By Riley Kaminer
Distance learning organizations suffer from a significant dropout rate – approximately 50% – which equates to an estimated $400 million in annual revenue loss for educational institutions.
But South Florida startup Flo-Ops is working on a solution. The company, which was previously focused on traditional college markets, has pivoted its strategy to address the growing demand for distance learning.
Founder and CEO Giovanni Estrada, a former educator himself, explained the shift in an interview with Refresh Miami: “We observed a substantial number of students opting for online classes but lacking real-time feedback and support. Our new approach integrates academic resources with essential services like career support to address this gap.”
Flo-Ops, based in Boca Raton, recently secured an opportunity to collaborate with a major school district in California, with a program set to launch in four weeks. The platform currently serves 12,000 active users across various universities and has received five Letters of Intent, with a goal to close as many deals as possible by year-end.
“We’re focusing on universities with distance learning programs,” Estrada noted. “A standout achievement is our recent case study with South University, which highlights the positive impact of our platform.”
South University saw a 43% increase in writing center engagement and a 33% improvement in grades thanks to Flo-Ops’ platform integration within an online psychology class. The app achieved 40% daily student engagement, leading to a 30% rise in online engagement from academic center workshops. Additionally, 80% of students reported feeling more connected, resulting in no class withdrawals, compared to three dropouts the previous semester.
This fall, Flo-Ops is planning to launch a new B2C initiative, “University of Flo” (UFLO). This community will offer diverse courses and direct access to experts, covering essential topics such as finance, health, and career development.
“Our vision for UFLO is to create a mobile community where users can access a wide range of courses and interact directly with industry experts,” Estrada said. “We’re focusing on building a strong, engaged community with high-quality content across various fields.”
Flo-Ops is expanding its platform to include online course providers in fields such as finance, stocks, and cryptocurrency. The company aims to create a comprehensive learning platform, akin to Coursera, but with a unique approach. Experts are handpicked, and weekly engagements, Zoom sessions, group chats, and online content are offered to enhance the learning experience.
“Our uniqueness lies in our curated content and direct engagement with experts,” Estrada asserted. “We’re creating a one-stop shop for diverse learning needs.” This diversity also extends to their potential community members, which include everyone from high students to retirees.
Flo-Ops operates with a full-time team of 13 and has raised $400k from family and friends. The company is now seeking to raise $750k in pre-seed funding to enhance customer acquisition and expand their services.
“With the traction we’ve seen, it’s time to put our product out there and scale up,” said Estrada.
READ MORE IN REFRESH MIAMI:
- Chilean-born EdTech expands to the US with Mati Barbero at the helm
- We’ve got the juicy details on one of Miami’s hottest edtech startups. AWS thinks so, too.
- 10,000 students, dozens of schools: South Florida’s YTeach is top of class in edtech innovation
- Only up from here for EducUp, a rising star in Miami EdTech
- EdTech Flo-Ops brings together students’ social and academic lives to improve their performance inside the classroom
- PRIMA raises $5M to turn hot tables into a referral business - September 4, 2026
- WellStack acquires DeLorean AI, plans to grow platform and South Florida footprint - September 3, 2026
- Inside OpenSeed’s plan to bring calm back to work, 12 minutes at a time - September 3, 2026