Building Calimatic EdTech: From Concept to 10,000+ Active Users

In 2022, we set out to build an education platform that would rival enterprise LMS systems at a fraction of the cost. Three years later, Calimatic EdTech serves 10,000+ active users across 50+ institutions. Here's how we did it.

The Problem We Saw

Small to mid-sized educational institutions were stuck between two bad options:

• Enterprise LMS: $50K-$200K/year, complex, requires extensive training
• Basic tools: Google Classroom, spreadsheets—too limited for serious institutions

We believed there was a massive market for a comprehensive, affordable, easy-to-use platform.

Year 1: Building the Foundation

Initial Development (Months 1-6)

• Interviewed 30+ educators to understand pain points
• Built core modules: LMS, CRM, Student Information System
• Launched beta with 3 pilot institutions (150 users)
• Tech stack: React, Node.js, PostgreSQL, AWS

Beta Feedback & Iteration (Months 7-12)

Top requested features:

• Mobile apps for students and parents (80% of users accessed via mobile)
• Automated payment reminders (reduced late payments by 60%)
• Virtual classroom integration (COVID accelerated this need)
• Franchise management (clients wanted to scale)

Year 2: Scaling to 1,000+ Users

Product Expansion

• Launched native iOS and Android apps
• Added virtual classroom with recording capabilities
• Built automated billing and payment gateway integration
• Implemented multi-tenant architecture for franchise management

Growth Metrics

Year 3: Enterprise Features & 10K Users

Key Additions

• Branded Solutions: White-label web and mobile apps with custom branding
• Advanced Analytics: AI-powered insights on student performance
• API Access: Integration with existing school management systems
• Compliance Tools: FERPA and GDPR compliance features

Biggest Challenges

1. Performance at Scale

When we hit 5,000 concurrent users during exam season, our database couldn't handle it. We spent 6 weeks optimizing queries, implementing caching, and moving to a distributed architecture.

2. Mobile App Complexity

Building separate apps for students, teachers, and parents tripled our development time. We eventually merged them into one app with role-based UI switching.

3. Payment Integration Issues

Supporting multiple payment gateways across different countries was a nightmare. We built a payment abstraction layer that now supports 12 different gateways.

Key Lessons Learned

• Talk to users constantly: 80% of our best features came from user requests
• Mobile-first design: Should have built mobile apps from day one
• Pricing matters: We initially underpriced by 40%, hurting our margins
• Don't overbuild: We built features no one used (AI grading—too ambitious)
• Customer success is critical: Hired dedicated support team at 500 users

Current State (2025)