Gradstar Global Education

What Gradstar Global Education does

Gradstar Global Education is a private Indian study abroad consultancy founded in 2022, operating as a division of Pi Digital Media Pvt Ltd. The company serves Indian students seeking undergraduate and postgraduate education in international destinations, providing free personalized counseling, application support, visa guidance, scholarship discovery, health cover selection, accommodation booking, and pre-departure briefing. Its operations span four offices — three in India (Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore) and one in Bratislava, Slovakia — and cover approximately 30 study destinations including Australia, the UK, Germany, China, Canada, the USA, Ireland, New Zealand, and Finland. The company claims to have guided 15,000+ students and maintains a network of 850+ global university partners.

The core digital asset is GRADSearch, a proprietary course-finder platform (registered as a trademark) that catalogs 130,000+ programs from 3,300+ universities and includes a 5,500+ scholarship database, with filtering by study level, mode, and destination. Complementary digital offerings include country-specific downloadable study guides (2026 editions for Australia, Canada, UK, Ireland, USA, China), IELTS and TOEFL preparation resources, and a Summer School program for short-term European study experiences. Counselors, branded as "Student Success Consultants" or "Dream Makers," reportedly provide 37+ hours of dedicated support per student journey, supported by named scholarship partnerships with institutions such as UNSW, Deakin, Monash, University of Wollongong, University of Exeter, James Cook University, and University of Tasmania.

The business model is freemium to students — Gradstar does not charge service fees to end users — meaning revenue is most likely generated through referral commissions from partner universities upon successful student placement, supplemented by potential revenue from ancillary services (e.g., insurance, accommodation). Go-to-market is sales-led and direct, combining in-person consultations at physical offices, WhatsApp-based communication, website enquiry capture, and content marketing/SEO for top-of-funnel acquisition. The company is privately held with no disclosed external funding, no institutional investors identified, and no public listing.

Name

Gradstar Global Education

Legal name

Pi Digital Media Pvt Ltd

Website

https://gradstarglobal.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2022

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Gradstar Global Education is a private Indian study abroad consultancy (founded 2022, HQ New Delhi) that provides free counseling and end-to-end application support to Indian students pursuing higher education across ~30 international destinations, supported by its GRADSearch platform and 850+ university partnerships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Study Abroad Consulting

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710), Educational Support Services (6117), Educational Support Services (61171)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Application Support, Matching Platforms & Scholarship Administration Services (EDAIAOAN)

akta.pro secondary industries

Degree-Level Scholarships (Undergrad/Masters/PhD/Postdoc) (EDAIAOAE), University-Affiliated Pathway & Foundation Programs (EDAIAJAA)

Keywords

• Study abroad consulting
• Overseas education advisory
• University admissions guidance
• Student visa assistance
• International scholarship advisory

Headquarters

HQ city

New Delhi

HQ country

India

HQ region

Asia

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Study Abroad Counseling Services: Gradstar provides free counseling and guidance services to students. The company does not charge service fees - any costs students incur are exclusively associated with university and visa applications charged by the respective institutions and governments.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Gradstar Global Education is a study abroad consultancy that provides free, end-to-end counseling and admissions support to individual students seeking international higher education. Services cover profile assessment, university/program shortlisting, application and documentation support (SOPs, LORs), scholarship discovery, visa application guidance, health cover selection, accommodation booking, and pre-departure briefing. The firm layers these services with GRADSearch, a proprietary course finder indexing 130,000+ programs from 3,300+ universities across nearly 30 destinations and 5,500+ scholarships.

Product overview

Gradstar Global Education is a study abroad consultancy that operates as a service-based platform rather than a software product company. The core offering combines personalized consulting services with digital tools including the GRADSearch course finder (searching 130,000+ programs across 3,300+ universities in 30 destinations), downloadable country-specific study guides (Australia, Canada, UK, Ireland, USA, China), IELTS/TOEFL preparation resources, and comprehensive end-to-end study abroad support covering profile assessment, program shortlisting, applications, visa processing, health cover, accommodation, and pre-departure preparation. The company also offers a Summer School program for short-term European study experiences.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• GRADSearch: Course finder tool by Gradstar Global that allows students to search programs from global universities

Products and services

• Study Abroad Consulting Services End-to-end study abroad consultancy offering profile assessment, program shortlisting, application and documentation support (SOPs, LORs), visa guidance, scholarship assistance, health cover selection, accommodation booking, and pre-departure briefing for Indian students pursuing higher education abroad. Provided free of charge to students via dedicated Dream Maker counselors, with over 37 hours of personalized support per student journey.
• Visa Application Support Step-by-step visa application guidance for key study destinations including Australia (Subclass 500), Canada (Study Permit), the UK (Student Visa), and the USA (F-1). Includes document checklists, interview preparation, and credibility preparation for students.
• GRADSearch Course Finder Proprietary Gradstar course search platform allowing students to search over 130,000 programs from 3,300+ colleges and universities across approximately 30 study destinations. Includes filters for study level, mode, and destination, and access to a database of 5,500+ scholarships. Operates as both a publicly accessible website tool and the lead-generation foundation for the company's counseling services.
• Summer School Programs European summer school program offerings for students seeking short-term international education experiences. Listed as a distinct offering under the company's "Europe" navigation, separate from full-degree study abroad consulting.

Quantifiable outcome

• 15,000+ students guided across markets
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

26 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• University of WollongongcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner university featured prominently on Gradstar's website with dedicated college page. Students placed include Rajat Kundu (Bachelor of Business) and Prachi Banerjee (Master of Proj. Mgmt/Marketing).
• Monash UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFeatured Australian university partner with dedicated college page on Gradstar's platform.
• Bond UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAustralian partner university highlighted for having no application fee for international students.
• University of MelbournecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTop Australian university where students like Shruti Kadam have been placed for Master of Management.
• University for the Creative ArtsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUK university partner where student Swapnali Jadhav was placed for Master in Interior Design.
• University of SouthamptonminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUK university partner where student Atharva Raje was placed for MBBS program.
• Leeds Beckett UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUK university partner where student Mandar Deshmukh was placed for Physiotherapy.
• University of Northern British ColumbiacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCanadian university partner featured in Gradstar's university network.
• Western UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCanadian university partner featured in Gradstar's university network.
• Bradley UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFeatured university partner in Gradstar's network.
• James Cook UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAustralian university partner offering International Excellence Scholarship through Gradstar.
• UNSW SydneycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGroup of Eight Australian university partner with India Future of Change Scholarship.
• Deakin UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAustralian partner offering India 25% Merit Scholarship.
• University of TasmaniacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAustralian partner offering India 25% Merit Scholarship and Tasmanian International Scholarship.
• Macquarie UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAustralian partner offering International Merit Scholarship.
• University of South AustraliacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAustralian partner highlighted for having no application fee for international students.
• Crandall UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCanadian university partner in Gradstar's network.
• University of LethbridgeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCanadian university partner in Gradstar's network.
• King's UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCanadian university partner in Gradstar's network.
• University of ExetercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUK partner offering Global Excellence Scholarship through Gradstar.
• University of PortsmouthcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUK partner offering Chancellor's Global Academic Merit Scholarship.
• Cardiff UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUK partner offering Cardiff India Scholarship.
• University of StirlingcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUK partner offering Postgraduate India Scholarship.
• Nottingham Trent UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUK partner offering NTU International Merit Scholarship.
• Coventry UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUK partner highlighted for having no application fee and offering International Pathways Scholarship.
• Pi Digital Media Pvt LtdcoreOthersParent company of Gradstar Global Education. Gradstar Global Education is a division of Pi Digital Media Pvt Ltd.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• AECC Global: AECC Global is a study abroad consultancy with strong presence in India and an extensive global university partner network. It directly competes with Gradstar in student placement and visa counseling for the Australia/UK/Canada corridors.
• Leverage Edu: Leverage Edu is an India-founded study abroad and test-prep platform with AI-driven counseling, university partnerships, and a strong India-to-global student pipeline. It competes head-to-head with Gradstar for the same Indian outbound undergraduate and postgraduate segments.
• KC Overseas Education: KC Overseas is an established Indian study abroad consultancy with offices across India and partnerships with foreign universities. It is a direct competitor to Gradstar in the same Indian outbound placement and visa services market.
• Manya Education: Manya Education (The Princeton Review master franchisee in India) offers study abroad counseling and test prep, with a focus on US/UK destinations. It is a direct peer in the Indian student placement category.
• Yocket: Yocket is an Indian study abroad platform that helps students with graduate school applications to the US, UK, Canada, and Australia, with a focus on tech and business programs. It is a direct peer in serving Indian students seeking international higher education.
• Edvoy (formerly Edwisor): Edvoy is an online study abroad platform that enables students to compare programs, apply to partner universities, and access counseling. It is a direct peer to Gradstar in providing tech-enabled international student placement services.
• IDP Education: IDP Education is the largest global study abroad and English-language testing platform, co-owner of IELTS. It is a direct peer to Gradstar, offering student placement, university representation, and visa guidance across the same Australia/UK/Canada destinations that anchor Gradstar's portfolio.

Broad incumbents

• ApplyBoard: ApplyBoard is a large, venture-backed online platform that connects international students with educational institutions globally. It is a broad incumbent that overlaps with Gradstar's end-to-end placement, university partnership, and application support model at greater scale.

Regional players

• Jamboree Education: Jamboree Education is an India-based test prep and admissions counseling provider focused on GMAT/GRE/SAT and overseas admissions support. It is comparable as a regional player in the Indian study abroad support ecosystem, with overlapping services around applications and counseling.

Emerging players

• LeapScholar: LeapScholar is an emerging India-focused study abroad and test-prep platform offering AI-driven test prep, finance, and application support. It targets the same Indian student segment as Gradstar, with overlapping product categories and partnerships.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/gradstar
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/gradstarglobaleducation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Gradstar Global Education