Superprof: Geography is no obstacle

Wilfried Granier is not a man that lacks ambition. A decade ago he set up Superprof, an online platform connecting students with tutors, with the aim of one day covering every country on Earth ─ and with the Superprof flag planted in over 40 countries already, he is well on his way. Rather than wait to prove the success of Superprof in France, in 2014 he launched Superprof in Spain, a country dear to his heart, then Brazil, one he regularly visits.  

“I don’t choose countries according to profitability,” explained Superprof’s president. “When we make the choice, we do it with a lot of love. This is why, sometimes, entrepreneurs can one-up major multinationals.”

Frugal management
Such a fancy-free approach to international expansion would not work unless it was allied to a solid business mind. In order to become the Airbnb of tutoring, Granier has known how to be frugal.

While the company would probably not turn its nose up at a few extra million in capital, its cofounder has managed to scale up Superprof without ever having to bring in investors via fundraising. “I wanted to create the company of my dreams and to remain totally free,” he explains. Mission accomplished: after growth of 376% between 2017 and 2021 to €21 million, Superprof’s latest annual results saw turnover increase by 50%.

In 2022 Superprof bought Kelprof and Tutorfair, bringing to 16 the number of competitors it has taken over

Unsurprisingly for such an international company, 80% of its turnover comes from overseas. Profits in the United States were up 300% year-on-year, which has led to that that country rocketing up from 25th position to 3rd in terms of profitability for Superprof, this despite the fact that the cost of bring an individual tutor to the platform is $28 in the States, compared to €4 in France and 50 cents in India. This performance is all the more impressive when you consider the level of competition in the sector in the US and how its rivals currently feature more prominently on the internet in terms of SEO. 

Spending spree
Faced with stiff competition, attack has been Superprof’s preferred option. In 2022 it bought French rival Kelprof and English company Tutorfair, bringing to 16 the number of competitors taken over in the firm’s ten-year history.

“In each country where we land, our country manager gets in touch with our competitors signalling our intention to buy their company, even making them an offer straight off the bat,” states Granier, adding that Superprof’s country managers are all local hires who have grown up in the country. It’s said that we are an international company, but that’s false. There are as many school systems as there are countries. We are a multi-local company.” As evidence of this, the Irish Superprof site, instead of being a cut and paste of the British or American one, uses the distinctly local term “grinds” for intensive tuition.

Another key to Superprof’s success is the exhaustive range of subjects it provides. More than the usual academic tutoring, it boasts experts on everything from cryptocurrency to the electric guitar. 

Next on the menu? Superprof is in the process of expanding to Croatia, Costa Rica and Finland, as well as China and Israel, two countries that will require reworking of its internet site ─ major projects for the Paris headquartered firm which should ensure its superhuman growth remains in the years to come.