Clickto: A Startup Case Study – Simplifying Cohort-Based Learning Experiences

Clickto

Clickto was an educational services startup founded to simplify the process of creating and managing cohort-based online programs. While Clickto introduced a promising model for online learning, several compounded challenges caused the company to wind down.

Founding Year: 2020

Headquarters: Tel Aviv, Israel

Industry: Educational Services

Status: Closed.

Business Model

Type: B2B, One-sided, Product

• Clients: Program administrators or coordinators at educational institutions, youth organizations, summer camps, or senior centers responsible for organizing and managing online programs. They seek a comprehensive and user-friendly platform to handle various aspects of virtual program delivery.

It’s like: Udemy but for cohort-based courses.

Clickto provides a platform for creating and managing online courses, similar to Udemy. However, it differentiates itself by focusing specifically on cohort-based learning, where students progress through the material together in groups.

• Similarities: Both platforms offer tools for hosting course content, managing enrollment, and tracking student progress.
• Differences: Clickto emphasizes real-time interaction and collaboration among students within a cohort, going beyond simply delivering pre-recorded content.

Challenges Clickto Addressed

• Administrative burden for educators: Managing multiple tools (Google Docs, Miro, Zoom, Telegram) for student interaction is cumbersome and time-consuming for teachers, especially with larger class sizes.
• A disjointed learning experience for students: Constantly switching between different applications for various tasks can be tiring and disruptive to the learning process.
• Lack of effective online platforms for cohort learning: The rise of online education, particularly during the pandemic, highlighted a shortage of platforms specifically designed for cohort-based learning experiences.

Key Solutions Offered by Clickto

• Centralized platform for cohort learning: Clickto offers a single platform with integrated tools for communication, collaboration, and content delivery, streamlining the management process for educators.
• Seamless user experience: Students can access all course materials, activities, and interactions within a unified platform, eliminating the need to juggle multiple applications.
• Personal Access Link (PAL): Simplifies access for participants by providing a single, unique link for all activities, eliminating the hassle of multiple logins.
• Interactive features: Includes virtual whiteboards, file sharing, audio-video conferencing, and live polls to facilitate engaging and collaborative learning experiences.

Founding Story

When and How: Clickto was founded in 2020  by Dotan Tamir and Erez Roll as a response to the increasing prevalence of remote work and the limitations of traditional employee training models in a distributed workforce.

Founders’ Experience: Dotan Tamir, Co-Founder and CEO, is a seasoned entrepreneur dedicated to revolutionizing lifelong education through innovative platforms like Clickto and BIG IDEA.

Erez Roll​ is an entrepreneur with extensive experience in leading educational initiatives and fostering international partnerships. He holds an MBA from Tel Aviv University and has a background in business development. Since 2014, Roll has collaborated with Dotan Tamir at BIG IDEA, a leading organization delivering non-formal educational experiences in innovation, STEM, and digital creativity to youth worldwide.

Erez Roll was the founder and CEO of Lafayette, a leading toy distributor focused on youth learning. At Lafayette, he secured exclusive distribution licenses for brands such as Disney, Power Rangers, Ninja Turtles, and Looney Tunes, developing business strategies, marketing, and sales operations that led the company to generate $25 million in annual sales.

Problem: The founders recognized that traditional training methods were becoming less effective with the rise of remote work. They aimed to create a platform that could help companies effectively upskill their employees through virtual classes.

Solution: Clickto was envisioned as a platform to democratize access to high-quality virtual training and live group courses, making them available to employees of any company size.  They focused on providing personalized development opportunities with peer engagement and live instruction.

Key Innovation: A notable innovation introduced by Clickto was the Personal Access Link (PAL) feature. This feature simplifies the user experience by allowing participants to access all their scheduled activities through a single link, eliminating the need for multiple logins.

Key Growth Milestones

• 2020: Clickto was founded.
• 2022: Clickto participated in the EISP Demo Day, indicating a period of active development and fundraising.

Market & Competition

Market Overview

• Current Market: Clickto primarily targets organizations that manage and deliver online programs, particularly in educational and community settings. This includes:
  • After School Centers
  • Youth Movements
  • Summer Camps
  • Universities
  • Colleges
  • Academic Programs
  • Senior Centers
• Market Size & Growth: The global e-learning market has experienced significant growth in recent years, driven by factors such as increasing demand for online education, widespread adoption by institutions and corporations, and a global shift towards digitalization and remote learning solutions.
  • In 2024, the global e-learning market was valued at approximately USD 342.4 billion and is projected to reach USD 682.3 billion by 2033, reflecting a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 8.0% during the forecast period. ​
  • The e-learning services segment was estimated at USD 299.67 billion in 2024, with an anticipated CAGR of 19.0% from 2025 to 2030. ​
  • Corporate E-Learning: The corporate e-learning market was valued at USD 104.32 billion in 2024 and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 21.7%, reaching USD 334.96 billion by 2030.
• Potential New Markets: Clickto’s platform could potentially expand to serve other sectors with a need for virtual program management, such as:
  • Corporate training and development
  • Non-profit organizations
  • Government agencies
  • Healthcare providers
• Growth Trends in Potential Markets: The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the adoption of online learning and remote work across various industries, suggesting continued growth in these sectors.

Competitor Landscape

Clickto operated in a highly competitive market with numerous players in the online program management (OPM) and learning management system (LMS) space.

Here are some of its main rivals:

• WizIQ: A long-standing provider of virtual training and LMS software, having raised $4M in funding.
• Virtually: A newer entrant focused on school management systems, with significant funding ($1.87M).
• Educate: An app-based platform offering teaching solutions specifically for tutors.
• FEAST: A company focused on engineering design and calculations software, indicating a different market focus despite being listed as a competitor.
• Future Nuri: A provider of digital library solutions and learning systems.
• Didicast: An online platform catering to educational content creators.
• VEDAMO: An online learning management platform specializing in tutoring.
• Geekstairs: A mobile and AI-based platform for teaching and administration (now defunct).
• eProf: A cloud-based platform for creating virtual classrooms (now defunct).
• The Concept Group: A platform providing e-learning content for institutions.

Marketing & Sales

Main Positioning Values: Providing personalized virtual training with live instruction and peer engagement to effectively upskill remote employees.

Website & Socials

Their website, clickto.live, redirects to a parked domain.

Media Coverage

• Calcalistech: Featured Clickto’s CEO, Dotan Tamir, in an article discussing the company’s approach to remote workforce upskilling.
• Times of Israel Blog: Published articles authored by Clickto’s co-founder, Erez Roll, promoting the platform’s features and benefits for online learning.

Marketing Strategies

• Content Marketing: Clickto utilizes thought leadership content through articles published by co-founder Erez Roll on the Times of Israel blog to promote the platform’s capabilities and attract potential customers.
• Public Relations: Clickto leverages media coverage by featuring its CEO, Dotan Tamir, in publications like Calcalistech to raise awareness and build credibility within the industry.
• Event Participation: Clickto attends industry events like the EISP Demo Day to showcase its platform to potential investors and customers, seeking to generate leads and partnerships.
• Target Audience: Clickto primarily targets organizations managing online programs, including After School Centers, Youth Movements, Summer Camps, Universities, Colleges, Academic Programs, and Senior Centers.

Product & Innovation

Key Innovations

• Personal Access Link (PAL): Clickto’s standout innovation, simplifies access for participants with a single link for all activities.
• Integrated suite of tools: Unlike using separate tools, Clickto provided a unified platform with built-in features for communication, collaboration, and content management, specifically designed for cohort-based learning.
• Focus on cohort learning: While many platforms offer online course management, Clickto differentiated itself by specifically catering to the needs and dynamics of cohort-based learning, emphasizing real-time interaction and community building.

Financials & Metrics

Revenue Sources

• Subscription Model: Clickto operated on a pay-as-you-go subscription model, charging customers per “participant day.”
• Volume Discounts: The company offered volume discounts for larger organizations purchasing a minimum of 2,000 participant days.

Metrics

• Funding and Investments: Clickto received funding from 8200 EISP, an Israeli early-stage investment program. The exact funding amount remains undisclosed.
• Employee Count: It had about 2 to 10 employees

Structure & Culture

Structure

• Leadership:
  • Dotan Tamir: Co-founder and CEO
  • Erez Roll: Co-founder, VP of Corporate Development, and Chairman

Culture

• Customer Focus: Clickto’s emphasis on user-friendly design, particularly with its PAL feature, suggests a customer-centric approach.
• Innovation: The development of the PAL system indicates a value placed on innovation and addressing user needs.
• Accessibility: The company’s mission to democratize access to virtual training suggests a belief in making education widely available.

Impact & Success

Customer Feedback

• Positive User Experience: Users commend Clickto for its user-friendly interface and seamless virtual program management. One administrator noted that the platform’s intuitive design allowed staff to navigate activities effortlessly, enhancing the virtual camp experience with minimal technical support.
• Convenience of PAL: The Personal Access Link (PAL) feature was highlighted as a valuable and unique aspect, simplifying access for participants.
• Technical Issues: Some users have reported occasional technical issues, such as buffering and browser compatibility challenges. Despite these concerns, Clickto’s customizable features and immersive virtual classrooms have been praised for effectively engaging participants in online programs.

Closure Rationale

Operating in a crowded market filled with both established players and emerging startups, Clickto found it difficult to differentiate its offerings. The competitive landscape made it challenging to capture a significant user base, hindering the platform’s growth and sustainability.​

User engagement emerged as another significant hurdle. Cohort-based learning relies heavily on active participation and peer interaction. However, Clickto faced difficulties in maintaining consistent engagement, leading to reduced course completion rates and challenges in retaining participants. Factors such as time management challenges, with learners balancing personal and professional commitments, and feelings of disconnection within the virtual learning environment contributed to this issue. ​

Monetization complexities further strained Clickto’s operations. Implementing a sustainable revenue model in the cohort-based learning space proved intricate. The platform’s reliance on specific monetization strategies faced challenges in scaling, impacting financial sustainability and the ability to reinvest in platform improvements.​

Operational difficulties also played a role in Clickto’s decline. Managing cohort-based courses involves logistical complexities, including scheduling, facilitator coordination, and ensuring quality across multiple cohorts. Clickto encountered challenges in these areas, affecting the seamless delivery of its learning experiences.

Lastly, scaling operations to accommodate a growing user base required significant resources and infrastructure, which posed further challenges.

Key Takeaways for Entrepreneurs

• Embrace niche markets: Clickto highlights the power of focusing on a specific niche within a larger industry. By specializing in cohort-based learning, they’ve differentiated themselves in the crowded online education market.
• Solve a tangible pain point: Clickto directly addresses the challenges faced by educators managing online cohorts, offering a solution that simplifies their workflow and enhances the student experience.
• Don’t reinvent the wheel, integrate it: Clickto cleverly combines existing tools and functionalities into a unified platform, demonstrating that innovation doesn’t always require inventing something entirely new.
• Leverage the power of community: Clickto recognizes the importance of interaction in learning and builds its platform around fostering a sense of community among students.
• Content and thought leadership as marketing: Clickto leverages its founder’s expertise to establish thought leadership through articles and media appearances, attracting potential customers organically.
• Ride the wave of emerging trends: Clickto capitalizes on the rising demand for effective online learning solutions, particularly those focused on cohort-based models, demonstrating an ability to adapt to market shifts.