The US$11-billion Byju’s juggernaut heads to US shores

Byju’s roster of products now stretches from interactive games for preschoolers to test-prep packages for competitive exams, made possible by a litany of acquisitions. But even as the decacorn makes a beeline for western frontiers, it still hasn’t cracked product-market fit

Byju’s recent acquisition, coding startup WhiteHat Jr, is its sharpest arrow in the quiver for its US entry

But cracking the US market won’t be easy; Byju’s strategy of acquisition over building will be put to test

Not only do Indian and American students learn differently, they also desire different learning outcomes

WhiteHat Jr and the new Byju’s Classes will have to find their own niche, audience, and price points

There is an urban legend that circulates within the corridors of Byju’s, India’s largest edtech company. Every employee has heard it. What’s more, given the decidedly hierarchical and centralised organisational structure, every employee believes it to be true.

Rumour has it that before Byju Raveendran, the eponymous founder, acquires a company, he puts it through a litmus test. If Byju’s son likes the product, the legend goes, he buys the company. That’s how WhiteHat Jr, India’s fastest growing coding startup, was scooped up scooped up The Ken Decoding Byju’s $300-million acquisition of WhiteHat Jr Read more by Byju’s for a cool US$300 million in June 2020.

AUTHOR

Olina Banerji

Based in Delhi, Olina writes about mega-trends in urban mobility, education, skilling and the environment, with a focus on how institutions and innovations can help cities grow sustainably. She is a graduate of the London School of Economics, and has worked previously with India Today and global non-profit Ashoka.

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