By Juan Pablo Zufriategui, IB Alumni, studied at St. Brendan’s School in Montevideo, Uruguay
Hi, I’m Juan. I’m 26, a Telematics Engineer, and the founder of Eduvaluer, a platform that helps schools track and support student well-being. My journey into tech entrepreneurship started back in my IB Maths classes.
How it all started
My mom is a school psychologist and has worked at my school since it opened. During the pandemic, I noticed she was spending months trying to assign students to balanced classrooms, factoring in preferences, academic needs, behaviour, and conflicts. I decided to help. I built her an algorithm, and it worked. What took her months could now be done in minutes.
That small success got me thinking bigger.
Turning a simple tool into a bigger solution
For my engineering thesis, I turned the algorithm into an app. At the same time, I kept hearing from my mom how hard it was to keep track of how students were really doing. She spent 80% of her time on just a few students, while many others went unnoticed.
So, we added regular student surveys to the platform, letting psychologists see well-being trends and respond early. That was the beginning of Eduvaluer.
Giving quiet students a voice
As a student, I never asked for help—even when I needed it. I created Eduvaluer partly for students like me. When schools use our platform, they often hear from students who had never spoken up before.
What Eduvaluer does
Schools use Eduvaluer to collect student feedback through surveys and sociograms. We analyze the data and make it easy to interpret, helping psychologists and teachers detect issues early and act quickly. We also still offer classroom assignment optimization—our original feature.
Growing beyond Uruguay
Today, Eduvaluer is used by IB schools in Uruguay, Argentina, and Costa Rica. We’re expanding fast and are now adding tools to include feedback from teachers and families, and support teacher well-being. We’re even exploring how AI can help us personalize support.
How the IB shaped my journey
The IB taught me to think critically, reflect often, and value balance. Subjects like CAS and Business and Management helped shape my mindset and introduced concepts I now use every day in my company. The IB made me a better learner and entrepreneur.
Advice to students
If you want to build something meaningful, start now. Focus on solving real problems with social impact. And don’t worry if you’re not an expert yet. You’ll figure it out.
“My hardest challenge was going from engineer to entrepreneur. The technical part came naturally, but running a business meant learning a whole new skill set. Luckily, the IB taught me how to learn, and that’s been key.”
For Schools: it’s about action
Psychologists can’t do it all alone. Eduvaluer helps schools consistently listen to students and, most importantly, act on what they hear. Data is useful—but only when paired with real support.
Looking ahead
Emotional intelligence, balance, and communication are becoming more important than ever in education. Mental health tech will play a key role—and we’re just getting started.
If I could go back, I’d tell myself: “Pay more attention in accounting and law—you’ll need it!” But I’ve always wanted to build something that matters. Thanks to the IB—and a little help from my mom—that’s what I’m doing.
Key Takeaways
- Provide space for every student to have a voice, especially those who stay silent.
- Tech supports, not replaces people, making their work more effective.
- The IB shapes future entrepreneurs, with its focus on balance, service, and critical thinking.
- Start building now—you don’t have to wait to make a difference.
- Well-being tools only matter if schools act on the insights they reveal.
