Unacademy was founded by Gaurav Munjal, Dr. Roman Saini, and Hemesh Singh in 2015 with the aim of helping as many people get access to quality education from the comfort of their own homes. Gaurav Munjal, originally started a YouTube channel named Unacademy and uploaded a tutorial about computer graphics to assist his friends in acing their examinations. He then decided to take it up a notch and he, along with his friends Roman Saini and Hemesh Singh started this interactive learning platform. It was officially launched in 2015.
Unacademy, is an Indian multinational educational technology company that provides an online educational platform with its headquarters in Bangalore. In 2021, Sri Lankan company Medical Joyworks filed a suit in the Bombay Civil Court alleging that PrepLadder, a subsidiary of Unacademy, has plagiarized Medical Joyworks’ Prognosis application and other property. The court in its order on 20 September 2021 stated that "Unacademy cannot use its PrepLadder app, website, and any other content until all proprietary information, know-how, and technology belonging to Medical Joyworks have been removed to the satisfaction of Medical Joyworks and an independent auditor."
Gaurav Munjal says that his mission was very clear from the absolute beginning. It was to build the largest educational platform in the world. What makes Unacademy so successful is its commitment to quality education. The platform employs a rigorous selection process to ensure that only the best educators are on the site. In addition, all courses are regularly updated to keep up with the latest trends and developments.
Unacademy has been extremely successful so far, and Gaurav’s vision is starting to become a reality. The company is now valued at over $100 million and is one of the fastest growing startups in India. It is clear that Unacademy is here to stay and make a difference. Gaurav’s story is an inspiration to all entrepreneurs who are looking to make a positive impact on society.
Unacademy is a Bangalore-based leading online EdTech company that focuses on going beyond the usual textbooks and classroom education. It prepares students for a wide range of competitive exams such as UPSC, State PSC, Bank exams, Railway exams, Defense exams, NEET, IIT-JEE, GATE, TET, CAT, CA, and CS.
Owned and operated by Sorting Hat Technologies, Unacademy was founded in 2015. It was, however, started as a YouTube channel by Gaurav Munjal back in 2010. Edtech firms have seen this an opportunity to overtake conventional education and become a necessity instead of a mere option. Unacademy is one such ed-tech startup that has completely flipped the coin on the conventional scholastic sphere in Indian education. Developed for the purpose of preparing students for competitive exams in India, this platform has expanded to become one of the best ed-tech startups in India.
Unacademy acquired startups like WiFiStudy, Kreatryx, Coursavy, CodeChef, Mastree, PrepLadder, NeoStencil, TapChief and Handa Ka Funda to expand operations in specialized fields. It utilizes effective marketing strategies to create brand awareness, attract users and build presence in the online learning space.
During the COVID pandemic, Unacademy announced 20,000 free classes for students and doubled its subscribers. Monthly watch time reached over 1 billion minutes. Unacademy also started “Legends on Unacademy” with famous people invited for live classes which became popular.
The first Unacademy Learning Center, built over 18k sq ft area with educators teaching programs, has been established. The market valuation of Unacademy is Rs 114.6 crore in FY22. General Atlantic and Facebook invested $110 million in Unacademy with post-money valuation of $510 million.
Unacademy disclosed a revenue of INR 14,831 crore for the fiscal year 2021–2022, showcasing substantial growth. The company’s net worth saw a noteworthy increase, ascending from INR 12,000 crore to INR 14,831 crore in the same period. As of the year 2023, Unacademy’s net worth is report to be INR 25,000 crore Indian Rupees.
Unacademy has garnered support from a roster of 28 institutional investors, featuring key names such as Blume, Peak XV Partners, and Nexus Venture Partners. Notably, SoftBank Vision Fund stands out as the largest institutional investor in Unacademy.