Vardan Academy: Online tutoring for Armenia and the diaspora

Vardan Academy was founded by educators frustrated with exploitative tutoring platforms. Most online tutoring companies take 40–50% of tutor earnings, leaving instructors underpaid despite high student demand. Vardan's founding team—three teachers from Yerevan—decided to build differently: an equitable platform where instructors earned 85% of session revenue.

We built Vardan as a Next.js progressive web app with real-time video via Twilio, integrated booking and payment processing (Stripe + local Armenian processors), and automated scheduling. The platform supports Armenian, English, French, Russian, and Farsi—essential for reaching diaspora students. We added detailed student outcome tracking, instructor performance metrics, and a robust review system to maintain quality.

The results validated the vision. In 18 months, Vardan facilitated 8,200+ tutoring hours, with a 4.7-star student satisfaction rating and 89% instructor retention—the highest in the Armenian EdTech market. Instructors earned an average of $2,200/month, attracting quality talent. The platform now serves 420 active students and 68 vetted instructors, with organic growth from word-of-mouth in the diaspora. Vardan is exploring expansion to neighbouring Georgia and is in talks with UNICEF for subsidised tutoring for underserved Armenian communities.