Market.able

Market.able is EDC’s interactive mobile learning and coaching app designed to help young entrepreneurs build practical business skills and launch sustainable enterprises. Developed as part of EDC’s commitment to expanding economic opportunity for youth, Market.able combines storytelling, experiential learning, and digital tools to support young people as they start and grow their own businesses.

The app follows two young entrepreneurs as they navigate common business challenges, from identifying viable market opportunities and managing cash flow to conducting market research and resolving business conflicts. As learners progress through the story, they help the characters solve real world business problems before applying the same concepts to their own businesses. Along the way, they use practical tools such as business planning templates, cash flow exercises, interview guides, goal setting activities, and a portfolio feature for saving and sharing key business documents. Built on EDC’s offline-capable Stepping Stone platform, Market.able is designed for low connectivity environments and supports diverse learning needs through a combination of text, audio, and visual content.

Market.able has been adapted for use in Senegal, Thailand, Indonesia, and the Philippines and translated into five languages. Early results demonstrate its potential to strengthen youth entrepreneurship and livelihoods across diverse contexts. In a study with youth in Mindanao, Philippines, 70 to 75 percent of respondents reported that the app improved their business planning, financial management, and entrepreneurial skills. Participants rated the app highly, with an average recommendation score of 4.2 out of 5. As one participant shared, “This is my first time encountering an app like this. It is complete and easy to understand.”

The app has also achieved significant scale in Senegal, where 26,358 learners across 126 TVET schools have used Market.able. Feedback from Senegalese youth highlights the app’s accessibility, practical content, and multilingual design. As one user noted, “The application is clear and easy to understand. It helped us understand the audio content in both French and Wolof and introduced different entrepreneurship modules and activities.”

Through partnerships with governments, private sector organizations, and youth-serving programs, the app is helping young people develop the confidence, skills, and green business practices needed to create sustainable livelihoods and contribute to growing local economies.