Indian edtech firm Simplilearn raises $45 million from GSV Ventures, others

• Simplilearn offers digital skilling programmes to professionals, enabling learners to upskill.
  
• Clal Insurance and DisruptAD ADQ’s venture platform also participated in this round.
  
• The startup added more than 120,000 paid B2C learners, and over 100,000 enterprise learners on its platform in the last one year.
  

Indian edtech company Simplilearn raised $45 million from a consortium led by GSV Ventures, a multi-stage venture capital firm on Wednesday, November 16.

In addition to GSV Ventures, Clal Insurance, and DisruptAD, ADQ’s venture platform also participated in this round.

“With immense experience investing and working with education firms around the world, it is certain that the demand for knowledge-gain and upskilling is omnipresent. Like many other sectors, technology is disrupting education, and edtech has been a key focus area for us,” Deborah H Quazzo, managing partner, GSV Ventures said.

Simplilearn offers digital skilling programmes for professionals, enabling learners to upskill and get certified in fast-growing digital domains. It has collaborated with global institutions like Caltech CTME, MIT Schwarzman College of Computing, UMass Amherst and the Isenberg School of Management.

The startup which was founded in 2010, has added more than 120,000 paid B2C learners, and over 100,000 enterprise learners on its platform in the last one year. This is in addition to over 2 million free learners that it adds to its SkillUp platform every year, the company said in a press release.

“We continue to witness the accelerated need for digitally skilled workforce across industries. The Blackstone investment last year came at an ideal time to boost our growth globally, and further strengthen our customer-centric approach. Today, we are excited to partner with GSV Ventures, a globally recognized investor with a strong track record in the education sector. This funding came at a time when the industry is going through turmoil,” Krishna Kumar, founder & CEO of Simplilearn, said.

Avendus continues to be an exclusive financial advisor to Simplilearn and its shareholders on the transaction.

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