Edtech Startup CollegeDekho Acquires PrepBytes To Expand Its Upskilling Vertical

Edtech startup CollegeDekho has acquired Delhi-NCR based PrepBytes in a cash and equity deal to expand its learning and upskilling vertical CollegeDekho Learn. 

The Gurugram-based startup is expected to witness a 4x revenue growth in 2022 compared to its last year’s numbers, CollegeDekho said in a statement.  

Founded in 2015 by Ruchir Arora, Rajiv Singh, Saurabh Jain and Rohit Saha, CollegeDekho caters to around 50% of all college searches in India. It has facilitated more than 300,000 college applications and ensured over 60,000 admissions since its inception. 

CollegeDekho would utilise PrepBytes’ platform to further enhance CollegeDekho Learn. PrepBytes will be able to capitalise on CollegeDekho’s huge reach while foraying into non-coding courses as well, according to the startup. 

“PrepBytes adds the vocational element to our rapidly growing Learn business. This will also mark our first foray in providing placements related services to our students,” said Ruchir Arora, cofounder and CEO, CollegeDekho.

Founded in 2019 by Aditya Bhushan Verma and Mamta Kumari, PrepBytes is a learning platform providing personalised coding courses to engineering students. It claims its placement guarantee programs help students get placed in IT/software/internet companies.  

“CollegeDekho and PrepBytes share a common vision to improve the quality of education and make students industry-ready. We are excited to take this journey ahead and help students to have a successful career through our learning segment,” said Mamta Kumari, cofounder and CEO, PrepBytes.

CollegeDekho runs multiple businesses across student enrollment, study abroad, online learning, education lending and is looking at more avenues for inorganic growth. It claims to have counselled more than 2 Mn students and has helped over 1,000 colleges with their student recruitments. 

Before this deal, CollegeDekho had acquired a couple of startups and raised funding to scale its online learning vertical. In February 2022, CollegeDekho Group acquired Getmyuni and IELTSMaterial in a deal valued more than INR 50 Cr. 

In December last year, CollegeDekho announced the closure of its Series B funding raising $35 Mn (INR 260 Cr) with investments from Disrupt ADQ and QIC. 

It raised $26.5 Mn in Series B funding round in September last year from Winter Capital Partners, ETS Strategic Capital, Calega and existing investors Man Capital and Rajeev Chaba.

Meanwhile, coding and placement preparation startup PrepBytes raised an undisclosed amount of funding in February 2021 from an early-stage venture capital firm Equanimity Ventures. 

CollegeDekho competes with edtech startups such as LeverageEdu, CollegeDunia, Careers360, Shiksha, Embibe among others in more than $750 Mn edtech industry in India. The sector is expected to reach $4 Bn by 2025 at a CAGR of 39.77%, as per a report by India Brand Equity Foundation.

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