With the launch of Byju’s Future School, an online live one-on-one learning platform, Byju’s is expanding into international markets. Starting in May, the service will be available in the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, Brazil, Indonesia, and Mexico. The company said in a statement on Thursday that it will eventually be introduced in more markets.
During its first year, Byju’s Future School will teach coding and math. In the coming years, it intends to expand the subject portfolio to include science, music, English, and fine arts. The subject categories are still in the early stages of development.
Byju Raveendran, founder and CEO of Byju’s, said, “Our global expansion comes at a critical time as families are actively looking for supplemental learning that encourages their children to be creative and learn by doing.”
The global expansion of Byju’s Future School will be led by Karan Bajaj, the founder, and CEO of subsidiary WhiteHat Jr. The Bengaluru-based startup has been considering expanding internationally for some time. Last year’s $300 million purchase of WhiteHat Jr was a step in that direction.
Last year, the ed-tech sector, led by Byju’s, received the majority of start-up funding as the pandemic resulted in a surge in subscriptions for online educational services. Over $1 billion was invested in the company by a group of investors, including new backers Silver Lake and Alkeon Capital. It raised nearly $460 million in new capital last week as it builds on its reserves to fund expansion and a flurry of acquisitions.
Byju’s international play relies heavily on WhiteHat Jr.’s platform. Byju’s can offer its courses in both synchronous and asynchronous formats thanks to the coding platform, which allows teachers and students to meet one-on-one. Late last year, the startup began testing some international markets, and in recent months, it has hired several high-profile executives to oversee each geography.
In terms of branding, the company stated that it intended to market all of its international offerings under Byju’s brand. In international markets, WhiteHat Jr will now be known as Byju’s Future School. According to Byju’s, the service has 80 million registered users and 5.5 million subscribers. After Paytm, Byju’s is the most valuable Indian startup, valued at around $13 billion.
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