In recent times, EdTech startups are becoming a hot topic for investors as well as for the learners. There are numerous platforms providing learning platforms to beginners, working professionals, and people of all age groups.
EdTech or Educational Technology is the combined use of physical equipment, programming, and instructive theory to provide learning and encouraging education by improving the execution, creation, and usage of technological resources. It encompasses several domains including online training, computer based-education, and m-learning (learning through mobiles).
Here is a list of some homegrown EdTech platforms:
1. BYJU’S:
Think and Learn Private Ltd, the Bangalore-based online tutoring firm was founded by Byju Raveendran in 2011. Its brand BYJU’S, has become the world’s most valued EdTEch start-up at $5.4bn. BYJU’S provides educational content mainly to school students from class 1 to 12. The platform also hosts courses for various competitive exams – CAT, UPSC, JEE, NEET, Bank , SSC, etc.
2. Simplilearn:
Simplilearn, founded by Krishna Kumar in 2010 is an online certification training provider based in Bangalore. Its target audience mainly comprises working professionals. The platform hosts courses on certification exams preparation. There are courses related to project management, cloud computing, digital marketing, cyber security etc. The start-up is backed by InnoVen Capital and Mayfield Fund.
3. Unacademy:
Unacademy is an educational technology company that offers online education in India. The company was founded by Roman Saini, Hemesh Singh & Gaurav Munjal in 2015. Unacademy’s educators consist of students who have cleared various exams or mentors who have years of teaching experience. Unacademy has raised a total of $38.6 million in various funding rounds from investors including, Sequoia India, and SAIF Partners.
4. upGrad:
Founded by Bollywood producer Ronnie Screwvala, Phalgum Kompalli, Mayank Kumar & Ravijot Chugh in 2015, upGrad is an online higher education platform providing industry-relevant programs designed and delivered in collaboration with experienced faculty and industry experts.
Apart from these, there are career support platforms that have added learning courses to their portfolio as value added offering.
Two of these that comes to instant recall is – CareerGuide, and Internshala.
1. CareerGuide
The Noida-based start-up was founded in 2011 by Surabhi Dewra and Love Chopra with investment from Ronnie Screwvala, Vishal Gondal and Rajesh Tekriwal. CareerGuide supports students and helps them in their career decision. The startup has been addressing the problems and challenges of students across the country and has a network of more than 1100 career counselors.
2.Internshala
Founded by Sarvesh Agarwal in 2010, Internshala is a Gurgaon-based internship and online training platform. The company started as a WordPress blog and to date has provided internship to 3.5mn students in 80,000 companies. Internshala has training modules on soft skills, writing skills, web development, data science and is targeted at beginners who are looking at upgrading their skills towards landing up entry level jobs.
With the notion of learning exclusively through classes and paperback books fading away, EdTech learning is making its way in people’s mindset.