Naspers has led a $540-million investment in BYJU’S, the creator of the most popular school learning app in India. A significant portion is also being contributed by the Canadian Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB).
Naspers says the investment will drive the BYJU’S team to further innovate, explore and set new benchmarks for tech-enabled learning products. The company has plans for international market expansion and will make investments in technology that will further personalise learning for students. BYJU’S also represents Naspers’ investment in India across multiple sectors and entrepreneurs in this high-growth market.
Launched in 2015, BYJU’S Learning App is the leader in offering personalised learning programmes for school students in grades 4 to 12 in India. Delivering world-class learning experiences, the app merges videos, interactives, and teachers to bring concepts to life. It also adapts to the learning style of every student, adjusting to the pace and style of their learning. More than 30 million students have used the BYJU’S Learning App, and it has amassed over 2 million cumulative annual paid subscriptions, with an average engagement of 64 minutes per student daily.
“This partnership will strengthen our ability to deliver on our vision to build the world’s largest education company,” said Byju Raveendran, Founder and CEO of BYJU’S. “India has the largest population attending primary school in the world and Indian households are willing to invest a lot in their children’s education, because a good education is viewed as the best path to success. I believe the importance of quality education amongst the entire population in India fuelled our ability to create an engaging and high-impact learning app.
“While near-term profitability is important for us, as a company our main focus continues to be on long-term sustainable growth. The education technology (edtech) industry is undergoing massive shifts; modern students want to learn through engaging and interactive methods. We are pioneering ‘better learning for tomorrow’ with technology as an enabler and we have been working towards making students active learners. It is only through active learning that we can prepare our youth for jobs of tomorrow.”
Russell Dreisenstock, head of International Investments at Naspers Ventures, who will be joining BYJU’S Board of Directors said: “Naspers partners with high-potential companies that are tackling big societal needs like education, which represents a significant sector ripe for disruption across the globe.
“With the largest school-age population in the world and a growing middle-class with the willingness to commit significant resources towards quality education for their children, BYJU’S is perfectly positioned to provide an effective supplemental education solution for students across India. We partnered with BYJU’S because we believe the company’s success in India will translate across borders in any country where students are looking for an innovative and engaging form of education beyond the classroom.”
In addition to BYJU’S, Naspers has built a significant edtech portfolio around the world. It includes Udemy, a leading global marketplace for learning and instruction; Brainly, the world’s largest social learning community; Codecademy, an online interactive platform to learn to code; and SoloLearn, a mobile-first community learning platform where students can learn, create, and share programming content.
