Zomato CEO Deepinder Goyal, CEO of BetterU Brad Loiselle & Beautiful Destinations CEO Jeremy Jauncey spoke at the 17th edition of Hindustan Times Leadership Summit. They spoke on changing the way of doing business in India and also highlighted the challenges they face in the country. They also spoke on the role of social media in establishing and running a business in India and narrated the differences between operating a business in India and abroad. Watch the full video for more.
| SPONSOR: BetterU Education Corp. aims to provide access to quality education from around the world. The company plans to bridge the prevailing gap in the education and job industry and enhance the lives of its prospective learners by developing an integrated ecosystem. Click here for more information. |
Indore-based Edtech startup, Digital Gurukul, has partnered with German tech networking company Certif-ID to roll out blockchain-powered certificates and Will allow employers to access the diplomas of applicants from any geographical locations.
By integrating blockchain with certificates and diplomas, Digital Gurukul is eliminating the need to send or physically present degrees. The people receiving these diplomas would not require any additional software or special equipment. The parties can simply view the diploma by scanning the QR code which is printed on the certificate.
All the students graduating from Digital Gurukul will not be provided with the blockchain-powered diploma to make the job and college hunting much simpler and seamless. The diploma will include information like educational qualifications, portfolio, projects and attendance. Dr. Raj Padhiyar, director of Digital Gurukul, said the adoption of Blockchain Technology is still in its infancy in the education industry. “But we believe it can help make the Indian education system more dependable and trustworthy,†he added.
Founded in 2014 by Padhiyar, Digital Gurukul has been awarded the “Asia’s Best Digital Marketing Instituteâ€â€‹. The company educates students regarding digital marketing and its various aspects. Digital Gurukul aims to have trained over 6K students by March 2020, which also includes some prominent names like Wittyfeed cofounder Parveen Singhal and Renaissance Indira Group of Institute’s founder chairman Swapnil Kothari.
In August 2019, Digital Gurukul announced that it was in talks with some investors to raise $5 Mn for a 10% stake. The company planned to use the funding to expand its operations to over 40 offline learning centres, invest in content and programmes and aid its international expansion.
The company’s official statement also added that it is planning to venture into the Middle East and Southeast Asian markets. The company, in its previous press release, also claimed that it has received over 120 franchisee requests across Asia. Digital Gurukul also has associations with reputed Indian institutes like IIM Indore, IIT Indore, NMIMS and Welingkar Institute, among others.
According to DataLabs by Inc42, Indian edtech startups received a funding of approximately $700 Mn in 2018, noting an 85% hike from the $375 Mn funding raised in 2017. Interestingly, of the $375 Mn raised, BYJU’s had raised $230 Mn in 2017.
The report also notes that only 7% of the 3,500 startups operating in the edtech space are funded, as of 2018. The Datalabs by Inc42 also highlights that 182 edtech startups generated funding of $1.34 Bn between 2014 to 2018. Of these, only 52 startups, making up for 28.5%, received more than $1 Mn in funding which amounts to $1.3 Bn. Meaning that the 52 startups comprised 99% of the total funding in the period.
Source: https://inc42.com/buzz/edtech-startups-digital-gurukul-rolls-out-blockchain-powered-diplomas/
| SPONSOR: BetterU Education Corp. aims to provide access to quality education from around the world. The company plans to bridge the prevailing gap in the education and job industry and enhance the lives of its prospective learners by developing an integrated ecosystem. Click here for more information. |
Hans News Service
New Delhi: As the global education ecosystem continues to grow and evolve at a rapid pace, the space has witnessed an increase in the number of Ed-tech players. Recent research suggests that the global Edtech market is expected to grow to USD 341 bn by 2025. Armed with massive opportunities and ideas, global leaders in the Edtech sector recently came together at the 2019 Global Education Summit (GES) in Beijing. The summit revolved around exploring effective solutions from diverse perspectives, centered on the theme “Education for All”.
Representing India were top Edtech players, Gradeup, Toppr and Vedantu, who shared key insights on the test preparation and tutoring markets for competitive exams in the country. Also Read – Rajya Sabha passes bill to amend SPG Act, Amit Shah rejects charge of political vendetta, Congress stages walkout China, which is the leader in the Edtech space, has made significant strides by specifically focusing on student success and effective tools for measuring learning outcomes.
Chinese Edtech companies witness tremendous growth every year due to improvements in sales and recruitment process, teacher’s training and technological upgrades relevant to their offerings. By the end of 2019, the Chinese Edtech market is expected to reach 41 billion, growing at a rate of 20% annually. Also Read – Rajnath warns BJP MPs of Modi’s dissatisfaction with absenteeism in Parliament.
India, the Edtech market is expected to reach 1.96 billion by 2021, with test preparation being the fastest growing category with a CAGR of 64%. The current numbers are an indication that there is a lot to do and learn for Indian Edtech players from the Chinese. Sharing his insights, on the gap in Edtech markets in both countries, Shobhit Bhatnagar, Co-founder–CEO, Gradeup said, “With a focus on student outcomes, Chinese Live tutoring players have successfully been able to scale and innovate over the last 3 years. There is a lot that the Indian Edtech landscape can learn from this. This exchange has only reinforced Gradeup’s commitment towards further driving live online classes and strengthening our technology and product. We also plan to intensify our focus on Student Success in order to ensure greater efficacy of learning outcomes.”
The 2019 Global Education Summit saw the participation of over 200 representatives from the education, political and business sectors sharing their insights on the future-oriented development of education. The key focus was on facilitating greater inclusivity and equal access to education.
The development of the Edtech market in India and the success of existing players will be largely driven by their focus on Live tutoring, with student success and learning outcomes at the very core. Shaping and realigning their delivery of Edtech content in a manner that is tailor-made and suited to the country’s continuously evolving educational landscape is the need of the hour. It will propel the growth of the sector in the future, and further boost the goal of democratized access to quality education for students pan-India. Gradeup is India’s largest exam preparation destination. It helps more than 15 million students prepare for various exams & score better. Established in 2015, it recently received $7 million in Series A funding from Times Internet and total funding amounts to $10 million.
Source: https://www.thehansindia.com/hans/young-hans/new-delhi-indian-edtech-stands-to-unlock-immense-growth–586588
| SPONSOR: BetterU Education Corp. aims to provide access to quality education from around the world. The company plans to bridge the prevailing gap in the education and job industry and enhance the lives of its prospective learners by developing an integrated ecosystem. Click here for more information. |
Getting student loans for higher education in developing countries is a daunting task. According to India-based EdTech startup Credenc, 30% of Indian students’ families sell assets to fund their education. 20% borrow from local money lenders at rates as high as 3% a month. Another 30% give up on a college education. Credenc is a new education technology startup on a mission to provide higher education loans to students in India.
The start-up has mapped 70,000 job roles across 50,000 companies in India and developed a deep understanding of employability in India, to change the status quo. After providing financial support, Credenc works with students and helps them with employability services, handholding applicants as they transition from student to professional life.
Today, Credenc announced it has raised $2.5 million(INR 17.8 crore) in seed funding to expand operations to 1,000 colleges across 50 cities over the next 2 years. Credenc also plans to hire across technology, credit and banking partnerships. The round was led by Omidyar Network India with participation from EMVC , Better Capital, and IIMK Alumni Fund. Over the next 5 years, the startup plans to loan up to $0.5 billion.
Founded in 2017 by Avinash Kumar and Mayank Batheja, the Delhi, India-based Credenc, works as the digital finance desk of 200+ management colleges across 17 Indian cities. To date, the startup has approved loans of about $15 million (INR 100+ crore). With more than 200 loan requests a day, Credenc undertakes a rigorous evaluation process using a proprietary AI model which tracks 15 million data points to predict the future income of students applying for loans. Industry-wide, approval for education loans can take up to 2 months, vis-a-vis Credenc which qualifies applications within a fraction of that time.
Commenting on the funding, Mayank Batheja, Co-founder, Credenc, said, “Currently only 5% of the ~$50 billion annual spend on college tuition fee is financed by organised lenders. We believe this penetration should be at least 15%,†to which Avinash Kumar, Co-founder added, “Our target segment consists of the top 10,000 colleges in India, and we would like to ensure that we are available for the top 10% of students from these colleges.â€
The annual spend on college fees in India is US $50 billion or INR 3.5+ lakh crore, of which only 5% is financed by organised lenders. For the USA, this figure stands at more than 60%. Credenc intends to change the segment perception and reduce underwriting risk basis its future employability score, which will help this percentage go up to 15%, as it partners with more than 3,000 colleges in 100+ cities to build an INR 3,500+ crore loan book in the next 5 years.
“Credenc’ differentiated lending model provides financing to deserving students, which helps them access post-secondary education and get meaningful employment. Avinash and Mayank’s solution will help in creating a level playing field for students from the Next Half Billion population by making quality education more accessible. We see this partnership as an opportunity to demonstrate that a highly impactful and profitable business can be built in the large and untapped higher education financing space,†said Sarvesh Kanodia, Associate, Omidyar Network India.
Source: https://techstartups.com/2019/11/29/indian-edtech-startup-credenc-scores-2-5-million-led-omidyar-network-grow-education-loans-platform/
OTTAWA, Dec. 02, 2019 — betterU Education Corp. (TSX VENTURE: BTRU, Frankfurt: 5OGA) (the “Company” or “betterU“) is pleased to announce that it has been named as the Education Partner for the 17th Hindustan Times Leadership Summit taking place in New Delhi, India December 6-7. betterU will be announcing the launch of its new B2B software-as-a-service (SaaS) Enterprise Skills Platform to an audience of over 800 senior politicians, bureaucrats, diplomats, business executives, thinkers, commentators and analysts coming together to hold ‘Conversations for a Better Tomorrow’, which is a foundational theme of this year’s event.
betterU’s CEO, Brad Loiselle, will share the stage with 23 global leaders including: https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/6413f09f-7e08-4517-8530-b8fc2f74d8dd
Mr. Loiselle has been asked to share his thoughts on the challenges and opportunities of continual reskilling and upskilling in corporate competitiveness, and what emerging technology companies like betterU are doing to address continual change and disruption. Mr. Loiselle will demonstrate betterU’s breakthrough B2B SaaS Enterprise Skill Platform, which will be showcased throughout the event.
The Company is also pleased to announce that its B2B SaaS Enterprise Skill Platform will be a global offering open to enterprise clients in both developed and developing economies. betterU if offering special promotions to companies with 50 to 50,000 employees who wish to immediately participate as beta customers in advance of full commercial launch in early 2020. betterU greatly appreciates the opportunity to contribute to the 17th Hindustan Times Leadership Summit and to build awareness for the Company’s breakthrough B2B SaaS Enterprise Skill Platform.
About betterU Education Corp.
betterU is an education-to-employment technology company offering an end-to-end skilling solution using artificial intelligence and skill automation designed for organizations who are seeking to skill, reskill or upskill their talent.
betterU has curated and collaborated with over 100 global organizations who has provided access to their content, technology and support the developed of skills assessments/reassessments, learning paths, and career development opportunities in betterU’s easy to use integrated platform. betterU’s eco-system includes full job / skill / employer / educational profile for essentially every country and every city with detailed job profiles (automation, skills, employers, etc) for 3,000 standardized jobs. They have also added taxonomy for 30,000+ skills with clustering and hierarchy and 30,000+ educational institutions and their individual programs mapped across Job / skill / talent profiles for millions of companies globally. The collaboration solution is the only way forward to solve mass skilling challenges for employers and employees globally.
We are helping India build better companies by developing better employees.
CONTACT INFORMATION
On behalf of the Board of Directors,
betterU Education Corp.
Brad Loiselle, CEO
CONTACT INFORMATION
Investor Relations
1-613-695-4100
Email: [email protected]
| SPONSOR: BetterU Education Corp. aims to provide access to quality education from around the world. The company plans to bridge the prevailing gap in the education and job industry and enhance the lives of its prospective learners by developing an integrated ecosystem. Click here for more information. |
By: Michał Borkowski
Every learning process has two principal stakeholders—students and teachers, or as we like to call them learners and helps—and two fundamental engagement tools, questions and answers. Learning processes essentially can be centered on either the teacher or the student, but the outcomes they result in are drastically different. The didactic learning process wherein the teacher occupied the central role and the student was merely a blank slate (Tabula Rasa) was a monotonous and regimented affair, relying solely on the transfer of knowledge from a teacher to a student.
Opposed to it, the new-age online learning method which has its roots in the revolutionary teaching methods of Socrates, the ancient Greek logician and thinker, has turned the very nature of learning inside out. It proposes a student centered mode of learning wherein the visible demarcations of master and disciple are essentially blurred and both exist as equal stakeholders.
Online learning—A solution tailor-made for the Indian academia
Indian classrooms are growing in numbers every day, and the overburdened teachers are unable to bridge the learning gap experienced by individual students. Edtech tools are the best solution to ensure accessibility of quality education in our country, and its growing demand across the student community validates this stance. In fact, India has become the third-largest market for online education, with trends such as P2P collaborative learning systems becoming the latest rage in the domain of education and learning.
Technology and new-age tools have practically reformed the existing learning framework. Now, teachers, students and parents simultaneously interact in a cohesive union, relentlessly pursuing knowledge through an active collaboration of ideas and critical faculties. This empowers the students to be their own masters by equipping them with a customized and practical form of education and allows them to exercise control over their learning which would help them better in terms of practical and real-time application. When learners get to assert better control over their learning experience, they are likely to take a more proactive stance towards the same, ultimately resulting in better outcomes.
The education system in India has long suffered from inherent flaws and inadequacies owing to its direct and continued formal dependency on the colonial education system which stresses on ineffective rote learning and representing facts on paper without practical realization. But things are fast changing. Online education has really picked up pace as over 370 million Internet users and countless more localized and global entrepreneurs are readily investing in the online education market. By 2018, India had 3,500 edtech start-ups running operations across the country.
Replacing standardization with personalization
Going beyond the conventional one-way process, digital platforms allow users to overcome the limits of time and space, as a learner could now access evaluate and assess information from anywhere at any time, as long as one has an Internet connection and an inclination to learn. Since every individual possesses a unique mental aptitude and grasping level and one can learn at a pace that best suits them through such platforms. These platforms empower every individual to grasp knowledge at a personal customized pace which makes learning easy and desirable rather than a sordid task at hand which one dreads and undertakes unwillingly.
Edtech platforms also serve as a single platform for every stakeholder in education to come together. They celebrate the uniqueness and individuality of every student by bringing all the elements of the classroom—the teachers, the students and the parents in an organic unison. The spirit of doubt, curiosity and creativity are now encouraged which has brought about massive changes in the hitherto predefined dimensions of knowledge. These platforms further allow the learning process to continue at home through uninterrupted assistance and guidance. The teacher no longer has to be physically present to tutor the child whenever they get stuck on a particular problem or a tricky lesson.
Today, the e-learning market in India is approximated to be worth more than three billion dollars. The National Draft Education Policy, 2019 also lays significant emphasis on increasing the penetration of technology in all aspects of education. Although formal education structure still holds the same relevance, the very manner of its proliferation has undergone a monumental change owing to the rise of digital learning. Digital edtech tools have reduced the workload on teachers, who now thrive in their new role as a catalyst of change that proactively engages and enables the students to acquire knowledge from multiple sources.
When students are allowed to become their own masters and be responsible for the supervision of their learning experience, it initiates the formation of an informed and empowered society that prizes questioning over obedience and intelligence over authority. Online learning platforms have indeed done away with the space-time restrictions of classrooms and empowered the primary stakeholder in learning, i.e. the learner itself, in a manner that would surely have made Socrates proud.
Source: https://www.entrepreneur.com/author/michal-borkowski
| SPONSOR: BetterU Education Corp. aims to provide access to quality education from around the world. The company plans to bridge the prevailing gap in the education and job industry and enhance the lives of its prospective learners by developing an integrated ecosystem. Click here for more information. |
India has roughly 1.5 million schools, 38,000 colleges, and 760 universities as per MHRD. This translates into one school per 200 school-goers and one college per 3,700 college-goers. According to a report by management consulting firm Technopak in 2016, India’s education market is valued at $100 Bn while the digital learning market is estimated at $2 Bn. The report also said that the digital learning market is expected to reach $5.7 Bn by 2020 as the number of internet users is increasing.
Many edtech startups today are leveraging the increasing literacy rate coupled with increased internet penetration. These startups are trying to address the most important issue faced by the Indian education system, which is the lack of upgrade. By bringing in technology, these startups are trying to bridge the gap between rural and urban India as well.
Samsung-backed TagHive recently launched an AI-powered classroom engagement solution, Class Saathi, to make tech-based learning accessible and affordable for schools in rural India with little or no infrastructural investments. The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) also partnered with Microsoft India and IBM to focus on tech reskilling for teachers and AI curriculum in schools. Through this, CBSE will be conducting capacity building programmes for high school teachers with an aim to integrate cloud-powered technology in K12 teaching and inculcating digital teaching skills in educators through the curriculum as well as extra-curricular training.
Source:https://inc42.com/buzz/india-ranks-fourth-in-providing-entrepreneurial-training-in-schools/
| SPONSOR: BetterU Education Corp. aims to provide access to quality education from around the world. The company plans to bridge the prevailing gap in the education and job industry and enhance the lives of its prospective learners by developing an integrated ecosystem. Click here for more information. |
In the Indian context, the education infrastructure and quality of learning has always come under scrutiny, especially due to concerns of outdated syllabi and teaching methods at the primary level in public schools.
Most edtech startups in India are looking to solve this by bringing learning to the mobile phone or PC, but that’s not always possible at schools in smaller towns and villages, which do not have the wherewithal to implement such high-tech solutions. That’s what TagHive is looking to overcome with its affordable edtech platform (device and software) for the Indian public and primary school market.
Suwon, South Korea-based TagHive has launched its flagship product Class Saathi in two districts of Madhya Pradesh. Tying up with the state government, TagHive’s Class Saathi mobile clicker solution and the companion app will be available across 13 schools in its two districts.
Founded in 2017 by IIT and Harvard alumni, Pankaj Agarwal, the startup for his innovation in the education segment has received funds from Samsung Ventures and Enlight Ventures. The startup was also incubated by Samsung’s internal C-Lab programme after the South Korean chaebol discovered Agarwal’s idea during his stint at the company.
Speaking to Inc42, the founder said that Samsung C-Lab supported TagHive with the necessary resources such as funding, workspace, technical support and culture-building through the incubation programme. “After 15 months of working on my idea at Samsung, it was chosen to be spun off as an independent company, TagHive. Samsung Ventures has put in seed capital of over INR 2.5 Cr,†Agarwal said.
The AI-powered classroom engagement solution Class Saathi aims to make tech-based learning accessible and affordable for schools in rural India with little or no infrastructural investments. The startup also aims to increase student participation and learning outcomes, while at the same time supporting and motivating teachers to improve their teaching methodology.
TagHive doesn’t just limit itself to teachers and students but also involves another key stakeholder in the education chain — the child’s parents. Agarwal said that this helps keep everyone in the loop about the student’s progress.
| SPONSOR:Â BetterU Education Corp. aims to provide access to quality education from around the world. The company plans to bridge the prevailing gap in the education and job industry and enhance the lives of its prospective learners by developing an integrated ecosystem. Click here for more information. |
By Vardaan
Mumbai based Edtech startup Lido learning has raised $3million as part of a Series A funding round led by prominent investors like Ronnie Screwvala (Chairman Upgrad), Ananth Narayanan (CEO Medlife), Vikrampati Singhania (MD JK Tyres), Anupam Mittal (CEO Shaadi.com), Arihant Patni (MD Patni Wealth Advisors), amongst others.
Founded in April 2019 by second time ed-tech entrepreneur Sahil Sheth, Lido Learning is revolutionizing traditional tutorials through immersive live small-group online tuitions. Lido caters to students from Class 5-9; offering yearlong coaching classes in Math and Science through an integrated online platform that combines unique interactive content with the best tutors from across the country.
“Ed-Tech is presently under invested but is a massive opportunity in India. Online tutoring is very nascent and Lido has a clear opportunity for market leadership with the strong product and tech it has developed. They are onto something very big here “, said Ronnie Screwvala.
According to a Google-KPMG report, the online tutoring market is expected to grow dramatically in the next two years, to around 10 Million users by 2021. This is still only a tiny sliver of the Indian market that has over 250 million students currently enrolled in schools so that the potential for future growth is tremendous. Lido’s ultimate goal is to provide a personalized learning experience to every student – 250 million unique classrooms for 250 million unique students.
Within 3 months of operations, Lido has gained incredible traction and is expanding rapidly across the country.
Lido’s key value proposition is in its dynamic learning environment – interactive classroom, excellent teachers and supportive academic advisors. At the centre of this is the state-of-the-art online classroom with animated visual content, immersive games and quizzes with real-time results. Every class has a maximum student to teacher ratio of 6:1 to ensure that each student receives enough coaching, feedback and doubt clearance. Lido aims to build an entire learning ecosystem around students so to push them to their furthest achievement levels with academic advisors assigned to every student to mentor and coach them. Within a few weeks of learning on Lido, students are performing 20% better on classroom tests and are feeling more prepared and confident to participate in class.
Given its futuristic platform, engaging content and highly skilled teachers and mentors, Lido is expected to disrupt the existing K-12 ed-tech industry through a massive improvement in quality while being affordable to the average student.
About Lido:
Lido Learning (Quality Tutorials Pvt Ltd) was launched in April 2019 by Sahil Sheth, offering live tutoring and personalized online coaching sessions to students from Class 5-9 in Math and Sciences from both CBSE and ISCE boards. The platform characterizes itself as an online immersive live tutoring platform for students including features like interactive sessions, engaging quizzes and immersive games.
Every session has a maximum student to teacher ratio of 6:1 to ensure that each student receives enough coaching, feedback and doubt clearing. Within the classroom, students are grouped according to similar achievement levels to ensure that the in-class experience can be personalized as per pace and content. With advanced analytics and tracking, Lido can create unique learning journeys for every student. Based on their class performance, students are given customized homework, remedial help, and challenges to push their limits.
Lido has pioneered gamification through ‘Learn for Rewards’ that tie learning outcomes to real-world prizes.
Source: https://www.indianweb2.com/2019/11/11/ed-tech-startup-lido-learning-announces-series-3-million-funding/?doing_wp_cron=1573573981.5977289676666259765625
| SPONSOR: BetterU Education Corp. aims to provide access to quality education from around the world. The Company plans to bridge the prevailing gap in the education and job industry and enhance the lives of its prospective learners by developing an integrated ecosystem. Click here for more information. |
Written By Kunal Gaurav
As the country observes National Education Day on November 11 to commemorate the birth anniversary of Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, let’s have a look at major Edtech startups that have contributed to the revolution of online learning in India.
The Bengaluru-based educational technology, founded by Byju Raveendran in 2011 as Think and Learn Private Ltd, is the world’s most valued edtech company at $5.4 billion. It mainly runs on a mobile app that was launched in 2015. Though it trains students for competitive examinations such as IIT-JEE, NEET, CAT, it focuses primarily on school students from class 1 to 12. The concepts are explained through animated videos of 12-20 minutes. Think and Learn Private Ltd, which became a business case at Harvard Business School, also launched BYJU’S Math App for kids and BYJU’S Parent Connect app to help parents track their child’s learning course.
Unacademy is a Bengaluru-based company that offers online education in India for several competitive exams but mainly focused on civil services examinations (CSE). It was started as a YouTube channel in 2010 which later turned into full-fledged venture in 2015. Anyone can register at Unacademy as an educator and create educational content for the platform. Unacademy won the Digital Start-Up of the Year award at the IAMAI 12th India Digital Summit. It has raised a total of $38.6 million in various funding rounds from investors with $21 million raised in a Series C round of funding from Sequoia India, SAIF Partners, Nexus Venture Partners and others.
Founded by Amruth BR, Anand Joshi, and Shivananda Salgame in 2013, the online platform works without the internet on its android application. The app generates lesson plans, logbooks, reports and also provides interesting analysis on student learning. Guru-G is also integrated with Diksha – a national teacher platform. According to the online platform, it has an impact on more than 3,20,000 students across 1200 schools. initially rolled out content in five languages, the platform now accommodates all Indian languages in the application. The app has been gamified for teachers and adapts to the mood of the student.
Source: https://www.republicworld.com/india-news/general-news/education-day-edtech-startups-that-changed-learning-game-in-india.html