Education in India has its share of challenges. A large section of the population lives from paycheck to paycheck and hence does not have the funds for schooling. Instead of just getting a degree, people focus on upgrading their skills.
Moreover, although schools and colleges are important, the skills they don’t teach us are just as useful. Hence, there exists an industry-academia gap in India’s education system. Thankfully, EdTech companies are trying to fill this gap by making quality education accessible to all.
Let’s look at top EdTech companies in India that are redefining education.
1. BYJU’S
Website: byjus.com
Address: 4/1, Tower D, 2nd Floor, IBC Knowledge Park, Bannerghatta Main Road HQ, Bengaluru, India
Founded in: 2011
Funding: $2.2 b ($460m raised a year ago)
Founders: Byju Raveendran
Investors: Aarin Capital, Arison Holdings, B Capital, Baron Global Advantage Fund, Canada Pension Plan Investment Board, Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, General Atlantic, IFC Venture Capital Group, Lightspeed India Partners, Lightspeed Venture Partners, Lightspeed Venture Partners India, MC Global EdTech Investment Holdings, Naspers, Owl Ventures, Qatar Investment Authority, Sequoia Capital India, Silver Lake, Sofina, TCDS, TIGA, Tencent Holdings, Tiger Global, Tiger Global Management, Times Internet, Verlinvest, XN Exponent Holding, Yuri Milner
Employee range: 3,200
About BYJU’S:
BYJU’S started as an EdTech startup in Bangalore in 2011. It is currently valued at $13 b and is one of the fastest expanding EdTech companies in the world. BYJU’S also received numerous honors, including the Deloitte Technology Fast 50 Award and the CRISIL Emerging India Award. It has also acquired some of the well-known educational and EdTech companies in India.
The expansion has currently made BYJU’S a leading EdTech company in India. It offers a learning app for competitive entrance exams like the IIT-JEE, CAT, UPSC, GMAT, GRE, Engineering & Medical, as well as courses from grades 6 to 12. It provides online and tablet classes with multiple-choice questions, answer keys, and in-depth analysis.
USP: 93% of parents say their child’s academic performance had significantly improved after using the BYJU’S app, according to the business. With 15 million registered users, 900,000 of them subscribe for an annual fee, and 85% renew their subscriptions.
Testimonials:
“I used to regularly watch the recorded videos and solve various practice tests available on the app. This helped boost my confidence level.”
Ayush Sanjaysingh Pardesi, State Topper, Maharashtra
“The BYJU’S App was the first place I would go to whenever I had any doubts in any concept. It was an integral part of my JEE preparation. The daily practice problems helped me revise and strengthen my concepts along with increasing my speed and accuracy.”
Shikhar Mundra, AIR 20 – JEE Advanced 2020
2. Unacademy
Website: https://unacademy.com/
Address: 540, 100 Feet Rd, Krishna Reddy Layout, Amarjyoti Layout, Domlur, Bengaluru
Founded in: 2010
Founders: Gaurav Munjal, Roman Saini, Hemesh Singh, Sachin Gupta
Funding: $398.5 m ($50m raised 2 years ago)
Investors: Ananth Narayanan, Aprameya Radhakrishna, Ashish Tulsian, Blume Ventures, Dragoneer Investment Group, Facebook, Flipkart, Gaurav Munjal, General Atlantic, Girish Mathrubootham, Kalyan Krishnamurthy, Nexus, Nexus Partners, Nexus Venture Partners, Phanindra Sama, Rajan Anandan, Roman Saini, SAIF Partners, Sequoia Capital, Sequoia Capital India, Sequoia India, SoftBank Vision Fund 2, Stanford Angels and Entrepreneurs, Steadview, Steadview Capital, Sujeet Kumar, Sumit Jain, Tiger Global, Tiger Global Management
Employee range: 8,351
About Unacademy:
The Bangalore-based EdTech company, Unacademy, acts as an online learning marketplace for a range of courses. Heemash Singh, Sachin Gupta, and Gaurav Munjal started it back in 2010 as a simple YouTube channel. In 2015, their YouTube channel expanded to an online education platform. Numerous videos are still available on Unacademy’s YouTube channel. It is a well-known e-learning startup and one of India’s top EdTech companies.
The objective of Unacademy is to offer free education. Additionally, it has expanded its offering across industries, including pre-medical, banking, CA, CAPF, UPSC, CLAT, CAT, and more. Students can follow tutors to receive direct instruction from them by watching the video tutorials, which are available in many languages.
USP: More than 30,00,000 students have received instruction from Unacademy to date. To provide its students with proper tutoring, the organization has partnered with some of the most reputed teachers. Over 2400 online courses (free and paid) are available on their platform.
3. iQuanta
Website: https://www.iquanta.in/
Address: Plot No-10, Sonali Colony. Bhavana Enclave, New Bowenpally Secunderabad, Hyderabad, India
Founded in: 2015
Founders: Indrajeet Singh
Funding: Unfunded
Employee range: 11-50
About iQuanta:
iQuanta is India’s largest online CAT preparation community. One of the top 5 young Indian entrepreneurs, Indrajeet Singh, is the founder and CEO of iQuanta. He was known as the “Wizard of Quants” for his unique techniques and shortcuts to solving mathematical questions.
The mission of iQuanta is to make high-quality education affordable for anyone wishing to take competitive exams. iQuanta has grown to include 3.5 lakh+ aspirants from around the world, resulting in 10,521+ IIM calls and 1000+ IIM converts in just 5 years.
USP: iQuanta operates as a community that brings together teachers and students for competitive exams. The company claims to have enrolled over fifteen thousand students into IIMs through their thorough courses.
4. TrainerCentral
Website: https://www.trainercentral.com/
Address: Plot no. 140, 151, Grand Southern Trunk Rd, Chennai, India
Founded in: 2021
Founders: Zoho (Parent company)
Funding: Unfunded, parent company valued at $1B as on Feb 19, 2022
Employee range: 13,175
About TrainerCentral:
TrainerCentral is a Zoho application that seeks to revolutionize online education. This comprehensive online training platform enables solopreneurs, edupreneurs, and anyone else who wants to impart their knowledge to students around the world.
The platform offers tools to assist trainers in creating a fully functional online training company with a wide range of integration capabilities. On a single, integrated platform, instructors can build their websites, upload content, design course curricula, conduct live classes, manage learner communications and certifications, take payments from learners, and much more.
TrainerCentral reduces the inefficiencies brought on by isolated tools. It also addresses the technical challenges associated with setting up an online training company. The built-in live classroom feature with chat and payment gateway integration options benefits both instructors and students. TrainerCentral is a favorite among online trainers, as evidenced by its consistent MOM growth of 30%.
USP: TrainerCentral allows teachers and solo entrepreneurs to reach out to a large audience with the minimum investment. They also provide a 15-day free trial to help you get to know the software.
Testimonials:
“With TrainerCentral, we can deliver both on-demand courses and live training, distribute digital content and as well monitor every individual’s learning progress from a single console.”
Dr.B.Viduthalai Virumbi, Nodal Officer at PHR-NHM Tamil Nadu
“I was looking for a fully integrated platform to host both recorded courses and live lessons. TrainerCentral offers everything I need, including a website builder and email marketing options. It’s a hub for a training startup like mine.”
Muthuramalingam K.S., Entrepreneur and trainer at Sri Ram Stocks Solution
5. upGrad
Website: https://www.upGrad.com/
Address: 75, Ground Floor, Nishuvi Dr. Annie Besant Road, Mumbai, India
Founded in: 2015
Founders: Mayank Kumar
Funding: $149.5 m ($29.5 m raised a year ago)
Investors: IFC, Temasek
Employee range: 3,733
About upGrad:
upGrad offers an immersive educational experience and supports well-designed courses. It provides online professional certificates, data science, product management, university-accredited management programs, the most recent courses in technology that apply to business, and more.
These days, hundreds of educational programs are available online. The Covid-19 pandemic has led to the emergence of numerous new e-learning businesses. upGrad still has a significant advantage over its rivals.
upGrad has secured two trademarks in the entertainment and education categories. It means that, legally, those materials cannot be used by upGrad’s competitors nor can they be copied or imitated. This enables upGrad to operate in a distinctive manner that sets them apart from all other training and education providers.
USP: upGrad has many users in India. Eighty-four percent of visitors are local, and the number of users is growing rapidly. Because of its flawless implementation, upGrad is one of the popular platforms for online courses.
6. Next Education
Website: https://nexteducation.in/
Address: 8-2-120/115, Venkat Nagar, Banjara Hills, Hyderabad, IN (HQ)
Founded in: 2007
Founders: Beas Dev Ralhan, Raveendranath Kamath
Funding: Unfunded
Employee range: 2,700
About Next Education:
Beas Dev Ralhan and Raveendranath Kamath founded the educational website Next Education in Hyderabad in 2007. It provides technology-based education solutions for K–12 students. On its platform, Next Education offers industry-leading products like TeachNext, LearnNext, MathsLab, ScienceLab, and EnglishLab. More than 6,000 schools across the nation use these products. Next Education is built upon open-source software and Linux.
The study guides and products are created to cover the curriculum for 23 state boards, the CBSE, and the ICSE in eight of the most popular Indian languages.
USP: Next Education provides technological advancements via their app, which include voice-overs, crystal-clear sound, interactive content that meets international standards, 2D and 3D graphics, and a novel course design that is simple to access via an integrated IR remote. The company has spent more than Rs. 400 crores overall, including more than Rs. 30 crores just on R&D.
7. Leverage Edu
Website: https://leverageedu.com/
Address: Leverage Edu Tower, A-258, Bhishma Pitamah Marg, Block A, Defence Colony, New Delhi, India
Founded in: 2017
Founders: Karthik Reddy, Sandeep Aneja, Deepak Shahdadpuri, Rohini Prakash
Funding: $9.8 m ($6.5 m raised 2 years ago)
Investors: Alok Mittal, Amrish Rau, Anand Sankeshwar, Anil Advani, Anindya Ghose, Arjun Mehta, Ash Lilani, Bhagwan Chowdhry, Blume Ventures, DSG Consumer Partners, Deepak Jain, Jim Schimdktke, Kashyap Deorah, Rishi Dogra, Ritesh Malik, Sadashiva NT, Satish Kaul, Swati Desai, Tomorrow Capital
Employee range: 360
About Leverage Edu:
Within a year, Leverage Edu went from being a platform for college admissions to a full-stack marketplace. The platform employs an AI tool to assist students in their career development through mentorship products, comprehensive college admissions counseling, first-job readiness programs, and one-to-one virtual advisory for many career streams.
The app has more than 1500 mentors, including people from Apple, Goldman Sachs, and other Ivy League universities. The platform is currently implementing an inspirational product roadmap. The founder was quoted as saying, “We will continue to scale and aggressively onboard great talent, invest in continuously improving our experience, and do more of what we are good at!”
USP: Leverage Edu enables aspirants to upskill and secure jobs abroad.
8. Vedantu
Website: https://www.vedantu.com/
Address: D. No. 1081, 3rd Floor, Vistar Arcade, 14th Main Rd, Sector 3, HSR Layout, Bengaluru, India
Founded in: 2011
Founders: Vamsi Krishna, Pulkit Jain, Anand Prakash
Funding: $203.2 m ($100 m raised 2 years ago)
Investors: Accel, Accel Partners, GGV Capital, KB Global Platform Firm, Legend Capital, Ohana Holdings, Omidyar, Omidyar India, Omidyar Network, TAL Education, TAL Education Group, Tiger Global, Tiger Global Management, Trifecta Capital, WestBridge Capital, Westbridge Capital Partners
Employee range: 5,033
About Vedantu:
In the era of online tutoring, Vedantu has established itself as one of India’s top EdTech startups. Students in grades 6 through 12 can receive individualized coaching from highly qualified teachers. Their aim is to improve learning outcomes through actual student-teacher interactions.
For this, they’ve enabled two-way audio, video, and white-boarding technologies. The Bengaluru-based EdTech company provides services to students for both co-curricular courses and competitive exams.
In contrast to classroom instruction and recorded video lectures, the cooperative sessions keep the students’ attention in line with the pace of the lecture. Vedantu provides video conferences that can accommodate even slow internet connections.
USP: To promote live learning between professors and students, Vedantu employs technology to bring them together on a single platform. The business provides teachers with digital tools that let them educate in an engaging way. For example, whiteboard as well as audio and video technology.
9. Toppr
Website: https://www.toppr.com/
Address: A-204, Supreme Business Park Hiranandani Gardens, Mumbai, India
Founded in: 2013
Founders: Zishaan Hayath, Hemanth Goteti
Funding: $110.8 m ($46 m raised 2 years ago)
Investors: Alteria Capital, Axis Capital Partners, Brand Capital, Eight Roads, Eight Roads Ventures, FIL Capital Management, Foundation Holdings, Helion Venture Partners, InnoVen Capital, Kaizen Private Equity, Milestone Trustee Services, Nitin Gupta, Powai Lake Ventures, SAIF Partners, WGG International
Employee range: 2,253
About Toppr:
For K–12 students, Toppr is a platform for online test preparation. The organization focuses on the content of school curricula and entrance exams like the SAT, JEE, UPSC, NEET, etc.
In addition to interactive video lectures, practice question sets, professional doubt clarification, and an all-India test series, it provides structured courses. Goal-based learning, adaptive question practice, performance reports, concept sheets, and previous year’s test questions are all included in the Toppr app. Additionally, it provides courses for board exams, Olympiads, and medical and engineering examinations.
USP: The company provides educational services and concentrates on test preparation for engineering and medical entrance exams as well as school curricula. They offer packages for the joint entrance examination (JEE), physical management training (PMT), school boards, and other competitive exam preparations.
10. Simplilearn
Website: https://www.simplilearn.com/
Address: NALANDA, Manoj Arcade, 53/1 C, 24th Main Rd, ITI Layout, Sector 2, HSR Layout, Bengaluru, India
Founded in: 2009
Founders: Krishna Kumar, Kashyap Dalal
Funding: $28 m ($15 m raised 7 years ago)
Investors: Helion Venture Partners, Kalaari Capital, Mayfield Fund
Employee range: 3,242
About Simplilearn:
Simplilearn first appeared as a blog website. It is one of the most tenacious competitors in the international market because of the efforts of the platform’s creator Krishna Kumar.
This Indian Edtech company has concentrated on establishing authority and kept its offering specialized. Later, they began working with major MNCs like Facebook, Amazon, Microsoft, and IBM. You can find post-graduate programs that offer artificial intelligence courses developed in collaboration with IBM.
Because everything on this EdTech platform is of the highest caliber, the cost is also high. But it offers EMI options.
USP: This platform provides post-graduate programs curated in collaboration with several MNCs. In addition, Simplilearn has synergies with reputed schools like Caltech, UMass Amherst, and Purdue University.
Other Innovative EdTech Companies in India
11. Udemy
Website: https://www.udemy.com/
Address: 5th Floor Two Horizon Centre DLF, Harizan Colony, DLF Phase 5, Sector 43, Gurugram
600 Harrison St 3rd Floor, San Francisco (Present HQ)
Founded in: 2009
Founders: Gagan Biyani, Oktay Caglar, Eren Bali
Funding: Publicly traded
Employee range: 1,013
About Udemy:
Three entrepreneurs, Gagan Biyani, Oktay Caglar, and Eren Bali, founded Udemy in 2009. Their initial intention was to offer online education. But they later realized that people prefer to learn at their own pace.
Udemy became a popular online learning platform for Indian users looking to learn new skills in their spare time.
There are hundreds of courses available on various subjects. Tutors can create courses on Udemy and make money doing so. This Indian EdTech company currently has more than 46 million students, 60,000 tutors, and 1,75,000 courses.
USP: Udemy offers courses at very reasonable pricing to consumers. It also has a large enterprise customer base, allowing recruiters to train their employees.
12. WhiteHat Jr.
Website: whitehatjr.com
Address: WeWork Chromium Jogeshwari-Vikhroli Link Rd, Andheri, Maharashtra, India
Founded in: 2018
Founders: Karan Bajaj
Funding: $11.3 m raised over 3 rounds. Currently acquired by BYJU’S
Investors: Omidyar Network, Owl Ventures, Bossanova Investimentos
Employee range: 400
About Whitehat Jr.:
The goal at Whitehat Jr. is to teach the fundamentals of coding—logic, structure, sequence, and algorithmic thinking—so that future generations can easily create digital content, such as websites, animations, and apps. All classes are taught live and in-person online by the top 1% of certified instructors in your comfortable home.
USP: In India, less than 1% of schools offer early-childhood coding instruction, leaving a significant gap between skills and the demands of the modern world. WhiteHat Jr introduces and gets your child, ages 6 to 18, ready for this new world of coding.
13. Aakash Institute
Website: https://www.aakash.ac.in/
Address: Aakash Tower, 8, Pusa Road, Block 17 A, WEA, Karol Bagh, Delhi, India
Founded in: 1988
Founders: Mr. J. C, Chaudhry
Funding: ₹13.5 b was raised in a private equity round in 2019. Currently acquired by BYJU’S
Employee range: 7,372
About Akash Institute:
Aakash Institute started its first center with the name “Aakash” in 1988, offering coaching services for medical entrance exams. Today, Aakash Educational Services Limited (AESL) is one of India’s top educational institutions, offering comprehensive test preparation services to students preparing for school/board exams, KVPY, NTSE, Olympiads, and other Foundation level exams, as well as medical and engineering entrance exams.
While the company has traditionally operated offline, it has recently expanded its services online.
Today, the organization is well known for providing specialized test preparation services for engineering, foundational level exams, and medical entrance exams through our three distinct verticals: Aakash Medical, Aakash IIT-JEE, and Aakash Foundations.
USP: Aakash Institute is well known for its courses for preparation for competitive exams. The organization has over 200 coaching centers across India, serving over 250,000 students. A lot of these courses are now also available online at present.
14. edX
Website: https://www.edx.org/
Address: 141 Portland St, Cambridge, US
Founded in: 2012
Founders: Anant Agarwal
Funding: Formerly private equity-backed, Publicly traded
Employee range: 1,013
About edX:
edX is relatively less well-known in India. The platform has free courses and paid study programs as it operates on a freemium business model. The platform has been produced by the collaborative efforts of prestigious universities like Harvard and MIT.
Apart from Harvard and MIT, these are the other international universities that provide courses on the edX platform.
USP: edX allows Indian students to access courses from Ivy league institutes that would not have been possible otherwise. Unlike websites like MIT OpenCourseWare, edX also offers certifications from the top institutes.
Our Research Methodology
A lopsided pupil-to-teacher ratio is worsening in India and compromises educational opportunities for students. With the increased availability of the internet and smartphones, technology-driven learning apps are using gaming elements like point-scoring, interaction with others, personalization, and data-driven insights to improve the learning process for students and hone their fundamentals in a range of subjects.
The article lists the top EdTech companies in India that are providing services across all demographics and are addressing the gaps in the current education system. For instance,
- Organizations like BYJU’S, Aakash Institute, and Vedantu are addressing the concerns of high school and college students.
- UpGrad and Udemy are addressing the needs of those who want to enhance a particular skill to be more job-ready.
LeadSquared provides sales, marketing, and enrollment automation solutions to leading EdTech companies like BYJU’S, Unacademy, UpGrad, and many more. Book a quick 1-1 consultation with our expert to learn more about how we can help you scale your operations.
