tutoring system, revolutionizing after-school education.

Has competition increased since the service launched? What’s YAHO LAB’s key competitive advantage?

In-home tutoring systems are inherently complex, requiring excellent educational content, well-trained tutors, and efficient logistical coordination to deliver the best service. YAHO LAB has tailored and structured this system to suit the local Vietnamese market. 

Any type of educational content can be quickly onboarded into the system, and through AI, lessons can be prepared in less than 10 minutes based on parents’ preferences and children’s data. This allows YAHO LAB to deliver high-quality, personalized tutoring services.

What services does YAHO LAB offer, and how has the company evolved over the past three years?

YAHO LAB offers the “YAHO!” in-home tutoring service, which is accessible through a mobile app. Parents can browse and choose classes and get matched with qualified tutors. Additionally, we are testing a vertical e-commerce feature focused on early childhood education. If successful, this feature could help Korean educational companies enter the Vietnamese market. 

YAHO LAB is currently collaborating with Daekyo to integrate the “Eye Level” program into Vietnam’s in-home tutoring system. We are also focusing on improving our algorithms based on data collected through our services to offer more personalized recommendations.

How has your market and customer base expanded since the early days?

Vietnam has 24 million children under the age of 14, and the early childhood and elementary private education market is estimated to be around KRW 7 trillion. By introducing in-home tutoring, YAHO LAB is pioneering a new educational market in Vietnam. We currently target 6.7 million households, and we project that this market could grow to KRW 5 trillion over the next decade.

What achievements has YAHO LAB made since your last interview in 2022?

Since launching our in-home tutoring service in January 2024, which costs about $37 per subject, we’ve seen monthly subscription revenue increase by 900%, reaching KRW 32 million in July. Additionally, we are enhancing our platform to recommend the most suitable educational programs based on the learning data collected from children.

Why does YAHO LAB need additional investment? 

First, YAHO LAB is pioneering a new in-home tutoring market in Vietnam and has proven its potential through significant revenue growth.

Second, YAHO LAB has a deep understanding of the challenges faced by Korean education companies and is helping them enter the Vietnamese market. We have proven our localization and sales capabilities through partnerships with major educational companies like Daekyo, Woongjin ThinkBig, and Kidkids.

Third, while mobile technology is growing, parents in Vietnam and other parts of Asia still prefer offline education. YAHO LAB is an edtech startup that provides offline tutoring services by recommending the best educational programs and tutors through a mobile platform.

What efforts are being made to expand into overseas markets, and what successes have you achieved?

YAHO LAB’s entire team is stationed in Vietnam, listening to customers’ needs directly and implementing improvements on the ground. As a result, YAHO! was selected as a Top 50 startup at Vietnam’s largest startup event, “Startup Wheel.” We were also invited to appear on season 6 of “Shark Tank Vietnam,” the country’s only startup audition program. 

Additionally, YAHO LAB was selected for Eduspaze, Singapore’s leading edtech accelerator, where we secured investment and gained recognition both locally and internationally.

How has the Youth Overseas Business Expansion Support Program helped YAHO LAB?

The Youth Overseas Business Expansion Support Program from the Incheon Center for Creative Economy & Innovation has enabled YAHO LAB to operate more aggressively in Vietnam. The Invention Lab, which runs the program, has provided critical support, including mentoring, local networks, and innovation programs, significantly contributing to our business growth.