These edtech startups are leveraging hybrid learning across India

Today, the new generation of learners understands the expanding need to put new-age technology into practice. Through virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and mixed reality (MR), Indian edtech startups are making education fun, helping students better understand concepts. 

The Indian edtech sector—the second-largest in the world—expanded quickly amid the COVID-19 pandemic after nationwide lockdowns forced schools, colleges, and coaching groups to rely on online classes. 

According to Valuates, the global edtech market is expected to grow at a CAGR (Compound Annual Growth Rate) of 15 percent to reach over $230 billion by 2028. 

As the pandemic situation is easing with rapid vaccinations, educational institutions are adopting a hybrid method of learning—imparting lessons through online and offline modes. Here are five edtech startups working on hybrid models. 

Athena Education

Gurugram-based Athena Education provides class 7–12 students with personalised mentorship programmes to facilitate admission to a university abroad.

Founded by Poshak Agarwal and Rahul Subramaniam in 2013, the edtech startup offers comprehensive guidance to high school students on admission to leading universities in the US and UK with the help of a team of Ivy League graduates. So far, it has helped 500 students.

The startup helps students with SAT preparation, rewriting and reviewing college applications, and mock interviews. 

Athena Education operates both online and offline models, depending on the schedule of the students. It has centres in Gurugram, Delhi, Mumbai, and Bengaluru.

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GuruQ

Faridabad-based GuruQ, founded by brother-sister duo Minal Anand and Jai Karan Anand in 2017, provides tailormade classes to students. It connects students to certified tutors for offline individual or group classes.

GuruQ is a fully integrated platform with features, including Find the right tutor, Post your tuition need, Scheduler, and Instant class.

The startup provides tutors for K-12 students and also help with competitive exams such as CLAT, NEET, and JEE Main and Advanced. Also, students who wish to study foreign languages like German, Spanish, Russian, Italian, and Chinese can enrol on the platform.

It has boarded over 200,000 students and over 35,000 tutors. The startup aims to provide an alternative coaching option for students and maintains the same level of classroom engagement in its online classes.

GuruQ has an all-India online presence and offline presence in Delhi-NCR, Haryana, and Punjab, where students can take traditional tuition after selecting a tutor from the online pool.

STEMROBO

Delhi-NCR-based STEMROBO, founded in 2015 by Anurag Gupta and Rajeev Tiwari, enables students to learn and innovate in the fields of app creation and development, block-based programming, 3D designing, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Python, and Arduino Programming.

STEMROBO aims to solve real-world problems by using techniques and project-based learning while providing an immersive learning experience.

It works with over 10 lakh teachers to foster out-of-the-box thinking and technological advancement.

The startup has developed two platforms for K-12 students—Thinker Learning and AI Connect—and has set up in over 1,500 schools in India for in-class education. It also offers one-on-one coding sessions.

STEMROBO provides offline services in the Middle East and Ghana.

Infinity Learn

Hyderabad-based Infinity Learn, a part of the Sri Chaitanya Group, allows students to assess themselves based on a mock test and helps them further enhance their knowledge.

Founded in 2018 by Ujjwal Singh, Sushma Boppana, Seema Boppana, and Sridhar Yalaanchili, Infinity Learn

has over one million registered users. 

The startup says students have attempted more than 10 million questions on its platform, including vernacular material.

Infinity Learn has an offline and online presence across India. It aims to open 100 tuition centres in the next 12 months.

The startup has achieved one million-plus registered users and over 100,000 paid users on the platform since its commercial launch.

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PeakMind

Bengaluru-based edtech startup PeakMind, founded in 2020 by Neeraj Kumar, aims to empower youth by cultivating in them the traits of competition, optimism, and mindfulness for competitive success and holistic development.

The startup strives to provide a setting that fosters good parenting and psychologists with practical abilities that can contribute to a more sympathetic upbeat world for students, free of anxiety and depression.

It believes that every student should be able to receive proper personal development at the right moment to set and accomplish their goals.

PeakMind has a tech-led platform that combines technology, behaviour science, psychology, and performance coaching to accomplish this purpose at scale.

The startup has offline centres in Bengaluru and caters to online users pan-India.