Teachers on Wheels, Inc.

What Teachers on Wheels, Inc. does

Teachers on Wheels, Inc. (TOW) is a US-incorporated nonprofit 501(c)(3) public charity founded in 2017 that delivers mobile education, tutoring, and vocational skills training to disadvantaged children, youth, and adults in low socio-economic communities. The organization operates across the United States, Australia, and India (Bangalore), with affiliated legal entities in Australia (incorporated association, ABN 29 628 193 010) and India (Teachers on Wheels Trust). Its core product is a portfolio of educational programs — Literacy & Numeracy, Skills Development, Adult Education, Evening Classes, One-to-One Coaching, a STEM Exam-Ready Bootcamp, and Virtual Classrooms — augmented by a planned mobile classroom built from a converted 20ft shipping container equipped with solar panels and batteries for off-grid operation in remote villages.

The underlying technology combines a physical delivery layer (mobile classroom units, local teacher networks in India supporting evening classes and field visits) with a lightweight digital layer (a website donation platform integrated with PayPal, Stripe, Apple Pay, and Google Pay, plus social-login SSO). The organization depends heavily on a volunteer network spanning four continents and a dozen nationalities, supported by a board that includes co-founders Chris Anthony and Denis Jacobi, both of whom hold senior roles at Fortune 500 multinationals and lend the organization technology and management expertise.

TOW's revenue model is donation-based, with no fees charged to beneficiaries. Income streams include individual one-time and recurring donations (denominations ranging from $10 to $200, plus a $30/month teacher sponsorship tier), corporate sponsorships with employer matching, and planned giving via bequests and trusts. The organization has multi-jurisdictional charitable status (US 501(c)(3), Australian DGR endorsement) and is pursuing Indian tax-exempt recognition. There are no funding rounds, no PE/VC ownership, and no M&A activity; growth is funded organically through donations and volunteer labor.

Name

Teachers on Wheels, Inc.

Legal name

Teachers on Wheels, Inc.

Website

https://tow.ngo

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Teachers on Wheels is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit delivering mobile education, tutoring, and vocational skills training to disadvantaged children, youth, and adults in the United States, Australia, and India using containerized mobile classrooms and local teacher networks.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nonprofit Education Services

NAICS

Technical and Trade Schools (61151)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Homework Tutoring & Academic Support (Subject Tutoring) (HSAAAHAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Teacher-Led Digital Lesson Packages & Instructional Resources (EDAFACAL)

Keywords

• Mobile education services
• Literacy training programs
• Vocational skills training
• Nonprofit education programs
• Adult literacy programs

Headquarters

HQ city

San Jose

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: One-time and recurring donations from individual donors supporting educational programs in India, Australia, and the US. Donors can designate donations to specific programs.
2. Corporate Sponsorships: Corporate partnerships providing financial support in exchange for association with the organization's mission and programs. Includes employer matching programs.
3. Planned Giving: Bequests, trust donations, and estate planning contributions as part of planned giving programs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Teachers on Wheels delivers mobile education, tutoring, and skills training programs to disadvantaged children, youth, and adults in the United States, Australia, and Southern Asia (India). The organization uses converted 20ft shipping-container mobile classrooms equipped with solar power to travel to remote villages, supplemented by literacy and numeracy programs, vocational skills training, adult education, evening classes, one-to-one coaching, virtual classrooms, and a STEM exam-ready bootcamp.

Product overview

Teachers on Wheels is a nonprofit charitable organization that operates a portfolio of educational programs and services designed to improve literacy, numeracy, and skills development for disadvantaged communities. The core offerings include Mobile Classrooms that travel to remote villages in Southern Asia, Literacy and Numeracy Programs for children and adults, Skills Development Programs providing vocational training, and Adult Education Classes. Additional services include STEM Exam-Ready Bootcamps in India, Virtual Classrooms for online learning during crises, Evening Classes through local teacher networks, and One-to-One Coaching sessions. The organization serves communities across the United States, Australia, and Southern Asia with offices in each region.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Mobile Classroom Traveling classroom service using converted 20ft shipping containers installed on trailers with retractable sides to bring education directly to remote villages in Southern Asia where access to education is limited and illiteracy levels are high. Equipped with solar panels and batteries for off-grid power. The first mobile classroom is planned for rural areas around 60 miles (100 kms) from Bangalore, India.
• Literacy & Numeracy Program Educational services providing basic reading, writing, and math skills to children and adults from low socio-economic communities. Creates a safe learning environment for mastering fundamental academic skills in the United States, Australia, and Southern Asia.
• Skills Development Program Vocational training program equipping teenagers and adults in low-income rural areas with practical skills such as carpentry, plumbing, and farming techniques to enter the job market and improve quality of life.
• Adult Education Program Educational services focused on mature-aged learners, teaching basic literacy and numeracy, counseling, and skills development in local languages by local teachers to improve economic status and self-reliance.
• STEM Exam-Ready Bootcamp A seasonal 12-week program in Bangalore, India, targeting the bottom 5% of students in High Secondary Schools, designed to help at-risk students build exam resilience through practice scenarios followed by coaching from experienced teachers and social workers.
• Virtual Classroom Online education delivery platform that runs virtual classes during public health crises such as COVID-19 to keep students engaged in education when physical attendance is not possible.
• Evening Classes Regular evening educational sessions delivered through local teachers' networks to improve literacy and numeracy skills for working adults and youth in India.
• One-to-One Coaching Individual tutoring and skills training sessions providing 3 hours per week of personalized coaching to help learners gain foundation skills for future careers.

Quantifiable outcome

• First mobile classroom expected to serve 150 families with approximately 80 children
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration8 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Australian STEM CoursescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCorporate supporter providing STEM educational content and expertise. Helps bridge the gap between businesses and the next generation of technical workforce in science, technology, engineering, and math.
• PayPalcoreTechnology or IntegrationPayment processing partner enabling secure online donations globally. Handles credit card transactions for the donation platform.
• StripecoreTechnology or IntegrationPayment processing partner enabling secure online donations globally. Handles credit card transactions for the donation platform.
• World BankminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch reference partner. TOW cites World Bank data on skills development and adult literacy statistics to support program rationale.
• International Labour Organization (ILO)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerData reference partner. TOW cites ILO India Labour Market Update data on out-of-school children.
• UNESCOminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch reference partner. TOW cites UNESCO statistics on global education proficiency levels.
• Local Community Leaders (India)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal leaders in India help identify communities most in need of services and support program delivery.
• Local Teachers' Network (India)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNetwork of local teachers providing evening classes and skills training through the organization's programs in India.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• BRAC: One of the world's largest development NGOs operating education, health, and livelihood programs across Asia and Africa. Comparable as a broad incumbent in education access with overlapping mission, though much larger scale and portfolio breadth.
• UNICEF: UN agency delivering global education, health, and child welfare programs. Comparable as a broad incumbent funding and operating education access programs for children in underserved regions globally.
• Save the Children: International NGO delivering education, health, and protection programs to children globally. Comparable as a broad incumbent with established programs targeting underprivileged children in similar geographies, including India and Australia.
• Concern Worldwide: International humanitarian NGO operating education and livelihoods programs in low-income countries. Comparable as a broad education-incumbent nonprofit operating in similar geographies and beneficiary segments.

Direct peers

• Educate Girls: India-based nonprofit working to enroll and retain out-of-school girls and improve learning outcomes. Comparable in mission, geography, and community-led delivery model to TOW's rural India operations.
• Room to Read: Global nonprofit focused on literacy and girls' education in low-income communities across Asia and Africa. Directly comparable as a literacy and skills-development education nonprofit serving underserved youth in similar geographies.
• Quest Alliance: India-focused nonprofit equipping young people with 21st-century skills and education-to-employment pathways. Comparable because of India footprint, focus on youth skills development, and blended in-person/digital delivery model.
• Pratham: One of India's largest education NGOs, operating literacy and numeracy programs targeting out-of-school children and adults in low-income communities. Closest direct peer because of India-focused literacy/numeracy programs for similar beneficiaries.
• Teach For All: Global network of independent partner organizations working to expand educational opportunity in underserved communities. Comparable as a multi-country education access nonprofit operating in similar beneficiary segments.

Emerging players

• Khan Academy: Nonprofit delivering free online education including literacy, numeracy, and STEM content globally. Comparable because of the digital/virtual learning component of TOW's program delivery, though Khan Academy is content-first rather than field-delivery-first.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/teachersonwheels

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Teachers on Wheels, Inc.