Coronavirus: Edtech unicorn BYJU’S free offer sees 150 pc jump in new students
The initiative to support students to learn from home during coronavirus outbreak receives overwhelming response from metros and non-metros, BYJU'S said.
Indian edutech unicorn on Monday said it has witnessed a 150 percent increase in the number of new students learning on its app after announcing free access in March 2020.
The initiative, taken to support students to learn from home during the disruption caused due to coronavirus, has received an overwhelming response with students from metros and non-metros accessing lessons on the app, BYJU'S said in a release.
Over six million new students have started learning on the app in March 2020 alone.
To support students in their learning journeys further, the Bengaluru-based firm has introduced free 'Live Classes' on its platform.
Students will now be able to learn real-time from teachers by reserving their preferred topic and slot from the schedule on BYJU'S - The Learning App, the release said.
Byju Raveendran, Founder and CEO, BYJU’S
Mrinal Mohit, Chief Operating Officer, BYJU’S said,
“We are extremely heartened by the overwhelming response to the free lessons on our learning app with six million new students learning in March 2020 alone.”
“After making our content free to assist students earlier, we have now added free ‘Live Classes’ on our platform, where students can attend three to four regular sessions per week. Along with the existing content available on the app, live classes will bring a schedule to their learning and give them access to good teachers – something that they are missing especially now. Our live classes will remain free for students across the country until the current situation persists,” Mrinal added.
Founded in 2011, BYJU’S offers learning programmes for students in classes 1-12 (K-12) and for competitive exams like JEE, NEET and IAS.
BYJU'S launched its flagship product, BYJU’S - The Learning App, for classes 4-12 in 2015. Today, the app has over 47 million registered students and 3.5 million annual paid subscriptions. With an average time of 71 minutes being spent by a student on the app every day from 1,700+ cities, the app claims that it is encouraging students to become self-initiated learners.
BYJU'S Early Learn App was launched in June 2019, an offering for students in classes 1-3 featuring Disney’s timeliness characters. In early 2019, BYJU'S also acquired Osmo, a Palo Alto based maker of educational games to transform the whole offline to online learning experience.
In February, the edtech major raised an undisclosed amount of funding from General Atlantic, an existing investor in the company. While BYJU'S did not disclose the quantum of investment, sources said General Atlantic had pumped in $200 million (about Rs 1,420 crore) into the company. This round pegged the valuation of the startup at about $8.2 billion.
In January, Tiger Global also infused around $200 million in the startup, at a valuation of around $8 billion, making it the third-most valued Indian unicorn, at present.
(Edited by Javed Gaihlot)