Edtech Startup ixamBee Raises INR 11 Cr in Pre-Series A Led by S Chand & Co., IP Ventures, and Others

ixamBee, a leading online learning platform focusing on job preparation for small-town students, has successfully secured equity funding of INR 11 Crore in its latest funding round. The investment comes from renowned investors, including S Chand & Company, IPV (Inflection Point Venture), Mukesh Sharma Family Trust, Keiretsu Forum, SAN Angles, Mumbai Angels, and Keyur Joshi (Co-founder of MakeMyTrip). The funding round also involved a secondary transaction of INR 3 Crore. ixamBee, founded by Chandraprakash Joshi, Arunima Sinha, and Sandeep Singh, is dedicated to assisting small-town students in their preparation for job-related exams, with a primary focus on government jobs.

ixamBee Founding Team 

With approximately 80 million graduates in India preparing for various jobs in both the public and private sectors, ixamBee addresses the challenge faced by students from Tier II and III cities, small towns, and villages who have limited access to quality education. The platform operates on a freemium business model, offering free mock tests for over 100 exams. Currently, ixamBee has reached over 12 million students, with 1.9 million students registered on the platform.

Chandraprakash, Co-founder & CEO of ixamBee, expressed excitement about the new investors, stating, "We are thrilled to have S Chand & Company and Inflection Point Venture join ixamBee as investors. With S Chand being a leading publishing house for competitive exams, we see significant business synergies. In addition, IPV's existing corporate network will be instrumental in facilitating student placements in private sector jobs. This collaboration will exponentially increase the reach of ixamBee Learning Experience (iLX).The funds raised will be utilized to drive growth by launching additional learning programs, investing in content development, marketing initiatives, and technology enhancements.”

S Chand & Company, while announcing the funding, highlighted the synergies between the companies. "We are delighted to be part of ixamBee's journey, which is focused on empowering students for employment opportunities in both the government and private sectors, bridging the gap between higher education and employability. The emphasis on providing quality and affordable learning to students in semi‐urban and rural areas aligns perfectly with S Chand's vision of delivering quality and affordable education opportunities. We identify several synergies with ixamBee in terms of content development, marketing, and meeting the aspirations of the country's future workforce," said Mr. Himanshu Gupta, Managing Director, S Chand Group.

Vinay Bansal, Founder & CEO of Inflection Point Venture, acknowledged the immense potential of ixamBee in the growing ed-tech market. He stated, "The ed-tech market for higher education continues to expand rapidly and is one of the fastest-growing segments within the sector. ixamBee is addressing an ever-growing market opportunity as thousands of aspirants appear for competitive exams each year. The platform is assisting millions of students in accessing exam papers and study materials to prepare for their careers. We resonate with the purpose of their business and have chosen to invest in the company."

The newly secured funds will be utilized to drive growth by launching additional learning programs and investing in content development, marketing, and technology. ixamBee aims to enhance its comprehensive range of study materials, practice tests, interactive learning tools, and personalization features under the iLX umbrella. By leveraging AI and data analytics, the platform provides students with a personalized learning experience tailored to their specific needs and learning styles while tracking their progress and providing real-time feedback.

What sets ixamBee apart is its deep understanding of the challenges faced by students in their job preparations, both in the government and private sectors. The platform streamlines the learning process to save students time by eliminating information overload, while also offering personalized mentorship for enhancing their interview skills and communication management—a critical aspect often overlooked by students during exam preparation.

The success of ixamBee can be attributed to its commitment to addressing students' needs holistically, resulting in a trusted and beloved platform. Numerous testimonials from students serve as a testament to ixamBee's impact on their career journeys, ranging from cracking exams to making informed career decisions. As a result, ixamBee has garnered a strong reputation and positive word-of-mouth within the student community.

Prior to this funding round, ixamBee had secured investments from Mumbai Angels Network, JITO Angel Network, Keyur Joshi, and notable alumni of the ISB, Hyderabad. Dr. Vishal Gandhi, Founder & CEO of BVA (BIORx Venture Advisors Private Limited), acted as the financial advisor in both the primary and secondary funding rounds facilitated by S Chand and Mukesh Sharma Trust.

About S Chand

S Chand is a leading Indian education content company, that delivers content, solutions and services across the education lifecycle through its presence in three business segments – Early Learning, K-12 and Higher Education. Company has a strong foothold in the CBSE/ICSE affiliated schools, with increasing presence in the state board affiliated schools across India.

About Inflection Point Ventures (IPV)

Founded in 2018, Inflection Point Ventures (IPV) is a 7000+ strong members angel investing firm which supports new-age entrepreneurs, providing them monetary & experiential capital by connecting them with a diverse group of investors.

About SAN Angels

SAN Angels is startup investing platform connecting angel investors across the globe by building an affordable process for investors and startups.

Competitive Test Prep Company ixamBee Raises INR 5.0 Cr in Pre-series A Led by Inflection Point Ventures

iXambee's Founders - Chandraprakash Joshi, Arunima Sinha , Sandeep Singh

• ixamBee is an online learning company that provides quality education to millions of students preparing for competitive exams, currently focusing on government job preparation.
• ixamBee provides online learning courses for exams such as the regulatory body exams, banking and insurance exams, the SSC exam, and others.
• The funds raised will be utilised in marketing, content development, and technology.
• Inflection Point Ventures (IPV) has so far invested over INR 550 Cr across 170+ deals.

ixamBee, an online learning platform that makes exam preparation 50% faster, has raised Rs.5 crore in a Pre-Series A from Inflection Point Ventures (IPV). SAN Angels, other angel investors and existing investors including Mumbai Angels, and Keyur Joshi (co-founder of MakeMyTrip) also participated in the funding round. The funds raised will be utilized in marketing, content development, and technology.

ixamBee is a rapidly growing ed-tech startup aiming to revolutionize the way students prepare for competitive exams. Chandraprakash Joshi, Arunima Sinha, and Sandeep Singh founded ixamBee in 2017. The three founders bring complementary and unique skill sets. Chandraprakash has team building and business development experience; Sandeep is a tech whiz and start-up entrepreneur; and Arunima has teaching and content creation as her domain areas.

Vinay Bansal, Founder & CEO, Inflection Point Venture says, "The ed-tech market for higher education continues to grow and is one of the fastest-growing segments within ed-tech. ixamBee is addressing an ever-growing market opportunity as lakhs of aspirants appear for competitive exams every year. The preparation for such exams is nothing short of an unrelenting focus. ixamBee is helping millions of students have access to exam papers and notes to prepare for their careers. We are aligned with the purpose of their business and chose to invest in the company."

The company's flagship product is an online platform that enables students to prepare 50% faster for recruitment exams at RBI, SEBI, NABARD, public sector banks, insurance companies, SSC, and other PSUs, among others. ixamBee Learning Experience (iLX) is a combination of a comprehensive range of study materials, practice tests, and interactive learning tools. The platform is intended to provide students with a personalized learning experience that is tailored to their specific needs and learning style by tracking their progress and providing real-time feedback using advanced algorithms and data analytics. The company is the only platform to provide 100+ mock exams for free to its users.

Chandraprakash Joshi, Co-Founder, ixamBee, says, "IPV’s due diligence is driven by a deep understanding of the sector. During the process of doing the unit cost analysis, we learned new insights about our business. We have also piloted a new business opportunity by leveraging the data of about 2 million registered students at ixamBee. The current environment is very favorable for the business growth of ixamBee. This funding is going to enable us to grow our reach fivefold and help small students get their dream jobs."

One of the most important aspects of the ixamBee platform is its extensive library of high-quality video lectures delivered by experienced teachers and industry experts. These lectures cover all the major topics and concepts tested in competitive exams, making it easier for students to understand complex concepts and prepare effectively.

In addition to its online platform, ixamBee offers classroom coaching and test series programs for students who prefer a more traditional learning approach. These programs are conducted by experienced faculty members and are available in select cities across India.

Since its inception, ixamBee has been on a growth trajectory, thanks to its innovative approach to education and its commitment to providing students with the best possible learning experience. With the Indian ed-tech industry expected to grow at a CAGR of 39% over the next five years, ixamBee is well-positioned to capitalize on the growing demand for high-quality online learning solutions. As the company continues to expand its product offerings and reach more students across the country, it is poised to become a major player in the Indian edtech space.

About ixamBee-

ixamBee is building the largest job platform for students in Tiers 2 and 3, for whom a government job is the first preference. ixamBee Learning Experience (iLX) provides 50% faster preparation for success in competitive exams.

In the current times of information overload is a major problem. ixamBee provides crisp and only exam relevant study content to our users. ixamBee’s educational experts create learning content after in-depth and thorough research and provide personalised guidance that helps users ace competitive exams seamlessly. ixamBee is a team consisting of professionals who have previously worked in the IT, banking, and finance sectors (RBI, MakeMyTrip, SIDBI, ICICI Bank, CARE Rating, HDFC Bank) and have graduated from top institutes such as IIM Ahmedabad, ISB Hyderabad, IIT Roorkee, Delhi University, and others.

The three founders, Chandraprakash, Arunima, and Sandeep, bring diverse skills. Chandraprakash has experience in team building and business development; Sandeep is a tech wiz and start-up entrepreneur; and Arunima has experience in teaching and content creation. Three founders have been building the ixamBee Learning Experience for the last six years.

Inflection Point Ventures (IPV) is an angel investing platform with over 7,400 CXOs, HNIs, and professionals who together invest in startups. The firm supports new-age entrepreneurs by providing them with monetary and experiential capital and connecting them with a diverse group of investors. IPV has announced the launch of a $50 million CAT 2 AIF Physis Capital to invest in pre-Series A to Series B growth-stage start-ups.

EdTech Startup, ixamBee Appoints Dr. Namrata Sharma As AVP

Dr. Namrata Sharma

Dr. Namrata comes with a decade of extensive experience in microfinance and corporate banking in banks like Yes Bank, RBL Bank, etc.

29/07/2021, New Delhi: - ixamBee, a leading online learning platform, providing best-in-class technology-based learning solutions for competitive exams, onboarded Dr. Namrata Sharma as AVP. Dr. Namrata is a seasoned banker and has extensively worked in rural banking, microfinance and corporate banking. In her previous stints, she has been associated with Yes Bank and RBL Bank. In her current position at ixamBee, she is responsible for Business Development through Institutional Partnerships.

With Dr. Sharma’s addition, ixamBee aims to strengthen its leadership team and provide career guidance to 5 million students preparing for various government/bank and other competitive exams.

Commenting upon the joining of Dr. Namrata, Chandraprakash Joshi, Co-Founder, ixamBee said, “Dr.Namrata possesses a decade of experience and best practices. With Dr. Namrata’s joining ixamBee, our focus would be more upon partnering with institutions and taking our content and expertise to Tier 2, 3, 4 cities and rural areas from where majority of applications are being received for Govt. Jobs, thus enriching the aspiration of the 2nd and 3rd tier students community who have got limited access to resources and quality education”

While accepting the position Dr. Namrata said, “I am a firm believer of the fact that there is only one life and so one must explore and try new things as much as possible. From being a veterinarian to doing an MBA and serving various departments in the Banking sector, I am continuously exploring life from various angles.” She further added, “With ixamBee's quest to reach students of remote and impoverished regions, I feel honored to be a part of such an incredible platform.”

Dr. Namrata Sharma holds a Bachelor’s Degree from College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Pantnagar and PGDM in Agribusiness Management from VAMNICOM, Pune. After a decade of experience in the banking industry, Dr. Namrata has stepped into the field of Edtech to follow her passion of working with the unreached.

About ixamBee

Incorporated in December 2016, ixamBee uses technology to create content and provides an online learning platform to assist the aspirants preparing for competitive exams. ixamBee leverages on the strong pedigree and experience of its founding team to help students prepare for the entrance exams by providing them with access to unlimited mock tests and career courses.

Website: ixamBee

Facebook: ixamBee - FB

Youtube: ixamBee - Youtube