Interactive learning platform Talentedge aims to rise above the bubble of ed-tech companies
Incubated by Lumis Partners in the year 2012, Talentedge offers interactive learning solutions for both individuals and corporates. For the individual learners, it offers learning solutions through its ‘Premium Executive Programmes’ and degree programme and for corporates, it offers solutions like industry programmes, product modules and end-user learning.
Talentedge operates in Gurgaon, Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru and Pune with a team of 150 employees. The startup has tied up with XLRI Jamshedpur, IIT Roorkee, IIFT New Delhi, IIM Kozhikode, MICA and SMU.
Aditya Malik, CEO and MD, Talentedge, says,
Talentedge has reached over 3,00,000 students and seven lakh professionals across 90 locations through the education learning campuses, and has partnered with over 70 blue-chip companies worldwide. Our new-age, progressive team engages with some of the top universities and institutions to provide the best of knowledge and certification.
Online learning space
The online learning space in India is estimated to grow from current USD four billion to USD 40 billion by 2030. Players like Coursera, Edx, Edutor and more have revolutionised this space by introducing a pool of interactive learning solutions.
The disruption in this space led many investors to loosen their purse strings and invest money into these startups. Coursera raised a USD 49.5-million Series C funding from New Enterprise Associates, Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers and International Finance Corporation. In March 2012, Edutor Technologies had raised Rs two crore from Hyderabad Angels, led by serial entrepreneur Sashi Reddi.
Aditya says,
With a bunch of edtech startups coming up, it is very important to provide a learning experience to participants in the right way. They have to empower an e-learning system that goes beyond the traditional e-learning mechanism of recorded lectures, which is highly interactive, engaging and measures learning effectiveness.
Entrepreneurial bug
Before turning into a techpreneur, Aditya worked in senior leadership positions at various Fortune 500 companies. He says that that stint nudged him to reach out more and led him to become an entrepreneur.
He says, "For me, Talentedge is not an entrepreneurial venture, but a personal vision and mission to change the way India learns, enable learning with purpose and instil a ‘now you can’ attitude in people. Talentedge is an innovative learning solutions provider that creates tangible impact in an individual’s life." He adds the seed capital was Rs 60 crore.
Products and services
Talentedge’s products and services are targeted at individuals and corporates, and offered on 'direct-to-desktop’ online mode in a virtual classroom. The courses include short-term certificate courses in management from ISB, AIMA, MICA etc. Modularised courses in IT will be offered clubbed with international certification vouchers, courses in manufacturing ERP in association with TCSiON (iON from TCS is an IT-as-a-Service business model) and certificate courses in finance and accounting offered by ACCA (Association of Chartered Certified Accountants).
Aditya explains,
With best in-class faculty, partnerships with country's premium academic institutes and in-depth industry alliances, we enable our learners to continually stay ahead in their career and achieve greater heights.
The startup has partnered with some renowned institutions to bring niche courses such as certificate in marketing and brand management from MICA, PG certificate programme in business management from IIFT, New Delhi, programme in corporate finance from XLRI, Jamshedpur, executive certificate programme in human resource management from XLRI, Jamshedpur and SHRM.
According to Aditya, the learning solution could be directly aimed at the sales or product team to impact the bottom lines or meant for a governmental organisation going through a new application roll-out for easing out internal processes. Currently, the startup has more than 18 domain specialists and 20 product specialists.
He adds,
Our business model is completely online, where we collaborate to acquire students, deliver courses through our technology platform, hand-hold students in their learning experience through a student relationship team.
Handheld support by Lumis Partners
Lumis Partners with its in-depth business expertise in the HR, technology and education verticals has provided handheld support to TalentEdge.
Aditya considers Lumis Partners as its pillar which has constantly been involved in defining the overall business objective and growth curve for Talentedge.
He says,
Talentedge witnessed a growth of over 50 per cent year on year. Currently, the startup is running at an annualised run rate of USD eight million and it intends to grow by 20 per cent this fiscal year.