Irish edtech start-up to break through to UK market with maths tutoring

31 May 2022

TJ Hegarty, founder of Breakthrough Maths. Image: Carrie Rapp

Breakthrough Maths was founded in Cork in 2020. It is now going international and aiming to grow its revenue to €5m by 2025.

Irish online maths school Breakthrough Maths is to expand into the UK by the end of this year.

The edtech company was founded in the middle of the pandemic and now teaches around 300 students per week.

Last August, it announced plans to hire an additional 10 tutors, doubling its workforce. It currently employs 20 experienced maths tutors and is eyeing further growth.

“The digital education market is rapidly increasing and is expected to grow by more than €2bn in Europe alone by 2025,” said founder TJ Hegarty. “We’re seeing huge demand in Ireland, our student numbers have tripled in the past year alone and show no signs of slowing.”

With that in mind, the company expects its revenue to reach €5m by 2025.

Breakthrough Maths is also planning to create 40 new jobs by 2025 to support its UK expansion. The roles will mostly be for experienced maths tutors, however there will be some roles in sales and IT.

“By 2025 we aim to employ more than 60 experienced tutors in total who will be teaching 3,000 students each week,” said Hegarty.

“There is a market for growth in other countries too and we will be launching Breakthrough Maths in England in the fourth quarter of this year enrolling 100 students initially.”

Breakthrough Maths was originally set up in September 2020 in a Cork community hall. At the time, it had two teachers and 24 students, before moving online and expanding.

It caters to students from fifth class in primary school right through to Leaving Certificate level in secondary school. It offers online maths grinds, taught in small groups to keep students engaged.

Students also have access to a dedicated support app to ask questions 24/7 outside of the online classes. Tutors respond to questions with a video on how to solve a particular problem.

“It all comes down to reliability and quality, that’s what parents and students want. Clear communication, punctual lessons and support after the classes are at the heart of what we do,” Hegarty said.

“We have small groups of students who are matched by ability. Our online classes are also more sustainable, removing the need to travel to grinds. The average student saved 45 hours in travelling time last year alone.”

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Blathnaid O’Dea was a Careers reporter at Silicon Republic until 2024.

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