The Purpose Academy
The Purpose Academy is a Bangalore-based youth leadership and social entrepreneurship mentoring program founded in 2018, operating under 1M1B to mentor high school students at international schools across India and Singapore through social impact projects, UC Berkeley immersion, and UN HQ showcases.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2018
- HeadquartersBangalore, India
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What The Purpose Academy does
The Purpose Academy (TPA) is a Bangalore, India-based youth leadership and social entrepreneurship mentoring program founded in 2018 and operating as a program under the 1M1B (One Million for One Billion) initiative. It serves high school students enrolled at international schools across India and Singapore, delivering bespoke social impact projects paired with world-class mentorship, corporate tours, participation in the 1M1B Activate Impact Summit at UN Headquarters, and immersive on-campus learning at UC Berkeley through a partnership with the Sutardja Center for Entrepreneurship & Technology (SCET) formalized in April 2021.
The program's offering is a single curated educational experience rather than a technology product. There is no proprietary platform; delivery is human-led by a roster of faculty and advisor mentors including Mark Searle and Manav Subodh (UC Berkeley SCET), Elizabeth Saunders (Innovation Acceleration Group), Erik Solheim (former UN Environment Executive Director), and Ralph Guggenheim (Pixar co-founder). Since inception TPA claims to have mentored 500+ students through 400+ social impact projects, with student-raised funds exceeding ₹50 lakh. Projects span agriculture (drone and ML-based crop disease detection), healthcare (CPR training for frontline workers), financial literacy for laborers, women entrepreneurship, zero-budget farming, and revival of traditional Indian crafts.
TPA generates revenue through educational program fees charged to participating families, with pricing not publicly disclosed. Distribution is direct-to-consumer via a website-based Google Forms application, supplemented by word-of-mouth, parent and alumni testimonials, earned media coverage in major Indian publications, and social channels (LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube). The company's GTM is community-led and event-driven, anchored on the credibility of its UC Berkeley and UN HQ affiliations and the social-emotional appeal to parents seeking differentiation for college applications.
The Purpose Academy firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- The Purpose Academy
- Legal name
- The Purpose Academy
- Website
- https://thepurposeacademy.asia
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2018
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- The Purpose Academy is a Bangalore-based youth leadership and social entrepreneurship mentoring program founded in 2018, operating under 1M1B to mentor high school students at international schools across India and Singapore through social impact projects, UC Berkeley immersion, and UN HQ showcases.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
The Purpose Academy industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Youth Leadership Education
- NAICS
- Educational Support Services (611710)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Leadership, Character Education & Values Development (EDAMAIAG)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Advanced Project-Based Learning & Portfolio Mentoring (STEM/arts portfolios, maker projects) (EDANAKAI), Community Development & Social Impact Programs (EDAIAGAA)
Keywords
Where The Purpose Academy is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Bangalore
- HQ country
- India
- HQ region
- Asia
Offices1 record
Markets served
The Purpose Academy business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Educational Program Fees: The academy generates revenue through fees for its educational mentorship program that provides bespoke projects, world-class mentoring, corporate tours, UN summit participation, and UC Berkeley campus learning experiences for high school students.
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels5 records
The Purpose Academy product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Purpose Academy delivers a structured mentorship program for high school students focused on social entrepreneurship, technology application, and innovation. The program combines bespoke social impact projects, world-class mentoring from global experts, corporate tours, immersive on-campus learning at UC Berkeley, and participation in the 1M1B Activate Impact Summit at the UN Headquarters. Students design and execute measurable social impact projects addressing issues such as sustainable agriculture, financial literacy, women's empowerment, healthcare, and rural development.
Product overview
The Purpose Academy is a single unified educational program focused on mentoring high school students to become responsible leaders through social entrepreneurship. The program combines bespoke student projects, community engagement, world-class mentoring, corporate tours, participation in the 1M1B Activate Impact Summit at the UN HQ, and immersive on-campus learning at UC Berkeley. Students develop and execute social impact projects with mentorship from global experts.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- The Purpose Academy Program A youth leadership and social entrepreneurship mentorship program for high school students from international schools in India and Singapore. The program combines bespoke social impact projects, world-class mentoring, corporate tours, participation in the 1M1B Activate Impact Summit at the UN Headquarters, and immersive on-campus learning at UC Berkeley. Designed for high school students seeking real-world impact experience, college application differentiation, and mentorship from global industry leaders.
Quantifiable outcome
- 500+ students mentored since 2018
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use The Purpose Academy
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
The Purpose Academy technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
The Purpose Academy partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- UC Berkeley SCET (Sutardja Center for Entrepreneurship & Technology)coreThe Sutardja Center for Entrepreneurship & Technology at UC Berkeley has partnered with The Purpose Academy to prepare high school students to become responsible business leaders. The partnership enables immersive on-campus learning experiences at UC Berkeley and provides access to faculty and industry mentors including Mark Searle and Manav Subodh.
- 1M1B (One Million for One Billion)coreThe Purpose Academy is a program by 1M1B, an organization focused on nurturing social innovation and leadership. 1M1B runs the Activate Impact Summit which provides TPA students the opportunity to present their projects at the UN Headquarters.
- Innovation Acceleration Group (IAG)coreInnovation Acceleration Group partners with The Purpose Academy and UC Berkeley SCET to engage the brightest high school students in entrepreneurship and social impact programs.
- MerakiminorMeraki is an organization that works with rural art forms and artisans. Partnered with TPA student Syonaa Nair for Project Kalamkari Meraki to revive the Kalamkari art form and provide market linkage for artisans.
- Plastic Revolution FoundationminorErik Solheim, CEO of Plastic Revolution Foundation and former Executive Director of UN Environment, serves as a mentor to TPA students.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
The Purpose Academy competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Enactus: Global student-led social entrepreneurship organization operating in universities and increasingly high schools across 30+ countries. Highly comparable to TPA: structured programs, mentor networks, project-based impact competitions, and corporate sponsorship model.
- The Knowledge Society (TKS): Global youth program training high-school and university-age students in emerging technology, entrepreneurship, and problem-solving. Closely comparable to TPA in target demographic, project-based pedagogy, and emphasis on mentors.
- Global Citizen Year: Bridge-year / leadership fellowship for graduating high school students focused on social impact, intercultural competency, and purpose-driven development. Highly comparable to TPA on cohort model, leadership framing, and social-impact projects.
- Harvard Pre-College Program: Harvard's two-week residential summer program for high school students focused on leadership, college preparation, and intellectual exploration. Directly comparable to TPA's positioning around prestige-institution access and selective enrichment.
- BETA Camp: Bootcamp-style program for teen founders building startups and social-impact ventures. Comparable on youth entrepreneurship focus, mentor-driven model, and selective cohort admissions for high school students.
- Stanford Pre-College Summer Program: University-affiliated summer academic and leadership enrichment for high school students. Comparable on the model of monetizing elite-university brand to deliver enrichment to college-bound teens globally.
- Yale Young Global Scholars (YYGS): Elite university-hosted summer enrichment program for high-achieving high school students. Directly comparable to TPA on the UC Berkeley partnership dimension — both sell prestigious, selective, project-driven enrichment experiences to college-bound international students.
- Ashoka Young Changemakers: Ashoka's youth social entrepreneurship program that equips young people to launch social-impact ventures, with mentor networks and changemaker cohorts. Closely mirrors TPA's leadership + social-entrepreneurship thesis and project-based structure.
Emerging players
- Inspirit AI: Online AI-focused program for high school students offering project-based learning with mentors from top universities. Comparable to TPA's project-based, mentor-led enrichment model but narrower in subject-matter focus (AI only).
Regional players
- Make A Difference (MAD): India-based youth leadership and education NGO operating mentorship and life-skills programs for young people. Regionally comparable to TPA in India-based youth development, though serves under-resourced youth rather than international-school families.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
The Purpose Academy social profiles
Digital presenceThe Purpose Academy financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
The Purpose Academy leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles10 records
The Purpose Academy funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
The Purpose Academy M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about The Purpose Academy
What does The Purpose Academy do?
The Purpose Academy delivers a structured mentorship program for high school students focused on social entrepreneurship, technology application, and innovation. The program combines bespoke social impact projects, world-class mentoring from global experts, corporate tours, immersive on-campus learning at UC Berkeley, and participation in the 1M1B Activate Impact Summit at the UN Headquarters. Students design and execute measurable social impact projects addressing issues such as sustainable agriculture, financial literacy, women's empowerment, healthcare, and rural development.
Is The Purpose Academy a public or private company?
The Purpose Academy is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was The Purpose Academy founded?
The Purpose Academy was founded in 2018. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is The Purpose Academy based?
The Purpose Academy is headquartered in Bangalore, India, in the Asia region.
How does The Purpose Academy make money?
One revenue line is on record: educational Program Fees.
Who are The Purpose Academy's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Enactus, The Knowledge Society (TKS), Global Citizen Year, Harvard Pre-College Program, BETA Camp, Stanford Pre-College Summer Program, Yale Young Global Scholars (YYGS) and Ashoka Young Changemakers. Inspirit AI is listed as an emerging player. Make A Difference (MAD) is listed as a regional player.
Does The Purpose Academy have an API?
No public API is recorded for The Purpose Academy.
What industry is The Purpose Academy in?
The Purpose Academy's product category is Youth Leadership Education. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAMAIAG, Leadership, Character Education & Values Development, with a secondary code of EDANAKAI, Advanced Project-Based Learning & Portfolio Mentoring (STEM/arts portfolios, maker projects). Its NAICS code is 611710 and its SIC code is 8200.