Join Byju Raveendran as he dives into the making of BYJU'S at TechSparks 2021

Good Morning,

It's not everyday that you get to see the phenomenal rise of a company that holds the distinction of being the most valued startup in India.

Valued at $16.5 billion, edtech decacorn BYJU'S has over 100 million downloads across 1701+ cities worldwide, with a 4.7+ app rating, along with 71 minutes average daily time spent.

At TechSparks 2021, YourStory’s annual flagship event, Byju Raveendran, Co-founder and CEO, BYJU’S, a major force behind the edtech revolution in India, will speak exclusively with YourStory Founder & CEO, Shradha Sharma, on the incredible journey till now and the road ahead. 

The six-day virtual event will be held between October 25 and October 30, and will see leaders discuss empowering and enabling the next generation of changemakers from India.

Catch Apple Inc. Co-founder Steve Wozniak who will share his all-encompassing vision for rethinking the future of everything in a post-pandemic world.

Also, India's internet pioneer Sanjeev Bhikchandani will talk about the joys and pains of being a first mover in various verticals of the internet business and identifying online business trends.

They will join leaders from the Indian startup ecosystem and around the globe, including:

• Sriharsha Majety, Co-founder and CEO, Swiggy
• Gaurav Munjal, Co-founder and CEO, Unacademy
• Dr RS Sharma, CEO, National Health Authority ( CoWIN, AB - DM, AB PM-JAY)
• Sameer Nigam, Co-founder, PhonePe
• Sakshi Chopra, MD, Sequoia Capital
• Varsha Tagore, MD, Qualcomm Ventures India
• Kunal Kapoor, Co-founder, Ketto
• Geetha Manjunath, Founder and CEO, Niramai
• Ryan Hoover, Founder, Product Hunt, and many more. 

You can sign up for updates on TechSparks 2021 or to express your interest in partnerships and speaker opportunities here.

The Interview

Edtech startup Vedantu became the latest edtech unicorn after raising $100 million in Series E funding led by Singapore-based ABC World Asia, with participation from existing investors Tiger Global, Coatue, GGV Capital, and WestBridge, among others. 

In an exclusive interaction with YourStory, Vedantu Co-founder and CEO Vamsi Krishna gets candid on what it means to be a category creator, the factors that have contributed to its rapid growth over the past two years, and the road ahead. 

Editor’s Pick: 100 Emerging Women Leaders

While taking care of her son who had Down Syndrome, Harini Sivakumar was looking for products that were gentle for her son, but realised there was nothing available in the market.

So, she decided to study more about skincare formulations and started Soapworks India (now Earth Rhythm) in Delhi in 2017. It is an environmentally conscious and sustainable brand that offers products in hair care, skincare, and others. Read more.

Startup Spotlight

Replacing plastic homeware with Made-in-India silicone products

Taher Dhanerwala was always fascinated by the way startups and businesses operated. His family owned a small business of silicone products in Bengaluru, but Taher wanted to bring an ecommerce edge to the business.

Having worked for the likes of Pharmeasy, he felt there was a way to take the small business completely online. He decided to start Rubberfy in 2021 as a one-stop destination for eco-friendly, reusable, and pure silicone household products. Read more.

News & Updates

• Entrepreneurs body TiE Hyderabad will roll out a $ 200-$ 300-million social impact fund at the upcoming TiE Sustainability Summit to support global social entrepreneurs in scaling up their business, a top representative of the group said.

• The start of the festive season in the country, which results in shopping bonanza, has led Amazon India to expand its infrastructure capabilities to cater towards the requirements of its over 8.5 lakh sellers and millions of online shoppers on its platform.

• NITI Aayog's flagship initiative, Women Entrepreneurship Platform (WEP), will felicitate 75 woman achievers as part of the Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav. The Women Transforming India Awards (WTI) 2021 will celebrate women entrepreneurs who built self-sufficient businesses.

Before you go, stay inspired with… 

“I am very bullish about what technology can do for the edtech sector. Active learners are key. It’s the awareness that we are trying to create and are truly convinced about.”

— Byju Raveendran, Founder and CEO, BYJU’s

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