The Growing Demand for Overseas Education in India

Annually, a significant number of Indian students seek admission to universities internationally. Many often lack clarity regarding suitable programs or the institutions best aligned with their skills and aspirations.

Numerous established and emerging companies are striving to provide guidance to these students. However, despite India being the leading contributor of international students globally, a majority of firms addressing this need aren't specifically focused on the Indian context.

Consequently, they often struggle to fully grasp the unique challenges faced by students in the world’s second most populous nation.

Leverage Edu Secures $6.5 Million in Funding

An India-based startup dedicated to bridging this gap announced on Thursday that it has secured $6.5 million in a new funding round, aiming to expand its platform within the world’s second-largest internet market.

Leverage Edu stated that Tomorrow Capital spearheaded the Series A financing for the Delhi-based startup. Blume Ventures and DSG Consumer Partners, existing investors, also participated in this round.

Akshay Chaturvedi, the founder and CEO of Leverage Edu, shared with TechCrunch that he anticipates the firm that ultimately best serves students and achieves the greatest success will be the one with a stronger local presence, closer to the students themselves, rather than the universities.

From Mentorship to a Comprehensive Platform

Chaturvedi, aged 30, initially conceived the idea for this startup in 2015. He dedicated over a year to experimenting with various business models.

Early versions of Leverage Edu focused on providing mentorship, rewarding counselors with a points-based system.

The startup now delivers a wide array of services, including personalized mentorship. It assists students in identifying appropriate colleges, navigating complex application processes and grade conversions, and securing education loans, visas, and accommodation.

“The platform functions as a single digital hub, providing access to everything from flight bookings to local phone numbers and educational financing in one convenient location,” Chaturvedi explained.

Tomorrow Capital’s Vision for Leverage Edu

Rohini Prakash, CEO of Tomorrow Capital, stated: “We firmly believe that the next prominent brand in the global cross-border education sector will originate from India.

We have strong confidence in Akshay’s capabilities as a founder – his strategic roadmap for scaling the business and his dedication to building a globally recognized Indian edtech brand are truly inspiring. We are enthusiastic about collaborating with the Leverage Edu team on this journey.”

Serving a Diverse Student Population

Leverage Edu supports students in gaining admission to highly selective institutions, but also extends its services to those who may not have achieved top scores.

“Admissions to elite colleges represent only 10% of the potential student base,” Chaturvedi clarified. He noted his early experiences attending startup founder talks and organizing events to attract attendees.

“Numerous universities lack strong brand recognition. To connect these institutions with students, we offer our SaaS product, Univalley.com.”

Future Expansion Plans

The startup intends to utilize the newly acquired capital to facilitate students’ college searches in additional countries, including the U.K. and Australia.

“Our strategy centers on concentrating on a select number of areas and excelling in them. We are also actively challenging the perception that international education is prohibitively expensive, a misconception we’ve been debunking for the past four years.

Within the next eighteen months, we aim to be a leading study-abroad company in India, measured by both student numbers and a high Net Promoter Score – as student satisfaction is the primary driver of our daily motivation!” Chaturvedi concluded.