[Funding alert] Gurugram startup Josh Talks raises $1.5M led by New York-based fund MDIF
With the support of MDIF, Gurugram-based startup Josh Talks is looking to expand its vernacular growth in India, build its skills vertical, and targeting other developing nations.
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, a Gurugram-based startup, has raised $1.5 million (approx Rs 10.7 crore) in pre-Series A funding led by New York-based fund Media Development Investment Fund (MDIF) as it forays into the e-learning space in India.
With this new round of funding, the startup said its valuation crosses the Rs 100 crore mark.
Founded in 2015 by Supriya Paul and Shobhit Banga, Josh Talks began with organising physical conferences to raise the aspirations of youngsters. In order to reach a wider audience, the platform soon started creating content in vernacular languages that was made available online. Today, Josh Talks has grown into a robust ecosystem of tools and services that enables the youth in Tier-II and Tier-III cities to do more with their life.
In a statement, the founders noted,
“Being a mission-first organisation, we are building products and services that leverage the power of the internet to solve real problems faced by low-income households in India."
"We are addressing issues faced by the youth with respect to jobs, career opportunities, acquiring skill sets, and more. With over 60 percent of college graduates remaining unemployed in India, we launched the Josh Skills app to equip students and job seekers with relevant skill sets (such as spoken English, financial literacy, and personality development) to help them become gainfully employed.”
Josh Talks co-founders Supriya Paul and Shobhit Banga
At present, Josh Talks’ content is disseminated in eight vernacular languages and is viewed by over 45 million people every month. In the span of five years, the startup has expanded to also include Josh Kosh, an inclusive career-guidance platform, while its recently launched vertical, Josh Skills, is equipping low-income students and job seekers in India with the training and tools they need to get a job.
Key Kiarie, the Chief Investment Officer from MDIF, added,
“We are proud to partner with Josh Talks, an organisation that is leading the way in creating affordable and accessible solutions for low-income families and communities.”
Key will be joining Josh Talks' board.
Supriya said, “With the support of MDIF, we are looking forward to expanding our vernacular growth in India, building our skills vertical and taking josh to other developing nations.”
(Edited by Evelyn Ratnakumar)