A Manchester-born entrepreneur is aiming to harness the power of AI to take on the $60bn international schools market.
Nik Higgins has launched Doris, following the multi-million pound sale of his previous firm, The Ambassador Platform to IDP Education.
The 34-year-old said that the platform helps match expatriate families with the right international schools for their children, using generative AI and “unique proprietary code.”
It’s already achieved some pre-launch success and means Tameside-born Higgins will be headed to Singapore to grow the firm.
Dulwich College Singapore has become the first school to confirm its intention to join Doris, it’s been followed by Singapore American School.
“We genuinely believe we have a platform that will introduce positive change to a sector that has relied for too long on a semi-effective patchwork of school listing sites, consultants and agents,” he said.
“Doris will provide impartial, meaningful, and deeply considered recommendations for parents making one of the biggest decisions of their children’s lives.
“Our generative AI model can make highly informed recommendations based on conversations between parents and our virtual assistant, Doris.
“As the platform evolves, schools will be notified of highly qualified, high-intent matches from parents who wish to connect with them.”
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He explained that Doris had profiles of hundreds of international schools and the parent-facing side of the platform makes recommendations based on insights gathered during conversations with families. They can then compare multiple suggested schools and delve into detailed profiles covering educational and extra-curricular offerings.
It will also offer marketing and admissions teams access to a data dashboard to provide information on how prospective families engage with their profiles, so schools can add to their profiles.
There are currently more than 13k international schools operating around the world, serving more than 6m students. This market is continuing to expand, particularly in Asia and the Middle East and it’s projected to be worth $82.93bn by 2029.
“When Nik introduced me to Doris, I immediately recognised its potential to bridge that gap and create real value for both families and schools,” said Jason Hoppner, Director of Operations and Customer Experience at the German European School Singapore, who is now Chief Advisor and Non-Executive Director at Doris.
“Doris is a platform that empowers families with tailored, meaningful recommendations while providing schools with insights that go beyond surface-level engagement. This dual approach is what sets Doris apart.
“The ability for schools to gain deeper insights into prospective families’ motivations and preferences is a game-changer for admissions and marketing professionals.”
