Tiger Global-backed Scaler enters UG education space with its School of Technology

Tiger Global-backed edtech firm Scaler on Wednesday announced its plans to enter the undergraduate (UG) education space with the launch of Scaler School of Technology.

Its first campus in Bengaluru will offer a four-year residential UG computer science programme designed for the next generation of Indian software professionals. The degree is offered through a University Grants Commission (UGC)-recognised partner institute. The first batch will offer 200 seats and commence on July 18.

During a virtual media briefing, Anshuman Singh, Co-founder of Scaler and InterviewBit, highlighted the significant supply-demand gap in the computer science space and spoke about the different aspects of this undergraduate programme.

The programme will be delivered in three phases—the first 18 months will focus on mastering computer science fundamentals by building pedagogy with real-life cases, followed by a one-year paid industry internship with leading technology companies and one-on-one mentoring by industry veterans.

Scaler said the last 18 months would allow students to specialise as senior engineers and machine learning or artificial intelligence engineers with specialisations in algorithmic trading or learning skills.

The UG programme also intends to provide a pre-placement offer to 50% of the batch within two and a half years of joining the programme, Abhimanyu Saxena, Co-founder of Scaler and InterviewBit, said.

The edtech startup said the degree would also enable students to apply for government jobs or apply for higher studies in India and abroad. Moreover, students will receive a Master of Science in Computer Science from Woolf University—licensed as a higher education institution in the European Union that works on the European Credit Transfer System.

This move from Scaler will broaden its edtech offerings and open another revenue stream for the company in the highly competitive higher education segment. Scaler was established in 2019 to upskill tech professionals and provide solutions to real-world challenges addressing the changing dynamics of the technology industry.

“This vertical, in the next five years, will become equally or even bigger than our current operations. We expect this to contribute massively to the bottom line of the company,” Singh said.

Scaler claims to work with over 900 employer-partners globally, including Google, Microsoft, Amazon, Facebook, Zomato, Airtel, Wells Fargo, and PayPal, with nearly 35,000 Scaler alumni in the global technology sector.

It reported cumulative revenue growth of 2,500% in FY20 and FY21, with an annual revenue rate of $110 million in August 2022. 

In February last year, Scaler raised $55 million (about Rs 410 crore) in a Series B funding round led by new investor Lightrock India and existing investors Sequoia Capital India and Tiger Global.

(The copy was updated to correct a factual error)