What Akshara Foundation does

Akshara Foundation is a non-profit education organization established as a Public Charitable Trust in March 2000 in Bangalore, India, conceived as a tripartite partnership between government, corporate sector, and voluntary sector. The organization focuses on improving foundational literacy and numeracy (FLN) outcomes for children in government primary schools across Karnataka, Odisha, and Andhra Pradesh. Its portfolio of interconnected programmes includes Ganitha Kalika Andolana (GKA) for grades 1-5 and GKA 2.0 for grades 6-8 (both based on activity-based learning pedagogy with physical teaching-learning materials), the Building Blocks mobile math app (400+ games in 9 regional languages, free on Google Play Store and integrated with MHRD's Diksha platform), and the Karnataka Learning Partnership (KLP) public technology platform with open-source code on GitHub. Supplementary programmes include Prepare Not Repair (preschool via ICDS anganwadis), Oduve Nanu (remedial reading), The Classroom Library, and English learning modules (Swalpa English Thumba Fun and Easy English).

The organization operates entirely on donations from individuals, corporations, foundations, and government partners, with all programmes provided free of cost to beneficiaries. Its go-to-market is fundamentally B2Gov — direct engagement with state education departments in Karnataka, Odisha, and Andhra Pradesh to implement programmes at scale through government school systems, complemented by community-driven outreach through Gram Panchayat contests engaging 50,000+ education volunteers. The reported cumulative impact includes 7 million+ children reached, 92,000+ schools covered, 200,000+ teachers trained, and 5 million+ plays on the Building Blocks app. The organization holds FCRA registration, 12A and 80G certifications, and was cited by RTI International's Numeracy at Scale Study (2023) as one of six successful programmes worldwide for early grade numeracy at scale.

Akshara generates no commercial revenue; its funding mix comprises domestic CSR (Cisco, Target, MG Motor India, Microsoft India, Adobe Foundation, Axis Bank), international foundations (Omidyar Network, Akamai Foundation, Pratham USA, Vibha, CAF America, Global Giving, Central Square Foundation, Lego Foundation), and individual donations channelled through Indian banking (SBI for FCRA, Axis Bank for domestic). The organization leverages deep multi-stakeholder partnerships — academic (IIT Bombay, IIM Bangalore, CMDR), corporate (Rotary India Literacy Mission's 3,100+ clubs), and government (Karnataka, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh education departments) — as its primary distribution and credibility mechanism. All resources are licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0, creating an open-source distribution strategy that enables replication and partnership expansion.

Name

Akshara Foundation

Legal name

Akshara Foundation

Website

https://akshara.org.in

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Akshara Foundation is a non-profit education organization that improves foundational numeracy and literacy for government school children in Karnataka, Odisha, and Andhra Pradesh through activity-based math programmes, the free Building Blocks app, and the Karnataka Learning Partnership data platform.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Foundational Education Non-profit

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710), Educational Support Services (61171), Exam Preparation and Tutoring (611691)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Literacy & Numeracy Intervention (Reading/Math Support) (EDAJALAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Virtual Tutoring & Academic Intervention (K–12) (EDAJADAH), Literacy & ELA Instruction (School-Delivered) (EDAJAFAF)

Keywords

• Foundational numeracy programs
• Government school education
• Teacher training services
• Early childhood education
• Educational nonprofit services

Headquarters

HQ city

Bangalore

HQ country

India

HQ region

Asia

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations and CSR Funding: Akshara Foundation is a non-profit organization that operates entirely on donations from individuals, corporations, foundations, and government partners. All programmes are provided free of cost to beneficiaries.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion4 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Akshara Foundation is a non-profit Public Charitable Trust that designs and delivers foundational literacy and numeracy programmes for government primary school children in India. Its core offerings include Ganitha Kalika Andolana (GKA) activity-based math programmes for grades 1-8, the Building Blocks gamified math learning mobile app, Karnataka Learning Partnership (KLP) open-source data platform, plus supplementary programmes in English, remedial reading, classroom libraries, and preschool. All programmes and resources are provided free of cost to beneficiaries.

Product overview

Akshara Foundation operates as an education-focused nonprofit offering a portfolio of interconnected programmes targeting foundational literacy and numeracy for children in government schools. The core portfolio includes Ganitha Kalika Andolana (GKA) and GKA 2.0 for mathematics education (grades 1-8), supplemented by the Building Blocks mobile learning app for at-home math practice. English language programmes include Swalpa English Thumba Fun and Easy English. Early childhood education is addressed through Prepare Not Repair (preschool), while reading skills are supported by Oduve Nanu (remedial reading) and The Classroom Library. The Karnataka Learning Partnership (KLP) serves as the underlying technology platform for data management and community engagement. These programmes work together within a blended learning ecosystem that combines classroom instruction, technology-enabled practice, community involvement, and continuous assessment.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Ganitha Kalika Andolana (GKA) Akshara's flagship activity-based mathematics programme for government primary school children in grades 1-5, based on Activity-Based Learning (ABL) philosophy, combining a pedagogical framework with technology-based assessment and monitoring.
• Ganitha Kalika Andolana 2.0 (GKA 2.0) Extension of GKA programme for grades 6-8 designed in accordance with NEP 2020 using Concrete-Representational-Abstract (CRA) pedagogy and hands-on teaching-learning materials for middle school mathematics.
• Building Blocks A free, gamified mathematics learning app for children in grades 1-8, designed to work on basic smartphones online and offline. Offers 400+ intuitive math games mapped to NCF-2005 guidelines in 9 regional languages.
• Karnataka Learning Partnership (KLP) A public technology platform and community-driven framework for collective action to address public education in Karnataka, using web-based data analysis, visualisation, mobile applications, and IVR systems. Open-source code available on GitHub.
• Swalpa English Thumba Fun Introductory English language programme for government primary school children using print-rich teaching-learning materials, focusing on listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills through colourful charts, story cards, and phonics cards.
• Easy English Digital teaching-learning programme using tablets for grades 1-3, providing audio-visual English learning experience with interactive lessons, model sentences, pronunciation, phonics, and reading activities.
• Prepare Not Repair Preschool programme for children aged 3-6 years providing school-readiness skills through joyful learning. Delivered via government ICDS network with teaching-learning materials and capacity building for anganwadi workers.
• Oduve Nanu Remedial reading programme for grades 2-7 using story-based methodology with laminated story cards, integrating listening, speaking, reading, and writing through simple stories with colourful illustrations.
• The Classroom Library (TCL) Innovation providing libraries in classrooms with foldable book cases holding around 120 age-appropriate graded books, histogram charts for tracking reading habits, and teacher training.
• Pratibimba Podcast Podcast series by teachers and for teachers providing a platform to share and learn positive stories on classroom innovations, community participation, and child-level impact.

Quantifiable outcome

• 7 million+ children impacted in Karnataka, Odisha, and Andhra Pradesh
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• MG Motor IndiacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThrough #MGSewa initiative, MG Motor India supports GKA implementation in Odisha, driving social change through education.
• Karnataka Learning Partnership (KLP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPublic technology platform conceived and incubated by Akshara Foundation for collective action in Karnataka's elementary education system. Code and data available under open licenses.
• Rotary India Literacy MissioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOver 3,100 Rotary clubs setting up 1,500 Classroom Libraries across India based on Akshara's Classroom Library framework.
• IIT Bombay (Centre for Educational Technology)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative research partnership for designing and validating Classroom Observation Toolkit for GKA2.0, studying pedagogical practices and student cognitive engagement.
• IIM BangalorecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partnership producing research paper on Akshara Foundation's GKA math programme for government schools.
• Centre for Multi-disciplinary Development Research (CMDR)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThree-year longitudinal study evaluating Akshara's innovative programmes of teaching English and Mathematics at primary schools.
• EdTech TulnacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerExpert evaluation of Building Blocks app across content quality, pedagogical alignment, and technology & design dimensions.
• State Bank of IndiacoreOthersFCRA cell banking partner for receiving foreign contributions at SBI New Delhi Main Branch.
• Axis BankcoreOthersPrimary banker for local account operations at Kasturinagar Branch, Bangalore.
• Singhvi, Dev & UnnicoreOthersStatutory auditors for the organization.

Scale indicators14 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• Mantra4Change: Bengaluru-headquartered education nonprofit working with government schools on Foundational Literacy and Numeracy and teacher capacity building; closely comparable given shared geography, FLN focus, and government-embedded model.
• Educate Girls: India-based nonprofit working on enrollment, retention and learning outcomes for girls in rural government schools, including numeracy; comparable as a field-driven NGO delivering government-school interventions with community engagement.
• Kaivalya Education Foundation: Indian education nonprofit focused on leadership and pedagogical quality in government schools, including FLN-aligned teacher development; comparable as a peer foundation working with state education systems on foundational learning.
• EkStep Foundation: India-based nonprofit behind open-source education infrastructure (Sunbird platform, ILI/vision tools) and FLN work; comparable for its open-source, government-integrated approach to foundational learning technology.

Direct peers

• Pratham Education Foundation: One of India's largest education NGOs, similarly focused on foundational literacy and numeracy in government schools, with comparable ASER-aligned assessment work and large-scale volunteer-driven programmes across multiple states.
• Room to Read: Global nonprofit focused on literacy and girls' education, with explicit numeracy and early-grade reading programmes that have been independently evaluated for at-scale impact; directly comparable mission and methodology.

Broad incumbents

• Azim Premji Foundation: India's largest education-focused philanthropy, operating across school education, teacher capacity, and EdTech through the Vikaspedia/Fountainhead platforms; comparable because it funds and runs foundational learning programmes in government schools at national scale.
• Bharti Foundation: Corporate-led foundation running Satya Bharti Schools and rural education programmes across multiple Indian states; comparable as a multi-state government-school-focused education nonprofit with CSR-style funding.
• Central Square Foundation: India-focused philanthropy that funds and operates FLN, EdTech, and school leadership programmes with government systems; comparable as a funder and operator in the same Foundational Literacy and Numeracy policy space in which Akshara works.

Regional players

• ASER Centre (Pratham's assessment arm): India-based research and assessment organization that conducts the Annual Status of Education Report (ASER), on which Akshara's own Vaijayanti leads the Karnataka state chapter; deeply comparable as the de facto national FLN assessment ecosystem Akshara plugs into.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/aksharadotorg
• GitHubgithub.com/klpdotorg
• YouTubeyoutube.co/user/AksharaFoundation
• Facebookfacebook.com/aksharadotorg
• Instagraminstagram.com/aksharadotorg

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Akshara Foundation