Unacademy
Unacademy is an India-focused online learning platform delivering live and recorded classes, practice tests and doubt-clearing across 60+ exam categories to 50M+ learners, monetized via freemium-to-paid subscriptions and operated from Bangalore by Sorting Hat Technologies.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2015
- HeadquartersBangalore, India
- Headcount1,001–5,000
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingSoftware
What Unacademy does
Unacademy, operated by Sorting Hat Technologies Private Limited, is a Bangalore-headquartered online learning platform founded in 2015 by Gaurav Munjal, Roman Saini and Hemesh Singh. The platform delivers daily live classes, recorded lectures, practice tests, mock exams and doubt-clearing across 60+ exam categories and 200+ goals, serving Indian learners preparing for competitive exams (UPSC, IIT JEE, NEET, CAT, GATE, CA, banking, SSC) and K-12 students. Distribution runs through Unacademy.com and three dedicated mobile apps (Learner, Educator, Parent) on iOS and Android, backed by AWS infrastructure in Singapore, India and the USA, GDPR/CCPA compliance, and a network of 14,000+ educators producing 1.5K+ daily live classes and 1M+ video lessons.
The business model is a freemium-to-subscription engine: free registration and free batches serve as top-of-funnel acquisition, converting into multi-tier paid subscriptions (Plus, Iconic Pro, Platinum etc.) priced per goal/exam with monthly or annual auto-renewal billing. Additional revenue streams include offline coaching (now exiting in favour of a franchise model after the 26 company-operated centres accounted for ~80% of cash burn), ad-ons such as 1:1 Live Mentorship and Placement Protection, and the AirLearn global AI language-learning app (live in US, UK, Germany, Canada) which scaled 15x to ~$3M ARR in CY2024. Sub-brands include Graphy (creator SaaS), Relevel (job-market solutions), and the Shikshodaya girls' education initiative aligned with the Government of India's Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao programme.
FY25 operating revenue was Rs 826 crore (down 16% YoY) against a net loss that narrowed 31% to Rs 436 crore, with cash burn compressed from ~Rs 1,000 crore to ~Rs 200 crore through offline exits and layoffs (including 250 staff let go in July 2024). The company has raised approximately $860 million cumulatively across 13 funding rounds, with a Series H led by Temasek at a $3.44 billion peak valuation in August 2021. Valuation has since declined by more than 90%, and in March 2026 upGrad signed a term sheet to acquire Unacademy in a 100% all-stock share swap valued at ~$218 million (pending CCI approval), with Gaurav Munjal continuing as CEO and a Rs 50 crore ESOP buyback launched to provide employee liquidity.
Unacademy firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Unacademy
- Legal name
- Sorting Hat Technologies Pvt Ltd
- Website
- https://unacademy.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2015
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1,001–5,000 employees
- Short description
- Unacademy is an India-focused online learning platform delivering live and recorded classes, practice tests and doubt-clearing across 60+ exam categories to 50M+ learners, monetized via freemium-to-paid subscriptions and operated from Bangalore by Sorting Hat Technologies.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Unacademy industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Online Test Preparation
- NAICS
- Business Schools and Computer and Management Training (6114), Exam Preparation and Tutoring (611691), Educational Support Services (61171)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Certification & Credentialed Creator Programs (MPACALAI)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Learning Content Bundling & Subscription Passes (All-Access Libraries) (MPACALAL), Course Bundle Subscriptions & Learning Membership Marketplaces (EDAFAIAI)
Keywords
Where Unacademy is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Bangalore
- HQ country
- India
- HQ region
- Asia
Offices2 records
Markets served
Unacademy business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Operations, Others
Revenue model
- Subscription (test prep and live classes): Multi-tiered paid subscription plans offering access to live and recorded classes, test series, doubt-clearing sessions, and structured batches for specific exam categories (UPSC, JEE, NEET, CAT, GATE, etc.). Auto-renewing billing with payment in advance for full subscription period.
- Freemium / free tier: Free registration with access to limited content (free courses, trial batches) intended to convert users to paid subscriptions; plus free live classes and free content batches to drive top-of-funnel acquisition.
- Offline coaching (legacy, transitioning to franchise): Previously operated 26 company-owned offline coaching centers (which accounted for ~80% of cash burn); exiting direct operation by April 2025 and converting to franchise-led model. FY25 operating revenue was approximately Rs 826 crore.
- Language learning (AirLearn): Global language learning app scaled from ~$200,000 to nearly $3 million ARR (15x growth) in calendar year 2024; live in US, UK, Germany, and Canada. Plans to spin off previously dropped.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Monthly | Free registration / free batches and free courses |
| Subscription | Annual | Multi-tier paid subscriptions (Plus, Iconic Pro, Platinum etc.) |
| Subscription | Monthly | 1:1 Live Mentorship / Combat / Placement Protection add-ons |
| Subscription | Annual | Offline residential programmes and assured programs |
Go-to-market motion4 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels8 records
Unacademy product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Unacademy operates a mobile-first online learning platform that delivers live and recorded video classes, practice questions, mock tests, and doubt-clearing for Indian students preparing for 200+ competitive exams (UPSC, IIT JEE, NEET, CAT, GATE, CA, Bank, SSC, etc.), K-12 board subjects, and global language learning via AirLearn. Revenue is generated through multi-tier paid subscriptions (Plus, Iconic Pro, Platinum) with freemium entry, plus legacy offline coaching residential/assure programmes being converted to a franchise model.
Product overview
Unacademy operates a single integrated online learning platform centered on its core Learner app and supporting Educator and Parent apps, against which the broader portfolio sits as branded modules and acquired/spun-out products. The core platform delivers live classes, practice/mock tests, recorded lectures and doubt-clearing across 200+ exams (UPSC, IIT JEE, NEET, GATE, CAT, Bank, SSC, CA, CBSE Class 6-12) to 10 crore+ learners. Layered on top are acquired products — Kreatryx (GATE/ESE), PrepLadder (NEET PG), CodeChef (competitive programming), Gate Academy, Swiflearn (K-10 tuition), and Rheo TV (game streaming, since folded into Relevel) — which feed into the core platform's test-prep and learning verticals. Independent group brands include Graphy (creator-led content SaaS), Relevel (job-market solutions), and AirLearn (AI-based global language learning launched in the US/UK/Germany/Canada), while Shikshodaya is a flagship social-impact initiative for girls' education and the Unacademy Offline Centres franchise network rounds out the physical coaching arm.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Graphy: Creator monetization SaaS platform for educators, launched in 2020
- Relevel
- AirLearn
- Shikshodaya
Products and services
- Unacademy Learner Subscription (Plus, Iconic Pro, Platinum)
Quantifiable outcome
- 3.2B+ minutes watched on platform
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Unacademy
Customer profileSegments11 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Unacademy technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration5 records
AI capability12 records
Feature5 records
Unacademy partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
15 partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and flagship.
- SwiflearncoreAcquired by Unacademy in November 2021; a K-10 online tuition platform offering face-to-face tuition for grades I–X with 30,000+ classes monthly, 120,000+ student base, and 1,500+ teachers — strengthening Unacademy's K-12 segment.
- Rheo TVcoreFully acquired by SoftBank-backed Unacademy in July 2021 from investors including Sequoia Capital India's Surge and Lightspeed India (deal valued at over US$10 million). Rheo TV founders joined Unacademy Group's Relevel unit focused on job market solutions.
- Gate AcademycoreAcquired by Unacademy in September 2022; a test preparation company focused on GATE exam preparation, expanding Unacademy's test-prep portfolio. Financial terms not disclosed.
- KreatryxcoreAcquired by Unacademy in 2020 to encompass more avenues of learning, including GATE-focused content.
- PrepLaddercoreAcquired by Unacademy in 2020; PrepLadder offers NEET PG preparation content; led by Sumit Jain; became a profitable vertical under Unacademy.
- CodechefminorAcquired by Unacademy in 2020, expanding Unacademy's learning avenues into coding and competitive programming.
- upGradflagshipSigned term sheet in March 2026 to acquire Unacademy in a 100% share-swap deal; pending CCI approval. Combined entity would create one of India's largest edtech players spanning K-12, higher education and upskilling. Earlier acquisition talks in November 2025 were called off in January 2026 over valuation disagreements before being revived.
- Government of India (Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao)coreUnacademy's Shikshodaya initiative is aligned with the Government of India's 'Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao' initiative and the Prime Minister's 'Vishwa Guru' vision, with MoUs signed with multiple state governments (Himachal Pradesh, Tripura, etc.) and collaborations with central bodies like ITBP and UP Police.
- Amazon Web Services (AWS)flagshipAWS serves as the cloud infrastructure provider for Unacademy, with data stored, processed and transferred on AWS servers located in Singapore, India and the USA.
- Apple (App Store)flagshipApple App Store distributes the Unacademy Learner app (id1342565069) for iOS users in India.
- Google Play StoreflagshipGoogle Play Store distributes the Unacademy Learner, Educator, and Parent apps for Android users.
- Relevel (Unacademy Group company)minorRelevel is an Unacademy Group company focused on job market solutions in India; Rheo TV founders joined Relevel after Unacademy's acquisition of Rheo TV.
- Graphy (Unacademy subsidiary product)minorGraphy is Unacademy's creator monetisation SaaS platform — formerly led by Sumit Jain, then turned profitable/cash-flow positive. Plans to spin off were dropped in early 2026.
- AirLearn (Unacademy subsidiary)minorAirLearn is Unacademy's global language learning app, scaled from ~$200,000 to nearly $3M ARR (15x growth) in CY2024; live in US, UK, Germany and Canada. Plans to spin off were dropped in early 2026.
- Allen Career InstituteminorAcquisition talks with Allen Career Institute failed in 2024 over valuation disagreements; reported as Unacademy's second high-profile acquisition failure (after Allen talks and upGrad talks).
Scale indicators17 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Unacademy competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Vedantu: India-based live online tutoring platform offering K-12, competitive exam (IIT JEE, NEET) and upskilling courses. Competes head-to-head with Unacademy on live class formats, educator-led content and freemium-to-paid conversion for Indian learners.
- BYJU'S: India's largest edtech platform and Unacademy's most direct competitor across K-12, JEE/NEET, UPSC and competitive exam preparation. Both offer live online classes, freemium funnels and educator-led marketplaces to Indian learners, though BYJU'S has broader K-12 coverage and recently faced its own financial and governance challenges.
- Great Learning: India-focused professional upskilling platform offering data science, AI, cloud and management courses. Direct overlap with Unacademy's upskilling ambitions and potential overlap with the proposed upGrad-Unacademy combined entity in higher education.
- upGrad: Indian higher-education and upskilling platform and the proposed acquirer of Unacademy in a March 2026 share-swap deal. Operates in adjacent segments (MBA, tech, data science, study abroad) and overlaps with Unacademy's professional and continuing education offerings.
- Eruditus: India-origin global executive education provider partnering with MIT, Wharton, Columbia and others. Comparable to Unacademy's upskilling ambitions and to the higher-education vertical of the proposed upGrad merger in international program offerings.
Broad incumbents
- Chegg: US-listed online education company focused on textbook rentals, homework help and study support. Operates in adjacent but broader higher-education support categories compared to Unacademy's exam-prep focus, and shares the subscription-based learner model.
- Coursera: Global online learning marketplace offering university and industry courses to learners worldwide. Overlaps with Unacademy's professional and continuing education aspirations and provides a benchmark for international subscription-based learning platforms.
- Allen Career Institute: Long-established offline coaching leader for JEE, NEET and other engineering/medical entrance exams in India. Failed acquisition talks with Unacademy in 2024. Represents the legacy offline competitor that Unacademy's franchise pivot is now structured to partner with rather than displace.
Emerging players
- PhysicsWallah: Low-cost Indian edtech platform that has rapidly gained share in JEE/NEET and UPSC preparation through aggressive pricing and offline expansion. It represents the most credible emerging threat to Unacademy's core test-prep revenue base, contributing to Unacademy's 16% YoY revenue decline.
Others
- Classplus: India-based SaaS platform enabling tutors and coaching centers to run their own branded apps. Functions as an enabling/ecosystem participant rather than a direct competitor; relevant to Unacademy's franchise-led offline pivot where independent operators need digital infrastructure.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat7 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Unacademy social profiles
Digital presenceUnacademy compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance6 records
Unacademy financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Unacademy leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles9 records
Unacademy subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries7 records
Unacademy funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds12 records
Investors20 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Unacademy M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A12 records
Investments2 records
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Unacademy
What does Unacademy do?
Unacademy operates a mobile-first online learning platform that delivers live and recorded video classes, practice questions, mock tests, and doubt-clearing for Indian students preparing for 200+ competitive exams (UPSC, IIT JEE, NEET, CAT, GATE, CA, Bank, SSC, etc.), K-12 board subjects, and global language learning via AirLearn. Revenue is generated through multi-tier paid subscriptions (Plus, Iconic Pro, Platinum) with freemium entry, plus legacy offline coaching residential/assure programmes being converted to a franchise model.
Is Unacademy a public or private company?
Unacademy is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was Unacademy founded?
Unacademy was founded in 2015. It employs 1,001 to 5,000 people.
Where is Unacademy based?
Unacademy is headquartered in Bangalore, India, in the Asia region.
How does Unacademy make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Subscription (test prep and live classes) is the primary driver. The others are freemium / free tier, offline coaching (legacy, transitioning to franchise) and language learning (AirLearn).
Who are Unacademy's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Vedantu, BYJU'S, Great Learning, upGrad and Eruditus. Broad incumbents are Chegg, Coursera and Allen Career Institute. PhysicsWallah is listed as an emerging player. Classplus is listed as an others.
Does Unacademy have an API?
No public API is recorded for Unacademy.
What industry is Unacademy in?
Unacademy's product category is Online Test Preparation. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPACALAI, Certification & Credentialed Creator Programs, with a secondary code of MPACALAL, Learning Content Bundling & Subscription Passes (All-Access Libraries). Its NAICS code is 6114 and its SIC code is 8200.