Heath Rutledge-Jukes became frustrated as he studied for the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT), the standardized test used for medical school admissions.
Rutledge-Jukes, currently a student at Washington University School of Medicine, said his frustration stemmed from the options available to prepare for the exam. He found textbooks and sample test question banks “boring.” He wanted something more immersive to help him study.
As an undergraduate student at Florida Southern University, Rutledge-Jukes was involved in a research project about video games and how they could be used to teach about cancer. That helped spark an idea for a new tool to study for the MCAT.
Rutledge-Jukes is co-founder of King of the Curve, a startup that has created a mobile app that can be used to study for the MCAT, as well as other standardized tests. It tries to make test preparation akin to a video game, allowing users to seek out high scores and compete with others. It says its technology also helps to make test preparation customizable to each user to best tailor their studying to their specific needs.
King of the Curve says its mobile app has been downloaded more than 150,000 times across the different exams for which it offers test preparation. Rutledge-Jukes said the startup has found success landing users through social media marketing, using apps like TikTok to promote itself.
The product: King of the Curve has developed a mobile app that provides test preparation for several standardized exams, including the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT), Physician Assistant College Admission Test (PA-CAT), National Council Licensure Examination-Registered Nurses (NCLEX) and Dental Admission Test (DAT). King of the Curve says its app includes quizzing and study games, allowing users to compete individually and with friends as they study for the exams.
How it makes money: King of the Curve uses a subscription model to generate revenue.
Size of the market: The startup estimates the overall test preparation market size in the U.S. is about $20.5 billion.
Competition: King of the Curve says its competition includes other companies that provide test preparation services and products for standardized exams, including The Princeton Review and Kaplan Inc.
Competitive advantage: King of the Curve said it has incorporated a customizable framework into its mobile app, which includes a question bank that’s adaptive to each user, taking into account each user’s strengths and weaknesses across the various subjects examined in a standardized test.
Business it could disrupt: Rutledge-Jukes said King of the Curve wants to disrupt the test preparation business, providing an alternative to services that provide textbooks and question banks, by providing technology that can adapt to each learner to help them focus on areas where they need the most help in preparing for exams.
Managers and their background: Co-founders of King of the Curve include Rutledge-Jukes, a medical student at Washington University; William Kelly, who has a master's degree in accounting from Cornell University; and AndrewPaul McIntosh, who has a background in marketing.
Capital raised: King of the Curve said it received a $30,000 angel investment from Keith Berend, a joint replacement surgeon based in Ohio.
Capital sought: The company said it wants to raise $1.2 million.
Ideal exit: King of the Curve said it has ambitions to one day achieve a $200 million exit.
CLOSER LOOK
Company name: King of the Curve
Year founded: 2020
Website: https://kingofthecurve.org/
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