Dutch EdTech platform StuDocu has acquired the Mannheim-based startup Studybees. Founded in 2013, Studybees uses its online content to support students at German colleges and universities in the fields of business administration, Economics and Law in preparing for their exams. Both companies were founded by students for students and have made it their mission to help students reach their full potential. To do this, they provide students with learning content and tools to help them succeed in their studies. The acquisition of Studybees, with an average of 100,000 monthly users, will help StuDocu accelerate their growth in the German market, where they currently support 750,000 users per month. With the acquisition, Studybees joins the list of successful startups from the VOX show "Die Höhle der Löwen," where the founding team of Studybees presented their idea in 2016.
The founders Julia Koper, Fabian Klein and Johannes Saal had the idea for Studybees while they were still studying at Mannheim University, in order to better prepare students for their local exams with locally adapted courses and learning formats. Studybees' exam preparation courses are tailored to the respective courses of study and exams and have already successfully prepared more than 25,000 students in 40 cities throughout Germany for their exams. In 2019, the founders decided to expand the offline offering to include the online learning platform StudybeesPlus. In view of the coronavirus pandemic beginning in early 2020, this proved to be the right decision. With this online learning-as-a-service offering, the startup has become one of the leading exam preparation providers for economics in Germany.
In 2021, StuDocu raised $50 million in a Series B funding round to accelerate its international expansion. Already, nearly 20 million students in over 60 countries use the platform. Marnix Broer, co-founder and CEO of StuDocu, is excited about the acquisition: "Germany is one of our key markets where we see where we see promising growth. The opportunity to expand our German offering with Studybees' high-quality, course-specific content and welcome 100,000 students per month will significantly accelerate this growth. In addition, we are grateful that the founding team of Studybees, with all their relevant experience, continues to advise us."
