Shaktimaan.ai Bags Funding To Help UPSC Aspirants Prepare With AI-Powered Platform

Artificial Intelligence (AI)-powered edtech startup Shaktimaan.ai has bagged $2 Mn in a seed funding round led by Y Combinator. 

The funding round also saw participation from Fundersclub, GoodWater Capital, Jar founders Misbah Ashraf and Nishchay AG, and several other angel investors. 

In a statement, Shaktimaan.ai said it will use a large chunk of the fresh funding to build a large language model trained for diverse use cases to enhance the capabilities and adaptability of its platform.

Founded in 2023 by Vimal Singh Rathore and Aseem Gupta, the startup claims to provide a discipline-inducing learning ecosystem which provides personalised learning and mentorship to UPSC aspirants. The startup aims to reach the milestone of serving the first 1 Lakh UPSC aspirants by the end of this year. 

Commenting on the goals of the startup, cofounder Rathore said, “Shaktimaan is our answer to the challenges of affordability and accessibility of excellent education in India. The prospect of making a real difference keeps our entire team driven and inspired.”

Currently, the startup offers real-time doubt resolution and personalised feedback with detailed evaluations based on the answers given by the students. It aims to personalise learning modules to make them more engaging and accessible for aspirants. 

The funding round comes at a time when generative AI has taken the world by storm following the success of OpenAI’s ChatGPT. From Swiggy to ixigo, a number of Indian startups have also jumped on the generative AI bandwagon.

Speaking about the potential of AI, Rathore said, “When I encountered GenAI last year, it struck me that this could be a game-changer in education, particularly in a nation like ours where quality teaching is often beyond reach.”

The fundraise also comes at a time when the Indian startup ecosystem is going through a meltdown of sorts. While the troubles of giant BYJU’S are well-documented by now, other startups in the sector are also reeling under the impact of the ongoing funding winter and mounting losses.

While multiple edtech startups like Udayy and Lido have shut shops since last year, others have resorted to mass layoffs to cut costs. As per Inc42’s layoff tracker, Indian edtech startups, including BYJU’S, Unacademy and Vedantu, have laid off over  9,871 employees since last year.

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