BrightCHAMPS acquires SEA-focused edutech startup Schola for US$15M

Indian edutech company BrightCHAMPS has acquired Schola, a live-learning platform for kids to master communication and English skills focused on the Southeast Asian market, in a US$15-million cash and stock deal.

The deal comes on BrightCHAMP’s June US$100 million investment war-chest announcement.

Ravi Bhushan, Founder and CEO of BrightCHAMPS, said: “The ability to communicate confidently, coherently, and creatively is a crucial life skill for kids and a prerequisite for success as an adult. Given Schola’s profitability and sustainable growth approach with low cash burn, we already know great synergy exists between the two companies’ operating models. The Schola acquisition will help us deepen our presence in the 30+ countries we’re already operational in and introduce us to many other parts of the world.”

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Schola was founded in 2019 by former senior Facebook executives Aditya Gupta and Nhu Tran Le Thanh. The company offers a variety of courses in a live, 1-on-1 class model for kids from four to 15 years of age to build important capabilities for successful global careers tomorrow. These skills include communications, public speaking, leadership presentation, confidence-building, and several others.

Additionally, Schola courses have been designed keeping in mind the particular needs of kids who are first-generation English speakers, with an emphasis on learning through the real-life practice of spoken English.

Schola’s interactive and immersive curriculum is delivered by teachers with TEFL or TESOL teaching certificates with native-level or equivalent English proficiency. The company currently offers classes to students from 12 countries, including Vietnam, Thailand, Korea, Japan, Malaysia, and others.

Aditya Gupta, Co-Founder and CEO of Schola, said, “Far too many kids from countries and families that don’t speak English as their first language end up getting overlooked for higher education or career opportunities despite being perfectly qualified in every other way. Our goal is that lack of English proficiency should never again come in the way of a child’s dreams once Schola touches them.

“We hope that the combination of BrightCHAMPS’ brand equity and our subject-matter expertise will help Schola lead the world in the communications live-learning space. We look forward to expanding our presence beyond the 12 countries we are currently operational in the coming months,” Gupta added.

Also Read: Edutech in a post-pandemic world: Where do we go from here?

Launched in 2020, BrightCHAMPS delivers students worldwide access to real learning skills. The company aims to bridge the gap between school education and children’s real learning needs. It aims to empower students to be technologically, financially, and socially smart by leveraging Invisible Learning to nurture the inner potential of every child. Its methodology relies on play-based learning and includes features like customised learning journeys, quizzing and parental dashboards.

It employs thousands of educators delivering 300,000 classes monthly across its coding, financial literacy, and robotics verticals for kids between six to 16 years of age to help them become future-ready and thrive in a modern world.

BrightCHAMPS is currently operational in 30+ countries, including the US, Canada, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Nigeria, and many others.

BrightCHAMPS is valued at US$650 million after raising US$63 million from marquee names across geographies, such as GSV Ventures, BEENEXT, and Premji Invest, besides Flipkart Co-Founder Binny Bansal-backed 021 Capital.

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