List of Byjus Acquisitions & Subsidiaries

Byju! A name that is not unfamiliar anymore due to the magnificent evolution of the internet and technology. Eventually, it became one of the most valuable ed-tech startups in India. As you know technological advancements have modernized traditional classrooms, thereby, it has seen exponential growth in the education sector. However, the ed-tech giant was not all alone in its journey! To expand its arms, it acquired multiple educational companies and firms. According to Byjus, they are acquiring various educational companies to make quality education available for all. In this article, you will come across the list of Byju’s acquisitions & subsidiaries.

A Brief Overview of Byju’s Acquisitions

Byjus invested over USD 2.8 billion to acquire a dozen of companies to expand its business in the ed-tech industry.

Details of Byju’s Acquisitions & Subsidiaries

Unlike any failed startup, Byju successfully aced its business to enhance educational technology. The upcoming sections describe the details of some major Byju’s acquisitions.

Aakash Educational Services Ltd

In April 2021, Byju acquired the brick & mortar test preparation company Aakash Educational Services Ltd. It completed the deal with a cash & stock deal of USD 950 million. Aakash Education Services has more than 33 years of track record and more than 215 centers all over India. Byju’s Aakash has shown more than 100% growth post-acquisition. Its objective was to enter the preparation space for national entrance exams mainly for the engineering and medical field. It also prepares students for various other exams like board exams, KVPY, NTSE, Olympiads, etc.

Great Learning Pvt. Ltd

In June 2021, the tech mammoth Byjus made another expensive purchase worth USD 600 million. It acquired Great Learning Pvt. Ltd which provides certified online courses and degrees from the world’s top universities. It is one of the leading global players that has successfully delivered impactful learning to more than 1.5 million users in 170 countries. Hence, it became another target for Byjus to enter into the up-skilling and re-skilling segment of online education. Eventually, it declared an additional investment worth USD 400 million to expand the subsidiary further.

Epic! (Byju’s acquisition on Audiobooks)

Byju keenly observed that audiobooks are gaining huge popularity because they provide an immersive experience to the listeners. One such audiobook platform is Epic! Again in July 2021, Byju’s acquisitions added one more company to its list. And that was Epic! The deal cost USD 500 million. The reason for Epic to become a target of this acquisition was the high-quality audiobooks, books, and videos from the best publishers all around the world. Thus, this acquisition was a part of Byju’s plan to step into the overseas market and expected annual revenue of more than USD 300 million.

Toppr

Recently you must have heard the news that like other major global companies laying off their employees, Byju’s owned Toppr was set to lay off over 300 employees. Netizens were quite surprised to know that this platform belonged to Byjus. In 2021, Byju acquired Toppr in a deal costing USD 150 million. It offers live coding classes to young learners along with scholastic tests for aptitude and reasoning. The reason why Toppr sold itself to Byjus is “Revenue.” Although Toppr was growing at a very slow pace. This was never profitable for it. Therefore, it accepted the acquisition offer of Byjus to increase the rate of its growth.

Scholr

Mumbai-based doubt-clearing platform “Scholr” was one of the first acquisition moves that Byjus played. In Feb 2021, Byju acquired it by paying USD 180 million. Its objective was to take over a company that was effective in providing personal training assistance to students through artificial intelligence, real tutors, and on-demand homework. Thus, it was able to provide video solutions for school students and solved their doubts via Android and iOS applications.

GradeUp

Another significant Byju’s acquisition was Gradeup. Even though they didn’t disclose the net amount spent on the deal but it was an effective move. With this, it gained a massive share of online test preparation platforms. Also, it renamed this subsidiary brand “Byju’s Exams Preparation.”

Tynker (Byju’s Acquisition for Coding)

This acquisition was a major step to expand the footprint of Byjus in the U.S. by providing access to more than 60 million users that already existed in the global user base. Both of the brands shared the same vision to democratize coding access for students. Thus, it acquired Tynker for USD 200 million in 2021.

GeoGebra

GeoGebra is an effective mathematics software providing the lessons of different mathematics lessons in one engine. The mathematical operations include geometry, algebra, spreadsheets, graphing, statistics, and calculus. Byju acquired this Austrian mathematics software in 2021 to expand its mathematics portfolio. It was an extensive $100 million deal.

Other Significant Byju’s Acquisitions

Some other important takeovers done by the Indian ed-tech giant are LabIn app, White Hat Jr, Osmo, TutorVista, and Edurite. All these tutoring brands provide live lessons, online coding, and interactive classes. All these Byju’s acquisitions are worth USD 100 million to 300 million. With these takeovers, Byjus effectively created play-based learning for children and virtual laboratories for students. Along with these, Byju also focused immensely on brilliant marketing strategies.

Final Thoughts on Byju’s Acquisitions

Similar to Microsoft, Byju also followed a similar strategy to dilate its reach among the netizens. With all these acquisitions, Byjus is on a high ride with its online learning programs. Each acquisition increased the value of the quality content of Byjus. Now you must be wondering why there was a need for these successful companies to accept the acquisition offers of Byjus. The primary reason is the “Mutual Benefit.” Really? Yes! Byjus have excellent marketing strategies due to which it effectively educates the audience about ed-tech and online education. Being associated with Byjus, the subsidiary companies also get significant attention from the audience. Also, it can offer quality services in terms of education and examination preparations. Thus, Byju’s acquisition was a brilliant strategy to expand the ed-tech empire!