Abstract

The case is about the exponential growth of e-learning platform Byju’s (Think and Learn Private Ltd), based in Bengaluru, India. The EdTech start-up was the mastermind of Byju Raveendran, who worked in a UK-based shipping company Pan Ocean Shipping before launching his EdTech expedition. It took Raveendran 12 long years – from helping his friends crack the Common Admission Test for management courses in India to building Byju’s learning app in 2015. The main product of the company was a mobile app called BYJU’s – The Learning App, which could be downloaded on Android devices from Google Play Store and on iOS devices from Apple App Store. The app offered comprehensive learning programs for students from classes 6 to 12 in India and provided special programs for those appearing for competitive exams. Byju’s was started in 2015 and over the years, it attracted investments from the likes of Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, and Chinese internet giant Tencent Holdings Limited, among others. After witnessing a 100% annual growth for three years (2016-18), Byju’s became profitable in 2019. Its valuation increased to US$5.5 billion in July 2019, making it the most valued EdTech company in the world. With Byju’s all set to move into international markets, it remained to be seen whether the strategies that had worked in India would prove successful in other markets.

Learning Objectives

The case is structured to achieve the following Learning Objectives:

• Understand the need for education technology in India.
• Examine the business models of start-ups with reference to education technology.
• Analyze the acceptance of education technology in the Indian education sector.

Keywords

Education technology; Education start-up; Investment funding rounds; Learning App; Global market expansion; Online and offline learning experience; E-learning module; Adaptive teaching style; New-age technology; Structured education system; Business-to-consumer education market