Unacademy

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.

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

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

• Online test preparation
• Exam preparation courses
• Live learning platform
• Video lecture courses
• Education technology services

Headquarters

HQ city

Bangalore

HQ country

India

HQ region

Asia

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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

Go-to-market motion4 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core 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

Segments11 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

AI capability12 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and flagship.

• SwiflearncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcquired 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 TVcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFully 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 AcademycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcquired by Unacademy in September 2022; a test preparation company focused on GATE exam preparation, expanding Unacademy's test-prep portfolio. Financial terms not disclosed.
• KreatryxcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcquired by Unacademy in 2020 to encompass more avenues of learning, including GATE-focused content.
• PrepLaddercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcquired by Unacademy in 2020; PrepLadder offers NEET PG preparation content; led by Sumit Jain; became a profitable vertical under Unacademy.
• CodechefminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcquired by Unacademy in 2020, expanding Unacademy's learning avenues into coding and competitive programming.
• upGradflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerSigned 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)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerUnacademy'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)flagshipTechnology or IntegrationAWS 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)flagshipChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorApple App Store distributes the Unacademy Learner app (id1342565069) for iOS users in India.
• Google Play StoreflagshipChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorGoogle Play Store distributes the Unacademy Learner, Educator, and Parent apps for Android users.
• Relevel (Unacademy Group company)minorOthersRelevel 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)minorOthersGraphy 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)minorOthersAirLearn 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 InstituteminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcquisition 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

Direct 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

• Xx.com/unacademy
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCABe2FgVNv2hgBeMu2mySVg
• Facebookfacebook.com/unacademy
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/unacademy
• Instagraminstagram.com/unacademy

Compliance6 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Subsidiaries7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds12 records

Investors20 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A12 records

Investments2 records

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Unacademy