Flagship Technology Initiative
Transforming Education Through Artificial Intelligence
PlaceMeIQ is a proprietary B2B software-as-a-service platform owned by Asary Ventures (Pty) Ltd and being developed in South Africa. It is designed to digitise and intelligently manage Teaching Practice, Work Integrated Learning and SACE compliance through workflow automation, geospatial optimisation, trusted data and responsible AI.
The platform will connect universities, students, schools, placement partners, supervisors, professional bodies and education authorities through one trusted digital environment supporting the complete placement journey.
Current stage: Pre-MVP product development
Product ownership
South African-owned technology
PlaceMeIQ and its associated intellectual property are owned by Asary Ventures (Pty) Ltd. The platform is being designed and developed in South Africa for local and international markets.
The problem
Placement management remains fragmented, manual and difficult to coordinate.
Teaching Practice and Work Integrated Learning placements are often managed through disconnected spreadsheets, email exchanges and institution-specific processes. This makes it difficult to identify placement capacity, allocate students fairly, manage approvals, track attendance and evidence, monitor compliance and produce reliable reporting.
Students may experience delays, unsuitable placements and additional transport or accommodation costs. Universities and placement partners carry a significant administrative burden, while education authorities have limited access to consistent and timely planning data.
The solution
One platform for the complete placement journey.
PlaceMeIQ is being designed to bring placement planning, matching, workflow, evidence, compliance and reporting into one secure platform. It will create shared visibility across the placement ecosystem while allowing each participating organisation to retain appropriate control over its users, records, approvals and responsibilities.
The objective is to improve operational efficiency, placement fairness, student experience, institutional oversight and data-informed planning.
Product development
Progressing toward an initial minimum viable product.
PlaceMeIQ is currently progressing through product definition, solution architecture, platform design and pre-MVP development. The first product release is planned to establish the core institutional records and placement-management workflows required for controlled pilot implementation.
Placement capacity capture and management
Student placement requests
Placement matching and allocation
Digital approvals and workflow
Placement tracking
Notifications and escalations
Operational dashboards and reporting
Audit trails and role-based access
Advanced AI, geospatial, assessment, portfolio, compliance integration and national analytics capabilities will be introduced progressively through later product releases.
Platform capabilities
An end-to-end platform designed around the placement journey.
Institutional and stakeholder records
Initial release
Student registration and placement requests
Initial release
School and workplace capacity management
Initial release
Placement matching and allocation
Initial release
Geospatial placement optimisation
Planned capability
Digital approvals and workflow management
Initial release
Attendance and placement-duration tracking
Initial release
Assessment, evidence and portfolio management
Future release
Reporting and placement intelligence
Initial release
SACE compliance support and planned integration
Future release
Audit trails, role-based access and data governance
Initial release
Notifications, escalations and stakeholder communication
Initial release
Responsible AI
AI designed to support better decisions, not replace accountable human judgement.
Planned AI capabilities include intelligent placement recommendations, capacity forecasting, accessibility and distance analysis, risk identification, lesson-planning assistance and education insights.
Placement decisions, assessments and compliance outcomes will remain subject to authorised human review. AI-generated recommendations will be designed with appropriate transparency, oversight, data protection and auditability.
01
Human oversight
02
Explainable recommendations
03
Appropriate data governance
04
Bias monitoring and testing
05
Role-based access
06
Auditability
07
Privacy and POPIA alignment
Technology direction
Planned as a secure and scalable Microsoft Azure platform.
PlaceMeIQ is planned as a cloud-based platform using Microsoft Azure services for application hosting, managed data, integration, identity, monitoring, security and analytics.
Microsoft Foundry capabilities are being considered for the responsible development and operation of AI-enabled features. Azure will provide the foundation required to move from MVP development to controlled institutional pilots and, subject to product validation, broader commercial scale.
01
Azure application and hosting services
02
Managed relational and analytical data services
03
Secure identity and role-based access
04
API and integration services
05
Monitoring, logging and operational support
06
Microsoft Foundry for planned AI capabilities
07
Security controls and POPIA-aligned data governance
Who it serves
One ecosystem with shared, controlled visibility.
- Public universities
- Private higher education institutions
- TVET colleges
- Schools and other placement partners
- Students
- Supervisors, mentors and assessors
- Professional bodies
- Provincial and national education authorities
PlaceMeIQ will initially focus on Teaching Practice and Work Integrated Learning in teacher education, where placement coordination, supervision, evidence and professional compliance create a clear need for an integrated digital platform.
Business model
A scalable institutional subscription platform.
PlaceMeIQ is being developed as a B2B SaaS product. Universities and other participating institutions will subscribe to the platform based on the modules, users, institutional requirements and services selected.
The commercial model is intended to support repeatable implementation across multiple institutions while maintaining appropriate configuration, security and data separation for each participating organisation.
Expansion potential
Starting with teacher education, designed for placement-intensive sectors.
Although the initial product focus is Teaching Practice and Work Integrated Learning in teacher education, the underlying platform model may later be adapted for healthcare, engineering, skilled trades, TVET, learnerships, internships, graduate programmes and other sectors that require structured workplace placements, supervision, evidence and compliance.
Intended outcomes
Better placement experiences and stronger institutional oversight.
PlaceMeIQ is intended to support the following outcomes as the platform is developed and validated.
Reduced manual administration
Improved placement visibility
Fairer and more appropriate placement allocation
Better consideration of distance and accessibility
Improved student communication and tracking
Stronger evidence and auditability
More consistent compliance management
Better institutional and national planning data
Leadership
Complementary skills behind PlaceMeIQ.
Gavin and Tracy Asary bring complementary capabilities to PlaceMeIQ. Gavin leads the product, technology and delivery areas, drawing on his enterprise technology and programme leadership experience. Tracy leads the commercial and stakeholder areas, bringing strong sales, customer relationship and market-development expertise. Together, they combine the technical capability required to develop PlaceMeIQ with the commercial and stakeholder focus needed to implement and scale it successfully.
Product, Technology and Delivery
Gavin Asary
Co-Founder, Product and Technology Lead
Gavin Asary is the Co-Founder and Product and Technology Lead for PlaceMeIQ. He holds an MPhil in Information Technology and brings extensive experience in enterprise technology leadership, solution architecture, applications, data, systems integration, process digitisation and large-scale programme delivery. Within PlaceMeIQ, Gavin leads the product vision, technical architecture, development governance and overall delivery of the platform.
Experience highlights
- MPhil in Information Technology
- Senior enterprise technology leadership
- Solution architecture and process digitisation
- Enterprise applications, data, analytics and integration
- Large-scale programme and project delivery
- Technology governance
PlaceMeIQ contribution
Product leadership, product vision, programme management, solution architecture, business analysis, delivery governance and technical direction.
Commercial and Stakeholder Leadership
Tracy Asary
Co-Founder, Commercial and Stakeholder Lead
Tracy Asary is the Co-Founder and Commercial and Stakeholder Lead for PlaceMeIQ. She brings strong sales management, customer relationship and commercial experience, together with a practical understanding of customer needs, stakeholder engagement and market development. Within PlaceMeIQ, Tracy leads the commercial strategy, stakeholder relationships, institutional partnerships, customer discovery, market positioning and go-to-market planning.
Experience highlights
- Sales management and commercial experience
- Customer relationships and stakeholder engagement
- Customer-needs analysis
- Market positioning and business development
- Institutional and strategic partnerships
- Market adoption and go-to-market planning
PlaceMeIQ contribution
Commercial strategy, customer discovery, stakeholder engagement, partnership development, institutional relationships, market positioning and go-to-market planning.
Enterprise technology leadership combined with commercial, customer and stakeholder expertise.
Funding and partnerships
Help shape the future of placement management.
Asary Ventures welcomes discussions with universities, placement institutions, education authorities, professional bodies, funders and strategic technology partners interested in supporting product validation, controlled pilots and responsible commercialisation.