Ed-Tech Startup by 17-year Old Dropout OLL Raises $115K in Seed Round from We Founder Circle

OLL Team

The Start-up is from first cohort of EvlolveX, Global Accelerator Programme by WFC

We Founder Circle (WFC), an early-stage start-up investment platform led by a global community of successful founders and strategic angels, has participated in the SEED round raised by Online Live Learning (OLL), an Ed-Tech start-up by 17 Year old student Shreyaan Daga from Mumbai. The USD 115K (INR 90 Lacs) worth of round was facilitated through EvolveX, Global accelerator programme by We Founder Circle. WFC has joined hands with many strategic angels to propel the start-up to new heights and simultaneously help it gain a competitive edge in the Ed-tech industry.

OLL is a marketplace for enthusiastic teachers and eager students. The start-up was founded by 2 students Shreyaan Daga and Koshika Mahajan carry the same passion to revolutionize and create a community for the education sector. The platform enables teachers to expand their expertise, and students can easily enrol to expand their knowledge bank.

The Ed-tech start-up has secured an amount of INR 90 lakhs in the current seed round, bringing its total funding to INR 1.1 crores since inception. The seed round was backed strongly by successful angel investors and leaders including Gaurav VK Singhvi, Neeraj Tyagi, Bhawna Bhatnagar, Sandeep Balaji, Mili Shrivastava, Deepesh Hinduja, Monica Gupta, Rahul Hingmire, Milan Modi, Harsh Metha, Manan S Patel, and more., 

“We Founder Circle is always dedicated to providing new routes of mentorship and assistance to early-stage businesses. We invested in OLL since they displayed the ambition required to establish a high growth company. The educational system may be altered in a significant way, providing considerable benefits to society if OLL succeeds. Therefore, we will be assisting them in all phases of development including business strategy, community building and connecting with skilled and right set of business mentors,” said, Bhawna Bhatnagar, Co-Founder, We Founder Circle.

“Having WFC as a strategic investing partner is wonderful news for the OLL team and subscribers. We’re confident that this investment will pay off and contribute to our business traction while helping us scale quickly. Our business model already yields a GM of 70%, and with such strategic angels on board, we intend to put our ambition on the wise route to success. We clearly aim to witness over 50% year-on-year growth,” said Shreyaan Daga, Co-Founder, Online Live Learning (OLL).

The brand plans to utilise funds to Scale the school and teacher network pan India. A part of the investment will also be directed to talent acquisition.

About We Founder Circle

Established in 2020 in Mumbai, We Founder Circle is a global community of successful founders & strategic angels that have come together to push the start-up industry and steer it towards aggressive growth. WFC invests USD 50K- USD 2Mn amount in early-stage start-ups that are fueled with ambition, sustainability, and a strategic approach. WFC provides seed funding, business development, and global networking opportunities to start-ups as it believes early-stage start-ups need a lot beyond just financial support to become scalable and stable. It has already enabled USD 12 mn worth of investments across 33 start-up deals in the year 2021 alone and invested in 56 startups since incorporation.

About OLL

OLL allows students to pursue their interests in fields such as Technology (Coding, Robotics), Arts, Languages, Lifeskills (Public Speaking) and 100+ more options. All of the courses offered by OLL are live interactive and have been internationally certified by organisations such as STEM and UNESCO. OLL targets students from 1st – 10th grade in Tier 2 and 3 cities as the demand for skill development is extremely high in this age group. The founder Shreyaan Daga is a 17 Yr old and has dropped out of formal education after the 10th grade to pursue his dream of upskilling 1 billion people through OLL.

UK-based EdTech Startup Ocxee Foraying in India

Ocxee - All in one platform for Study Abroad has announced foraying in India. The platform was founded by students for students in the United Kingdom. The brand has identified the fact that India is the second country that witnesses the maximum number of students travelling abroad for studies after China.

Ocxee aims to present a "Student First Approach" in India by evoking trust in students' minds while they make the most crucial decision of their lives. Ocxee already has partnerships with over 1500 colleges and universities across the globe with 1.5 million beds in 100+ countries, thus developing into a one-stop solution for students.

The platform covers the hassle of finding the right country, the right course, and the right college & University. It further supports collecting all the necessary documents for admission, Visa Process, appropriate budget-friendly accommodation, part-time jobs, internships, online courses and first bank account abroad. Ocxee provides a dedicated team to personalise the experience of student aspirants through the entire process.

The brand already holds a presence in 130+ countries, including the UK, USA, Canada, Australia, Germany, Poland, Nigeria, Kenya, and Singapore.

"We have already gained a strong foothold in many countries globally. The response has been overwhelming. The number of Indian students opting to study overseas increases every year; it is anticipated to touch a mark of 1.8 million by 2024. However, an even bigger number of students aspire but are unable to pursue due to a lack of awareness and or absence of the right support system. We are here to add convenience and make their plans materialise," said Meet Kotadia, founder of Ocxee.

Ocxee is the only company globally that provides centralized pre and post landing services from one platform.

The platform shall offer an online tailor-made test preparation course ranging from INR 149 to INR 499 to Indian aspirants. It is expected to save students the heavy IELTS preparation fees they pay, along with hefty consultation fees. Ocxee will also offer free first profile evaluation and counselling with trained experts to make it easier for aspirants to take step one.

About Ocxee

Ocxee helps students make career choices and university admission decisions in a simplified manner with the help of Certified industry experts in both pre-landing and post-landing services. Ocxee's offering extends to end-to-end tracking of student progress and assisting students on admissions, visas, loans, forex, and online courses such as IELTS/TOEFL/PTE, accommodation, airport transfers, SIM cards, Part-time job assistance etc. at the touch of their smartphones. The Company became operational in 2019 and made a major business pivot in 2021 when it started partnering with pre-landing and post-landing services providers across the globe.

EdTech Startup Orphicy Launches Orphicy Marks Guarantee (OMG) for Their Class X Students

• Orphicy Marks Guarantee (OMG) offers an assured score to students in their board exams.
• The guaranteed score is calculated on the basis of class 9 results and a pre-admission test.
• The program offers a full refund if the guaranteed score is not achieved
• OMG has a dedicated module on making up for the loss of learning due to the pandemic pain

Ahmedabad-based EdTech start-up Orphicy specialising in live coaching of K-10 students has launched OMG- Orphicy Marks Guarantee. Rather than talking about abstract improvements, Orphicy promises to ensure a guaranteed score for the Class X board exams based on the student’s Class 9 marks and an assessment conducted by Team Orphicy online at the time of admission.

Upon entering the above two scores as inputs the OMG program generates an improved score which is then offered to the students and parents as a guaranteed score. Any student can find his guaranteed score on Orphicy’s website (www.orphicy.com). If a student prepares with Orphicy and is unable to achieve the guaranteed score in his Class X Boards, the company will refund the entire fees.

The Team of Orphicy

"Our past year experience has been nothing short of amazing. It was overwhelming to see students up their game by improving their scores drastically with our pedagogy. We have done it in the past and I believe my team has it in them to consistently do the same in the future so even at the cost of sounding overconfident we decided to roll on the Orphicy Marks Guarantee. We invite all students and parents to come and experience the Orphicy Learning Approach” said Vipul Tyagi, Co-founder & CEO.

Tyagi adds, “Education has never been easy and presently it's tougher than ever. The past two years have been tumultuous, and it would have a far-reaching impact on a child’s academics. Mass promotions or makeshift examinations have in a way resulted in faulty assessments. The problem would get even more pronounced for students who are going to appear for their Class 10 Board Exams in the coming Year.”

OMG does not offer vague suggestions for getting better results in their Class X exams rather it takes accountability for an enhancement in their performance.

A special digital campaign has also been designed and launched to inform students about the OMG programme. Ujjwal Nagar, Co-founder, Chief Marketing Officer shares, “We have created a campaign to educate, entertain and engage with students and parents. The idea is to talk about in OMG on a lighter note with our audience. I don’t want to reveal much, I would rather, you see it first-hand”

About Orphicy

Orphicy (Orphic Learning Private Limited) is an Ahmedabad-based Education Startup led by seasoned academicians with over a decade of experience. After having helped thousands of students in their undergraduate and post-graduate competitive and entrance exams journey, the team wanted to add more value by being able to connect with young students in their formative years. The result of this quest was Orphicy.

The startup offers education modules empowered using visualisation methods, live interactions, analytics, and psychometric analysis to achieve the desired results. They also provide dedicated career guidance to each student.

AdmitKard Selected in Top-20 of GSV Cup, the World’s Largest Pitch Competition for Edtech Startups

Will Compete Live at ASU+GSV 13.0 for $1 Million in Prizes at World’s Largest Pitch Competition For EdTech Startups

AdmitKard, Edtech that simplifies access to higher education opportunities, has announced getting shortlisted to the acclaimed GSV Cup Top 20 — the world’s largest pitch competition for EdTech startups.

The companies shortlisted to The Top 20 come from the top pre-seed and seed-stage startups fraternity in digital learning across the “Pre-K to Gray” space. Further to the selection, AdmitKard will now compete for up to $1M in cash and prize at the ASU+GSV Summit to be held in April this year, in San Diego. The annual edtech event is jointly hosted by GSV Ventures and Arizona State University.

AdmitKard is selected from an initial applicant pool of 750+ global companies, which further narrowed to The Elite 200 semifinalists. Over 175 judges hailing from leading venture capital firms including the likes of Accel, Reach Capital, General Atlantic, and Owl Ventures, among others, based on rigorous criteria identified the Top 20 most promising companies. The selected finalists would further compete on Stage X at ASU+GSV.

“We are overwhelmed to bag the esteemed recognition, and to get the opportunity to participate at the reputed ASU GSV. It's a celebration of Technology in Education and we are looking forward to showcasing our disruptive platform to the global community of EdTech leaders. The recognition certainly highlights the edge that AdmitKard boasts in the market, and we are affirmative to making it even bigger on StageX,” said Mr. Piyush Bhartiya- CO-Founder & CEO, AdmitKard.

“GSV is so proud to recognize an epic group of global edtech founders as our final 20,” said Deborah Quazzo, Managing Partner of GSV Ventures and Co-founder of ASU+GSV Summit. “These companies have been rigorously evaluated by a judging panel exceeding 90 top venture investors. Congratulations to all!,” she added.

The Top 20 companies play learners from Pre-K to Gray, alongside companies across the categories- K-12, Higher Education, Early Childhood, Adult Enterprise Learnin, Adult Consumer Learning etc. The GSV Cup is powered by Google Cloud, HubSpot for Startups, HolonIQ, and GSV Ventures.

See AdmitKard and the rest of the companies selected to the GSV Cup at https://www.asugsvsummit.com/gsv-cup-elite-200

ABOUT AdmitKard

AdmitKard, a venture capitalist-funded EdTech startup, was founded in 2016 by IIT-IIM Alumni (Piyush Bhartiya & Rachit Agrawal), with an aim to mentor students in the college application process. AdmitKard boasts of a robust technology platform to make the entire application

process effortless and to enable you to apply from the comfort of your home, hostel, or wherever you are in the world, to make your dreams come true!

ABOUT GSV VENTURES

GSV Ventures is a female-led, multi-stage venture capital firm focused on the $7+ trillion education sector. The fund is currently investing out of GSV Ventures Fund III and backs innovative entrepreneurs around the world in the "Pre-K to Gray" Arc of Learning. GSV manages over $675 million in global EdTech investments. Portfolio holdings include Andela, Class Technologies, ClassDojo, Coursera, Course Hero, Degreed, Guild, MasterClass, Outlier, Photomath, Quizizz, Lead School, Brightchamps, and ClassPlus, among others.

Devendra Jaiswal Welcomes Dhiraj Singh; Duo to take KidsChaupal to Greater Heights

Devendra Jaiswal, Director and CEO of KidsChaupal Infotech Pvt. Ltd. welcomes Dhiraj Singh as the Director and Co-CEO of the company. Dhiraj Singh, an Alumni of MNNIT, Allahabad, is a seasoned technophile with experience of over 22 years in leading engineering teams to success, majorly in his tenure with Cisco Systems Inc. building and securing the 'Internet'. Dhiraj has taken over his role and will be managing the technical and operational aspects involved in the KidsChaupal Infotech.

Devendra Jaiswal welcomes Dhiraj Singh as the Director and Co-CEO of KidsChaupal Infotech Pvt. Ltd.

After years of experience in the tech industry, Dhiraj Singh has chosen to step into the Ed-tech industry with the passion and vigour it rightly demands. His multi-talented daughter prompted him to start his journey. Over a decade of journaling and recording daily endeavours of his daughter's activities has helped him craft a comprehensive guide on - how to bring out the best in young children. Dhiraj Singh brings to the table this knowledge with the zeal to help millions of children in India spread their wings and grow to become highly skilled individuals.

Ashish Shrivastava, CTO of the company is excited to welcome Dhiraj Singh who declined lucrative offers from the US and many MNCs to strengthen this phygital platform that helps discover the early talents.

Skill development has become a buzzword of late, however, its been at the crux of KidsChaupal since its inception. Together the dynamic duo of Devendra Jaiswal and Dhiraj Singh vows to make skill development more accessible and widespread among young children. KidsChaupal endeavours to help recognise kids' natural talents and abilities and provide them with quality guidance and mentorship, to enhance their future careers.

The Indian Ed-tech industry is estimated to be valued at 10.4 billion USD in the next four years; despite COVID-19, the funding for ed-techs have skyrocketed in the last two years. KidsChaupal is backed by tech giants of the Silicon Valley USA and India.

However, sizable funding does not ensure quality, which is the case with massive ed-tech companies. KidsChaupal has carved a niche for itself as a brand that values superior standards of mentorship as well as customer service above all.

Taking cognisance of the recent changes in education suggested by NEP 2020, this venture also promises to be a boon for mentors and teachers who have the skills and knowledge they wish to impart. KidsChaupal brings experts and students closer to create a synergy where both can strive.

About KidsChaupal

KidsChaupal is an ed-tech start-up, founded in 2019 by Mr. Devendra Jaiswal, Mrs. Rashmi Singh and Mr. Ashish Shrivastava. KidsChaupal aims at honing the skills of children to be ready for their future.

Their vision is to enable the exposure of kids to multiple learning choices, exposure to inter-disciplinary ways of thinking, and help them make career choices beyond popular opinion. KidsChaupal uses the best in technology with its live platform and mobile applications to cater to the needs of both teachers and kids at the same time. It is one of the pioneer Indian companies that developed a live learning platform.

KidsChaupal offers over 100+ courses and classes in areas ranging from Personality Development, Vocational Training, Arts and Crafts, Health & Fitness, Performing Arts, Languages, Emerging Technologies, and Entrepreneurship. With over 35,000 kids enrolled, and 100+ mentors on board with KidsChaupal, they conduct approximately 3000 hours of skill development classes every month. It also focuses on the professional and leadership development of teachers and offers regular workshops/webinars and training programs based on NEP 2020. KidsChaupal is not only backed by experienced industry experts of the country but also US-based investors and mentors. KidsChaupal has been tying up with several public and private schools for delivering experiential sessions to the students with the help of mentors and teachers.

 

Ed Tech Startup SpEd@Home Raises $300K in Funding

Edtech startup SpEd@home on Friday said, it has raised 300000 USD as part of its initial funding round led by financial experts and advisors, from a venture capital company based in Singapore and other High Net worth Individuals.

SpEd@home is an edtech solution that augments learning for children with differential needs like Learning Disability, ADHD and Autism. The idea for SpEd@home was conceived in the year 2020 during the pandemic. It merges technology with a systematic approach to provide a better e-Learning experience at home for differently abled children and to equip parents in metros as well as Tier 2 & Tier 3 with skills to aid their children. After observing how limited access to remedial centres during the lockdown has hampered the learning outcomes of children with differential needs, Dr. Dhaval Mody incepted the company in 2020, during the pandemic.

“We are currently running our pilot with children from the lower socio economic strata i.e. those with a family income of less than 8 lakh annually. The results of our ongoing pilots have been very promising and are helping us take our conviction to the second round.” Said Dr. Dhaval Mody, Founder & CEO of SpEd@home. “We are sure our solution will change the way special education is delivered to children with differential needs,” he added.

The startup used the raised funds to build a basic web-based product to test out the hypothesis that children with differential needs can benefit from a customized online program. It will further use the funds to complete the pilot phase, develop a mobile app, improve their web solutions, and build a product team, sales team and an SME team.

UIncept, India and MindCET, Israel Join Hands To Support Global EdTech Startups

UIncept Accelerator in line with their endeavour to create a holistic global startup ecosystem has yet again joined hands with MindCET Israel to conduct an exchange program starting 5th July 2021.

UIncept, one of India’s premier Edtech focussed accelerators has partnered with MindCET, a leading Israeli EdTech Innovation Center to help scale selected Edtech startups worldwide. The top 20 shortlisted startups will be guided by international startup ecosystem stakeholders - Boaz Zaoince (COO & VP - CodeMonkey, Israel), Shreyasi Singh (Founder- Harappa Education), Fernando Valenzuela (Founding Partner- Global Edtech Impact Alliance, Mexico), Sachin Ravi (Founder - Qshala), Caroline Wright (Director General- British Educational Suppliers Association & Director of Edtech Exchange (UK), Ravi Kaushik (Managing Partner-WaterBridge Ventures) and more.

The online program will witness the presence of some of the promising EdTech startup companies from India, Israel, USA, Europe, Latin America etc. The speakers at the program will be sharing their expertise, challenges and opportunities in the Global EdTech ecosystem. The online program will also have a match making session between the shortlisted startups to explore synergies.

UIncept, Founder & Chief Mentor, Mr. Manish Gupta says -

We are all set to welcome international startups looking to foray into the Indian market and support them in every possible way through our solid network and mentorship.

The exchange program will address:

• European, Indian and Latin American Edtech Market
• Global Edtech Investment landscape
• Importance of Channel Partners in Edtech
• An overview of Indian Education system, Edtech trends & Investments

UIncept has on boarded Edtech Review, a premier media platform and community for educational stakeholders as the media partner.

ABOUT UIncept

Headquartered in Gurugram, India, UIncept is one of the country’s premier startup accelerators with a deep focus on EdTech. It is a starting ground of ideas and leaders that can transform the world. After 5 years of working with more than 40 startups (mostly EdTech) who have raised over USD 10 million, UIncept knows about the various challenges faced by early-stage startups.

UIncept is also a part of the global collaborator community of Amazon Web Services Edstart. To know more about UIncept, visit www.uincept.com


ABOUT MindCET

MindCET was established by the Center for Educational Technology (CET), the leading organization in the planning and development of technological products for the education system in Israel. The Center is based on CET’s many years of experience and in-depth familiarity with the market. UIncept is also a part of the global collaborator community of Amazon Web Services Edstart. 

To know more about MindCET, visit https://www.mindcet.org/en/

Nuvepro Raises ₹6 Crores and Appoints Industry Experts as Advisors to Deepen its Cloud Labs Reach in the EdTech Sector

• Advisors to help reach global markets
• The versatile platform to transform delivered over 3M hours in just few months
• Plan to grow the user-base by 10X for upskilling and reskilling needs

Nuvepro, the leading 'Cloud Labs for Education' provider, today announced that it has raised INR Six Crores in another round of funding from the existing investor, 1Crowd. The company also announced the appointment of leading industry experts, Apratim Purakayastha (AP) and Milind Chalisgaonkar as advisors.

Giridhar LV, CEO, Nuvepro said, "We had a great journey so far and really proud of the progress we made in solving a key issue of technical learning with our hands-on Cloud Labs. We are prime for the next level of growth and very excited to welcome AP and Milind to our advisory team. We had 3X growth already this year and plan to use the additional round of funding from 1crowd to accelerate our growth plans by investing more into Product Development, Sales and Marketing."

Prateek Goyal, Partner, 1Crowd said, "We are delighted to partner with Nuvepro in addressing the compelling needs of the upskilling / reskilling market in India and overseas. Over the last couple of years, Nuvepro has built a robust technology platform which gives its customers efficiency & flexibility while providing high quality Cloud Labs experience. We are excited by the vision of the team, their continuous endeavors to reach new heights in this space and look forward to the growth ahead." 

Apratim Purakayastha said, "The rapid worldwide adoption of cloud technologies requires millions of trained professionals to have the practical skills to manage cloud deployments. Hands-on training is a must for proficiency. Nuvepro's unique solution provides such training that can be embedded into any curriculum or assessment systems. I am very excited to be part of the talented Nuvepro team."

Milind Chalisgaonkar, said, "Nuvepro's Cloud Labs solve a key problem for learners - access to a readymade platform for practicing the IT skills taught in a course, using real-world context. The platform is flexible and scalable, making it ideal for training organizations, universities and corporate trainers. I'm confident that Nuvepro is going to be an important part of the technical learning ecosystem."

Janakiraman.S, Chairman, Nuvepro said, "The role of technology in Education is going to be critical in the future and we are excited to have Apratim and Milind to guide it to newer heights. It is equally exciting that 1Crowd continues to trust our leadership and solution that is making Nuvepro a key partner in bringing more hands-on learning to the current education system."

Nuvepro's co-founders Rajesh Vasudevan, Moyukh Goswami, and Umesh Bhatt expressed their excitement on the appointments and investments to take the organization and Cloud Labs to the next level.

About Nuvepro

Nuvepro is a leading Cloud Labs provider for hands on technical training for users from enterprise, educational institutions and online training platforms. With over 250+ hands on labs, Nuvepro is used by over 100K learners in a month. The rich labs cover Cloud (AWS, Azure, GCP), Big Data, AI / ML, Cybersecurity which are the underlying technologies for Digital Transformation 4.0. Visit us at www.nuvepro.com

About Apratim

Apratim Purakayastha (AP) is the Chief Technology Officer for the Skillsoft group of companies, including the Skillsoft and SumTotal brands. He leads product development and delivery across all products in the Skillsoft group of companies. He has extensive experience in rapidly growing technology companies. Prior to Skillsoft, he was the General Manager of SaaS at SevOne, responsible for its on-demand/ SaaS business segment. Prior to SevOne, AP was the Group President and General Manager of the SaaS division at ACI Worldwide, a payment software company. AP started his career at IBM where he developed IBM's first SaaS product offering as Director of Software. AP has a PhD in Computer Science from Duke University, an MS in Computer Science from Washington State University and a BS in Computer Science from Jadavpur University, India.

About Milind

Milind Chalisgaonkar is Engineer & MBA with 30+ years of experience. As President/CEO/Director he has managed the inception, rapid growth and turnaround of businesses in IT / BPO / Insurance / Manufacturing. His experience helps the Nuvepro team in improving processes and scaling up the business.

EdTech Start-up OckyPocky Raises Undisclosed Funding

India's first interactive English learning app for pre-school kids “OckyPocky” has recently received investment from Mr. Ankit Kumar through Lead Angels Network.

This innovative EdTech start-up is founded by ex-YouTube India head and it has carved its own niche already.

OckyPocky endeavors to change the way over 160 million preschool kids learn, starting at age 2. Language is a key skill that kids start learning, but many of them in Tier II and Tier III towns lack access especially to early-stage English language learning solutions. Existing internet content is often unsafe for them. OckyPocky as a platform aims to help prevent this by providing a safe and an interactive alternative! The focus on true personalization with mother tongue is their key strength. Hindi and Marathi users are loving it every day.

Commenting on the recent investment in OckyPocky, Mr. Ankit Kumar, Managing Partner, Alternative Global said, “We have recently finalised the investment process with OckyPocky. OckyPocky is an interesting app. It provides English language learning, powered by speech recognition technology. The app, developed and designed for India with a focus on vernacular languages, personalizes the learning experience for kids by using natural language processing and artificial intelligence.

Mr. Ankit Kumar, Managing Partner, AlternativeGlobal

We were keen on investing in this space as EdTech has a bright future and is the current market trend. It is anticipated to reach $1.96 billion by 2021; India has a current user base of around 9.6 million. Going by the trend and anticipating the sector's growth we felt the time is just apt for to invest in this niche.”

On receiving the recent funding Mr. Amit Agrawal, Founder, OckyPocky said “We are happy to have investors like Ankit Kumar on board and we are confident to grow rapidly as the market is very accepting and favorable at the moment. With the current tailwinds OckyPocky too is gaining momentum and will be using the current round for marketing activities and R&D to further better the product and offerings. We will continue to bring great experience for the skills that matter to Bharat and create a better foundation for our Tier 2, 3, 4 underserved market."

Researches indicate Preschool kids in the age of 2 to 6 constitute the 3rd largest gadget user demographic. Their minds are very fertile and OckyPocky is leveraging technology to facilitate the exponent growth during the critical foundation years.

The platform uses speech recognition tech, helping people learn English. It uses everyday spoken languages to teach kids. The app leverages the application of NLP and Artificial Intelligence (AI).

The firm has already penetrated well and claims to have got a decent traction on the platform which sums up to over 50 million words learnt. The firm will be using fresh capital in the direction of further enhancing the product through new technologies and boosting their operations.

About Ankit Kumar:

Ankit Kumar is a Technology Investor & the Managing Partner at Alternative Global, a management consulting firm with offices in India, UK, USA and Israel. He built Alternative Global to be the largest drone & EV consulting firm in India. Ankit is a seasoned consulting professional with deep expertise in international corporate strategy, joint ventures, Mergers & Acquisitions for various industry verticals.

He has been investing primarily in the EV and Drone space over the years. He is also a technology enthusiast with multiple entrepreneurial ventures. 

In past, he has helped over 50 MNC’s to grow in the domestic market as well as expand into emerging markets such as India & SE Asia. His skill sets include a combination of business advisory, strategy consulting, project implementation and M&A’s ensuring successful operations in emerging & developed economies.

About Lead Angels:

Lead Angels founded by a team originally from IIT Bombay provides end-to-end financial services to promising Indian startups through its angel investing network- for seed funding- Lead Angels Network, advisory services for Pre Series A & series A funding- Lead Advisory, compliance and strategy related services- LA Management & Professional Services-LAMPS and Entrepreneurship Education- Lead Angels Academy. 

 

Lead Angels Network is the only angel network in India that is supported by independent advisory & research, compliance & strategy teams  that enable better investment decisions. Lead Angels Academy outreach through its startup education programs attract promising new ideas to the group. The success of its investee companies such as Uno Finance, SmartCoin, Shopkirana, Godesi, SuprDaily, MarketPulse and Consumerex among others more than validate the advantages of this full stack approach to startup investing in India.

Edtech Board Infinity Organizes a Series of Virtual Hackathon During Covid-19

Students Participated in Core Topics - Basic & Advanced Tools like Python, Excel and Machine learning

Post COVID onslaught, in the new world order, the companies are increasingly gearing towards virtual hackathons rather than physical hackathons. The top IT companies and Start-ups are hiring through virtual hackathons where candidates are tested on the basis of their knowledge and skills in high power events. Catering to this change, Board Infinity, a career exploration platform recently organized a series of virtual hackathons called ‘Decode’. These hackathons were organised to enhance practical understanding of the basic and advanced tools like Microsoft Excel, Python, Tableau and Machine Learning. This helps them to build a strong portfolio and secure jobs. 

Decode saw more than 2000 registrations and participation of more than 800 learners who completed the hackathons successfully. These hackathons were conducted around topics like Exploratory Data Analysis using Python, Advanced Excel Features, Feature Engineering, Linear Regression etc.  Each hackathon was spread across a period of 2-days lasting almost 48 hours. The participants were given a brief on the problem statement by an industry professional. After two-days, students submitted their solution and the winners were announced. An individual online session was also held with the coach for a detailed discussion. 

Akshay Asodekar, a student studying with Board Infinity and a participant in the virtual hackathon says, “As a learner, it was an amazing experience to participate in Decode 6.1 Hackathon based on python programming. It was the first time I took part in a virtual hackathon which gave me a platform to test my skills. Looking forward to such amazing hackathons in future.”

Rahul Padwani from BITS Edu Campus says, “In the last two years, I had heard from a lot of friends about hackathons, but never experienced one for myself. Decode 7.0 (based on Excel) was the first hackathon that I participated in. It was very challenging at first and I learnt a lot of new ideas while trying to solve the problem statement. But I'm glad that I decided to take this opportunity to grow my skills.”

Abhay Gupta ,Co-Founders of Board Infinity

According to Abhay Gupta, Co-founder, Board Infinity, “Today, gaining practical exposure to problem solving is very critical. The hackathons help our learners acquire various important skills like working under pressure, collaborate with their peers, solve real life problems apart from practicing various tools. This also helps the learners evaluate various career paths.”

He further added that each learner is different and has a different way of grasping topics. Our live lectures are conducted by industry professionals, but sometimes, getting practical experience just brings everything together for the learner. We’ve seen that 70% of the students' learnings have come from practical experiences like hackathons, assignments, quizzes, projects, etc.”

These virtual hackathons also provide students with the appreciation and recognition that they deserve. In the process, they build up projects that they can use in their portfolios and present to possible future employers.

Edtech Venture GlobalShala Aims to Cultivate Awareness of United Nation’s SDGs across India and around the world through the launch of their “Superhero U” competition with prizes worth $90,000

Edtech venture GlobalShala has recently announced the launch of their one-of-a-kind “Superhero U” competition with an aim to accelerate United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals and pave the way for a new generation of responsible and sound leaders. Across countries, the winners for the same will be awarded prize money worth $90,000 which includes scholarships, internship opportunities, gift cards, and electronic gadgets. 

GlobalShala has introduced this unique competition where individuals are to invent a “Superhero” that essentially takes on universal challenges and strives to make the world a better place. In an industry first, the Superhero U competition aims to tackle the 5 P’s of Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) that is People, Prosperity, Planet, Partnerships, and Peace. Hence, the Superhero created should address all these goals collectively and promote prosperity while protecting the planet, the theme of the competition which is inspired by the UN’s mission. 

Talking about the competition, Anushika Jain, Founder & CEO, GlobalShala said “Taking inspiration from the United Nations, we are trying to nurture creativity to address surrounding critical sustainability challenges around the world. As per the SDG Index 2020, countries across Europe like Sweden, Denmark, Finland, France and Germany have set the benchmark for adept sustainability practices, India still falls back at rank 117. This needs to be improved upon immensely and therefore more events, programmes and contests need to be introduced across Asia Pacific countries to inculcate awareness about SDGs for the betterment of our society. We at GlobalShala have taken upon this challenge through an out-of-the-box approach with our “Superhero U” competition to add an element of intrigue and enthusiasm for individuals to take up the challenge. We are excited to see different local as well as global perspectives on sustainability and the challenges each of their Superhero takes on.” 

The competition has opened its doors wide for creativity and has allowed candidates to submit stories, illustrations, photo collages, and even movies that demonstrate how their Superhero use their superpowers to win the day. Moreover, GlobalShala has shattered the eligibility criteria and kept the competition open to many, split into 2 categories- Junior (up to 18 years) and Senior (18 years- 25 years). The Superhero U competition has also permitted any form of submission, whether it is individual or group-led. 

Inspired by the United Nations, GlobalShala focuses on empowering students and educators through experiential learning and education to open up hopes and dreams of lifelong learners around the world. Through the GlobalShala platform, individuals have the opportunity to participate in exciting competitions and events, have a chance to earn global scholarships, receive hands-on training through global internships as well as several certifications and recognitions. 

Link for Superhero U: https://superherou.globalshala.com

About GlobalShala:

Inspired by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (mainly Education, Gender Equality and Women Empowerment), GlobalShala embraces global collaborations and is venturing to make a good world better by extending services, scholarships, and a sundry of programs.

GlobalShala is providing learners across the globe a platform to express, experience, explore and engage through various learning opportunities and internships to obtain quality jobs and sustainable economic growth through purposeful possibilities that will open up hopes and dreams of lifelong learners around the world!

Ed-Tech Firm uFony Services Raises Funds from Chennai Angels for Its School Diary® Platform

uFony Services Pvt. Ltd., the Pune-based Ed-Tech company, has raised funding from The Chennai Angels & other independent investors for School Diary®, an interactive platform that brings education to smartphones. School Diary® is a user-friendly platform that caters to K12 schools, helping them engage students and conduct classes virtually without compromising on privacy.

It is an integrated virtual classroom with online teaching, virtual PTMs, instant academic and non-academic updates, and even an online store where parents can shop for school products. The platform also has an administrator interface to collect online payments, automate accounting, manage transport, track live busses, monitor driver/staff behavior, manage payroll, inventory & accounts, and much more.

Running profitably for the last 3 (three) years, uFony is a leading player in the K12 Education space. The company provides SAAS solutions to 1000+ educational institutes including colleges, schools, coaching, pre-schools, and daycares across 10+ countries. Post-COVID, uFony aims to bring about a change in traditional teaching methods and make them more compatible for the future.

“School Diary® is being leveraged by Schools across Asia, Africa, Europe, and South America. It is generating interest from a lot of School Districts in the USA,” said Ashish Chaturvedi, Founder of uFony Services Pvt. Ltd. “With smartphone penetration on the rise and digital learning to gain acceptance, we expect more and more schools in the USA and other countries to sign up for School Diary®. Our recent raise is to enhance our digital presence and enroll business partners to scale up quickly in the international market.”

The education industry is rapidly changing to adapt to an unstable situation. “The great thing about Ufony is its constant efforts to rediscover themselves and to provide greater value to their existing customers. By providing new features constantly, Ufony unfolds new ways of using its services at little or no extra cost and certainly with minimal efforts,” said R. Narayanan (Naru), the Investment Director. “Take for example its latest feature of video. With the mere addition of a tripod on which the cellphone can be perched, the teacher is able to instantly include an ailing child who is unable to attend class. Just at the press of two or three buttons on a phone, the sick child is transported right into the class where they can view their teachers and friends as well. Great application to a video conferencing function. Even greater addition to School Diary®’s functionality.” 

Chandran Krishnan, CEO of The Chennai Angels says, “The traditional education system that schools followed pre-COVID has led to a disruption in studies for students across the globe. Platforms like School Diary® have paved the way for education to be advanced, accessible, and most of all fun. Students seem to enjoy the idea of online classes, a trend that might become essential in the near future. We are excited to see the growth of School Diary®, which brings school to students’ smartphones.”

Established in November 2007, The Chennai Angels (TCA) is one of the leading angel networks in India. TCA is sector and geography agnostic, and has made 52 investments till date, with a 20% exit track record, in enterprise solutions, consumer products, education, healthcare, automotive, gaming and other sectors. TCA is a member-driven network with 100+ successful industry leaders, technocrats, and business professionals in its network. 

EdTech Firm Skill-Lync Launches World's 1st Skill-based Semester-Assist Program for Mechanical, Automotive & Aerospace Engineers

Ed-tech and online major, Skill-Lync (a Y-Combinator backed company) - with a mission to revolutionize Engineering Education around the world - today announced the launch of Skill-Lync Professional Semester-Assist Program (PROSAP) for Mechanical, Automotive and Aerospace Engineers.

15 Lakh Engineers graduate in India every year. In this broken education system, most engineering graduates grapple for the few job opportunities available in the core OEM and allied industries.

There exists a huge skill gap between what the industry expects from students and what the curriculum prepares them for, reducing the employability quotient of Indian Engineers at the end of their 4-year degree. Students who enroll in this Professional Semester-Assisted Program will up-skill and build a technical profile in parallel to their under-graduate education.

PROSAP, allows engineering students to choose an area of interest in which they want to pursue their career allowing them to work on one project-based technical course every semester from the first Semester to the eighth Semester. Engineering education today, is one size fits all, but every engineering student has a different dream, an unique goal that drives them, some might want to become a motorsport engineer working with F1 teams, while others would want to become an aerospace engineer working on spacecraft aerodynamics, rocket propulsion, while others still would want to chase a dream in electric vehicle design & simulation.

With PROSAP, a student will build their technical portfolio in their area of interest right from day 1 of college and work on 25x more projects than a typical undergraduate student. Unlike the current university curriculum, PROSAP focuses on building students' skills in their areas of interest. That is why PROSAP offers electives to help prepare the students for a wide range of technical careers. PROSAP helps students take a data-driven approach to understand areas where they are performing well against areas where they do not excel in, allowing students to make an informed choice about their future career.

The Indian Government's self-reliance and Vocal for Local policy will give the right impetus to the manufacturing and the auto sector, especially the nascent EV market in the coming years. With countries around the world distancing themselves from China in the aftermath of COVID19, there are trade opportunities opening with other countries and development of large swathes of tier two/three cities as new manufacturing hubs.

India's growth in the coming years is inextricably tied with the students of today. And we need not just teach them but skill them with industry knowledge to lead the charge.

"Skill-Lync aims at reimagining Engineering Education in India. With PROSAP, we democratize a world-class, skill-based, technical education for every engineering student especially from Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities who aim for a great career," said Surya P, Co-founder and CEO of Skill-Lync.

Skill-Lync updates curriculums at 12X speed when compared to many popular US universities. This helps their students stay in the know of the latest technological developments in their domain. PROSAP's curriculum is not only crafted in consultation with industry experts, students get to interact with experts and mentors, in live and online sessions through the four years, who will help shape their careers.

PROSAP Streams include

• Autonomous Vehicles - R&D


• Advanced Automotive Engineering - Electric Vehicle & Hybrid Electric Vehicle


• Advanced Automotive Design & Engineering


• Manufacturing design & engineering


• Computational Mechanics for Mechanical Engineers


• Automotive R&D - Fundamental Research

Students in the PROSAP stream will be encouraged to try out multiple domains and streams right from the first year so that they know where they shine.

PROSAP is now open for First and Second Year Mechanical, Automotive and Aerospace Engineering Students.

About Skill-Lync

Skill-Lync is an e-learning platform that aims to revolutionize engineering education by bridging the skill gap between students and the Industry. We offer industry-relevant, projects-based advanced engineering courses for Mechanical, Automotive, Aerospace, Electrical & Electronics, Instrumentation, Civil and Structural Engineers.

Skill-Lync is the brainchild of two Mechanical Engineers from the University of Wisconsin-Madison who wanted to make a positive impact on Education in India. What started as a fledgling youtube channel in 2015, is today a thriving start-up with over 200 employees, offices in 3 cities (Chennai, Bangalore and Hyderabad) and over 5000 students spanning 23 countries. Skill-Lync is the first startup from Chennai, India to be backed by Y-Combinator (W19 Batch).

For more information, please visit: www.skill-lync.com

EdTech Firm GlobalGyan Signs MOU with NASSCOM becomes NASSCOM FutureSkills Platform Partner

GlobalGyan Academy of Management Education, one of India's fastest growing corporate EdTech companies, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with NASSCOM FutureSkills, the flagship reskilling initiative by NASSCOM, the trade association of Indian IT-BPM industry to become a Platform Partner for the NASSCOM FutureSkills platform. Under the MoU, GlobalGyan will partner with NASSCOM FutureSkills on a journey to reskill and upskill 2 million current employees and also train another 2 million coming into the workforce from universities.

The research report on Talent Shortage 2020 shows that 63% of Indian companies report major talent shortage and IT remains one of the hardest roles to fill. Various reports also point to significant gaps in job-readiness amongst students graduating from Indian colleges. NASSCOM FutureSkills is a first-of-its-kind industry initiative to get India accelerated on the journey to building skills and becoming the global hub for talent in the emerging technologies, with an intention to create a skilling/up-skilling/re-skilling ecosystem to facilitate continuous learning as well as knowledge enhancement of all applicants in line with their aspirations and aptitude in a self-paced digital skill environment.

The partnership will enable GlobalGyan to empower thousands of IT industry professionals and students, with access to courses on professional skill development, creating dynamic learning experiences. GlobalGyan will support NASSCOM FutureSkills with a focus on content, evangelism and industry connects, to enable the skilling, re-skilling and up-skilling imperative for the IT-BPM industry in India. GlobalGyan courses are designed across key skill domains for future IT leaders which include Problem Solving, Design Thinking, Program Management, etc.

Expressing his delight on the partnership, Amit Aggarwal, CEO, IT-ITES SSC NASSCOM & Co-architect of NASSCOM FutureSkills initiative said, "Globally there is a greater need for the Arts (A) to get embedded in STEM. It is imperative for modern workforce to be better at skills like problem solving, critical thinking, collaboration and communication for seamless integration of technical know-how with real-world applications. These skills have become a critical requirement to succeed in the IT-ITES industry these days, and should be studied and learnt along with traditional STEM subjects. We are happy to welcome GlobalGyan as a NASSCOM FutureSkills Platform Partner and we are confident that their industry-oriented, practical approach to professional development will aid with the STEM to STEAM transition."

Srinivasa Addepalli, CEO and Co-founder, GlobalGyan said, "The real jobs crisis is that there is a mismatch between the skills that the industry desires and those possessed by professionals and students. GlobalGyan has been founded on the belief that industry has to play a significant role in educating and skilling individuals. NASSCOM FutureSkills is a great platform to not only prepare India for future jobs but also create an environment of creativity and innovation. We are excited to partner with this prestigious industry body and look forward to creating wonderful learning experiences on the platform."

About GlobalGyan

GlobalGyan Academy of Management Education is an Edtech startup building a digital platform to help professionals progress their careers with learning and mentoring from industry leaders. Through its mobile and web apps, interactive content and personal coaching, GlobalGyan's network of experienced leaders provide practical knowledge that professionals can use immediately. Over 10,000 managers from India's largest corporates have built their business acumen and leadership capabilities at GlobalGyan since 2015. The company's angel investors include Ratan Tata, Dr. Jagdish Sheth and several other business leaders in India & overseas.

Find more information about GlobalGyan and how it is helping professionals prepare for the future of work at: www.globalgyan.in.

~ Newsvoir

India's EdTech Industry is the 2nd Biggest in the World

RS Components has released a new report that analyses Crunchbase data, alongside a survey targeting teachers, to reveal the state of educational technology (EdTech). The report reveals the countries that are investing in EdTech the most and the EdTech companies that are leading the way.

The US has the highest number of EdTech enterprises, with 43% (1,385) of all EdTech company headquarters being based in the US.

• India is home to the second-highest number of EdTech companies (327), followed by Brazil (275), the United Kingdom (245) and China (101).


• Sweden’s EdTech companies see the highest success rate in securing venture capital, with 57% of companies backed by VC funding.


• Indian EdTech startup company BYJU’S is leading the way with the highest amount of venture capital raised.


• EdTech acquisitions are on the rise with almost 200 acquisitions in the EdTech space since 2003.

RS Components has analysed Crunchbase data on EdTech companies to reveal who is investing in EdTech the most. The report looks at the countries that are home to the most EdTech companies, as well as those that have raised the highest capital, are receiving the most funding and have made the most acquisitions. The full ‘State of EdTech’ report can be found here.

Which countries are leading the way in EdTech enterprises?

With a predicted market value set to reach $252 billion in 2020, EdTech startups are on the rise all over the world. At the heart of this surge is the US, with an overwhelming majority of 43% of the world’s EdTech enterprises having their headquarters located in the United States. The country’s population size, large economy, and tech and innovation hubs, such as Silicon Valley, are likely to contribute to its success.

India has the second-highest number of EdTech startups, with 10% being located in the country. Brazil (9%), the UK (8%), and China (3%) all make it into the top 5 countries leading the way in EdTech.

The countries home to the highest number of EdTech company headquarters:

Which countries are top for venture capital (VC) funding in EdTech?

When it comes to the success rates of the world’s EdTech companies in securing funding, it’s countries like Sweden, China and Italy that come to the fore, with over half of their EdTech startups successfully securing funding.

Sweden leads the way, with 57% of its EdTech startups being successfully funded, and with organisations like Swedish EdTech Industry claiming that: “Sweden will become the leading country in the world in exploiting the opportunities and effects of digitalisation in the education system” it’s clear that there is significant confidence in the industry.

Sweden is also home to key initiatives in the EdTech field, such as EdTech Sweden - an annual event, hosted in Stockholm, that is a combination of a conference, exhibition and a networking event where experts in the field share and discuss best practices and new digital solutions that promote learning.

The countries where the highest proportion of EdTech companies are securing funding:

Where are EdTech companies receiving the most funding?

Just under one third (31%) of EdTech companies have successfully attracted VC funding, with 1,019 enterprises in the industry attracting a total of $14 billion. When it comes to the average amount of funding each EdTech company attracts, China is where companies come out on top, with an average of $43.9 million being invested into individual EdTech companies.

Luxembourg is a close second, with EdTech companies here attracting an average investment of $35.4 million each. Compare this with the US, home to the most EdTech companies where each attracts an average of $16.6 million, and it’s clear that countries like China and Luxembourg are putting a much higher value on EdTech.

Which EdTech companies are leading the way?

India is home to the EdTech startup, BYJU’s, which has raised the highest amount of capital, at $969 million. Following shortly behind are China’s Yuanfudao at $544m and Zhangmen at $499m.

Seven of the highest funded companies are based in the US, with the likes of Coursera, Laureate Education and 2U Inc. attracting a total of $313.1 million, $400 million and $426.8 million, respectively.

Have EdTech acquisitions increased?

According to Crunchbase, there have been almost 200 acquisitions in the EdTech space since 2003. While few were made between 2003 and 2009, acquisitions have been on a steady rise since the early 2010s, with 37 acquisitions in 2018, 36 in 2017 and 33 in 2016.

The most notable acquisition in the space was LinkedIn’s $1.5 billion purchase of Lynda in 2015. The company, now known as LinkedIn Learning, is a provider of online video courses taught by industry experts in software, creative, and business skills.



A spokesperson from RS Components comments:

EdTech is clearly seeing a huge boom at the moment, with acquisitions on the rise and its market value set to hit $252 billion this year, so it’s great to see tech entrepreneurs all over the world bringing their talents to the industry.

With more than 40% of EdTech companies setting up their headquarters in the US, it looks like the country is becoming a hub for EdTech startups. However, with companies in China and Luxembourg receiving the highest proportion of funding and the likes of Sweden, Italy and Austria being home to the most companies that are successfully securing funding, it’s clear that there are opportunities for EdTech startups all over the world.

One can view the full report here

Methodology:

Survey research was conducted by Censuswide on behalf of RS Components. 250 primary and secondary school teachers in the UK were surveyed between 11.11.2019 - 18.11.2019. Censuswide abides by and employs members of the Market Research Society. All survey panellists are double opted in (with an opt-in and validation process) in line with MRS and ESOMAR standards. Global industry EdTech data was gathered from Crunchbase in November 2019. Over 3,250 companies listed under the category ‘EdTech’ were analysed.

1. https://www.gov.uk/government/news/edtech-strategy-marks-new-era-for-schools


2. https://www.nesta.org.uk/blog/connecting-schools-technology


3. https://edtechnology.co.uk/Article/4-6-million-programme-to-test-edtech-in-classrooms


4. https://www.financedigest.com/global-report-predicts-edtech-spend-to-reach-252bn-by-2020.htm

About RS Components:

RS Components is a trading brand of Electrocomponents plc, a global multi-channel provider of industrial and electronic products and solutions. We offer more than 500,000 industrial and electronics products, sourced from over 2,500 leading suppliers, and provide a wide range of value-added services to over one million customers. With operations in 32 countries, we ship more than 50,000 parcels a day.

96 Indian Universities Make It to QS World University Rankings

Indian Higher Education sector is the third largest in the world, next only to the US and China. The last decade witnessed explosive growth of the education industry with the establishment of new state-of-the-art universities featuring unprecedented multidisciplinary curricula. In the last four years about 150 new universities have been established. Some of the popular private ones are Shiv Nadar University, Lovely Professional University, Ashoka University. 

These universities are set up to help the government reach the target of 30% Gross Enrollment Ratio by 2020, through the curation of a globally acceptable syllabus, incorporation of latest technologies, recruitment of meritorious faculty and provision industry-oriented programs. The strategy has brought about an acknowledgement of the merits of Indian universities by the world. As a result, 96 Indian universities have made it to the QS World University Rankings list. 

In Asia, the National University of Singapore has been awarded with the best university for second consecutive year. Nanyang Technological University in Singapore and University of Hong Kong were ranked 2nd and 3rd respectively.

The QS World University Rankings or Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) rankings is an esteemed publication which ranks universities across the world on various parameters. It is the only international ranking publication to have received IREG approval. The parameters used to rank a university are percentage of international students, academic reputation, faculty-student ratio, papers per faculty, citations per-paper, number of international faculty and employer reputation.

A total of 31 universities have made it to the top 250. The Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IITB) has occupied 34th place, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi (IITD) is in 43rd position and Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IITM) is ranked 50th.

Here's a table showing Indian universities in the top 100 according to QS World University Rankings 2020 -

Institution	Rank
Indian Institute of Technology Bombay	34
Indian Institute of Technology Delhi	43
Indian Institute of Technology Madras	50
Indian Institute of Science Bangalore	51
Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur	56
Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur	65
University of Delhi	67
Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee	90
IIT Guwahati	112
University of Hyderabad	114
Jadavpur University	136
University of Calcutta	139
Institute of Chemical Technology, Mumbai	152
Anna University	169
Birla Institute of Technology and Science	175
Banaras Hindu University	177
University of Mumbai	177
IIT Indore	188
Savitribhai Phule Pune University	191
Jamia Milia Islamia, New Delhi	192

Top Asian Ranking was dominated by Chinese and Hong Kong Universities

Rank	University	Country
1	National University of Singapore (NUS)	Singapore
2	Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU)	Singapore
3	The University of Hong Kong	Hong Kong SAR
4	Tsinghua University	China
5	Peking University	China
6	Zhejiang University	China
7	Fudan University	China
8	The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology	Hong Kong SAR
9	KAIST - Korea Advanced Institute of Science & Technology	South Korea
10	The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK)	Hong Kong SAR

Top 10 ranking worldwide was dominated by US and UK universities with 5 and 4 institutes respectively. 

Rank	University	Country
1	Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)	United States
2	Stanford University	United States
3	Harvard University	United States
4	University of Oxford	United Kingdom
5	California Institute of Technology (Caltech)	United States
6	ETH Zurich - Swiss Federal Institute of Technology	Switzerland
7	University of Cambridge	United Kingdom
8	UCL	United Kingdom
9	Imperial College London	United Kingdom
10	University of Chicago	United States

On the other hand, 18 universities from the list descended from their previous positions. University of Delhi was ranked lower than last year. 12 other universities have improved in ranking while 1 university has maintained it.

China with its 118 universities, has most number of universities ranked in this year’s ranking. China also has 4 universities in top 10 while India has none in top 30.

Here's how Indian universities fared on a few of the parameters-

Academic Reputation- This constitutes 40% of the total score and 94,000 persons from higher education sector are questioned on their views about their experience of teaching and research facilities at a certain institute. Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IITB), ranks 1st on the list.

Many Indian universities scored perfect 100 for number of staff members with PhD. 

Employer Reputation- This parameter constitutes 10% of the total score and 45,000 employers are surveyed in order to identify the most industry-oriented institute and IIT B was ranked 21st in Asia. IIT Delhi, IIT Madras, University of Delhi and IIT Kharagpur where also ranked in top 50.

Citations Per Faculty- This indicator constitutes 20% of the score. It is measured by a calculation of numbers of citations per paper produced by total number of professors at an institution over a period of five years. The Indian Institute of Science scored highest on this parameter.

In the International Students Indicator, Amity University has grabbed the first place with 18.7% international enrollment. Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham topped in International Faculty Indicator with 46% international faculty, followed by OP Jindal Global University. The university is well known for the OP Jindal MBA program which is an integrated program of 2 and 5 years. It is run in collaboration with universities abroad such as the Queen Mary University, Singapore Management University, Bond University and others.

It is estimated that India shall overtake China's population within a decade's time. According to QS Ranking report, India is going to become one of the youngest nations in the world by 2030, with more than 130 million people of college-age group. Keeping this in mind, the government has taken steps to invest in Higher Education by allocating 2.55 billion USD for skill development through the Skill India Mission. Several other initiatives such as the introduction of Higher Education Financing Agency (HEFA), employment oriented online programs, skill development sessions and recruitment of international faculty have been undertaken by the government.

This ranking will definitely help Indian universities compete with universities abroad. To further improve their standing, the Indian institutions will have to elevate their infrastructure and academic reputation to qualify the parameters set by the ranking agency.

Jaipur Based Edtech Company Tinkerly Inks MoU with CIE, Delhi University

Jaipur based edtech company Tinkerly (Elation Edtech Pvt. Ltd.) has inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Central Institute of Education (CIE) now known as the Department of Education of the University of Delhi, to nurture and promote creative & innovative mind-sets in schools.

The MoU was signed by CIE Delhi Dean and Head of the Department, Dr. Namita Ranganathan and Managing Director, Tinkerly, Mr. Vivek Pathak in presence of Associate Professor, Dr. Alka Behari and other representatives from Tinkerly.

[caption id="attachment_134959" align="aligncenter" width="656"] Signing of MoU between Tinkerly and CIE, University of Delhi[/caption]

The agreement, in the form of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), formalises the mutual interaction and strengthens the relationship between Tinkerly and CIE at the strategic and working level, focusing on the development of students, the interaction between students and teachers and the manner in which innovation lab are setup in schools by Tinkerly to establish and promote the ecosystem of innovation at various levels - schools, education research institutes etc.

According to the MoU, Tinkerly will support CIE with innovative teaching aides, equipment and tech platform to establish an Innovation Lab on campus and CIE will provide its academic expertise and resources to measure the impact and scope of the same in the schools at various levels.

Dr. Ranganathan said, “We are very happy at the Department of Education that we have been able to get into an alliance with Tinkerly. Both our organisations seem to be working towards a common goal… making science learning and teaching more effective and process based.

The pedagogic stance of STEM (An acronym for Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) when combined with the constructivist approach of Science teaching would it is expected create more enriched learning experiences for students in science classrooms.”

She further added, “We are thankful to team Tinkerly for engaging with our students & teachers and our community of Science Pedagogues. We hope this alliance will be mutually beneficial to both parties. Our Science Teachers were very happy with the training inputs given by the team. We will fulfill the mandate given to us to the best of our ability.”

Tinkerly is an education technology company that has benefitted 75,000+ students across 180+ schools in India via its various STEM solutions such as Innovation Lab, Tinkering Lab, STEM education Kits etc. The Innovation Lab (TIL) program blends with school's existing lesson plan and allows teachers to practically demonstrate typical concepts of science in the classroom.

The program uses a well-researched 5D (See, Touch, Feel, Perform and Understand) pedagogy, that complements experiential learning. 21st century kids need learning suitable for the 21st century challenges and TIL is the future of how GenZ is going to be taught and to learn, in an environment that fosters creativity and boosts their intelligence

Vivek Pathak, Managing Director, Tinkerly said, “The Department of Education, University of Delhi, earlier known as CIE, is perhaps the first major and the best institution of professional learning and research in Education that was established since independence.

Maulana Azad visualized the function of it not merely to turn out teachers who will be ‘model teachers’, but to evolve into a research centre for solving new educational problems of the country."

He added, “The Department has shaped its unique philosophy, which also finds reflection in all its programmes. I am glad that we have joined hands to support our mission to enable and inspire innovators of tomorrow by connecting STEM dots in global K12 education. This association will bring significant developments in STEM pedagogy, technology in education and curriculum of education colleges for 21st Century.”

While Govt. of India is all set to bring out a New education policy into action, such alliance will open gates for more industry academia partnerships in education research meeting the changing dynamics of the 21st century requirements with regards to quality education, innovation and research, aiming to make India a knowledge superpower by equipping its students with the necessary skills and knowledge and to eliminate the shortage of manpower in science, technology, academics and industry.

Andre Agassi-backed EdTech Firm Debut in Flagship Apple Store in Mumbai

[blockquote footer="Andre Agassi"]You spend a few years learning to read and spend the rest of your life reading to learn”, according to major Square Panda supporter, and founder of 'Andre Agassi Foundation For Education[/blockquote]

Ashish Jhalani, Global CTO and MD (India), has this to say about Square Panda: “Square Panda's vision is to spread literacy in languages such as English to the masses. We combine years of neuroscience research, proven leading curriculum, engaging gamification, adaptive learning and multi-sensory play, all into one integrated experience for the young learners.”'

Square Panda spent more than a year on studying and researching the Indian early childhood education market preparing for an entry into the education space. We conducted user studies and pilot programs, before finally unveiling our multisensory game-based learning platform at the Apple Flagship Store. Entering a new phase of our exciting journey, this launch marks a huge step towards the evolution for our brand, that has personified fun and learning for early learners. The official launch date is 2nd August 2019, Friday 5 p.m. onwards, in the iStore at High Street Phoenix, Lower Parel, Mumbai.

📣 We've got HUGE news! Square Panda is now being sold at https://t.co/wpAO5byAvJ and #Apple stores! Have you seen our award-winning learning system in action? Head on out to your local store and spread the word! PS did you know all of our games are FREE to download? #AppleStore pic.twitter.com/I6Tp2sWpTu

— Square Panda (@squarepanda) July 18, 2019

For the parents and teachers who love to explore all-in-one unique learning games for their kids; Square Panda is your one-stop learning destination. Our neuroscience research-based phonics learning system comes equipped with award-winning educational games that are STEM.org approved.

Engaging a child's multiple senses for an optimal learning experience, our games adapt to every child's unique learning needs. Smart Letters add a kinesthetic element to the learning-through-play process. Our games develop phonological awareness, rhyming skills, vocabulary and pre-writing skills, and much more in a completely safe and ad-free environment.

We are teaching 70,000+ kids across 2000+ schools globally; this number also includes some major school districts in the USA. We are backed by major education and retail partners in China.

The compaany believes the product will bring a revolution in the Indian early childhood education.