Byju Raveendran Behind BYJU`s Learning App
Name | Byju Raveendran |
Profession | Entrepreneur, Teacher |
Known for | Founder of Byju`s |
Height (approx.) | 180 cm |
Weight (approx.) | 80 kg |
Date of Birth | Year, 1980 |
Age (as of 2024) | 44 |
Birthplace | Azhikode, Kerala |
Nationality | Indian |
Religion | Hindu |
Marital Status | Married |
Spouse Name | Divya Gokulnath |
Children | 1, Son – Nish |
Father | Raveendran (Physics Teacher) |
Mother | Shobhanavalli (Mathematics Teacher) |
Brother | Younger Brother Riju, Director at Byju`s |
Sister | None |
Education Qualification | B.Tech in Mechanical Engineering |
Hobbies | Playing Football, Cricket and Table Tennis |
Net Worth | $250 crore as of 2021 |
We all heard of Midas’ touch, some wonder how, where, when and what to do. We think the simplest way to achieve this feat is entrepreneurship.
Well, when this word comes to our mind straight driven to, large capital investment from huge investors (angel investors), a lot of planning, ready revenue plans, marketing strategies, great team players, a huge employee base, human resources, and several other proven bench markings.
Here we will talk about the BYJU learning app & its Founder Byju Raveendran.
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One would have never thought of someone who could create a multimillion-dollar start-up on his own using his non-perishable skills. Yes, we are talking about teaching here.
Many of us have taught at least once or twice in our entire life. But never thought of creating huge empire-like Conglomerates with simple teaching. One such genius is Mr Byju Raveendran.
The founder of the BYJU’s, BYJU’s classes & BYJU learning app. Remember those ads featuring the king of Bollywood Shah Rukh Khan playing the role of a common, cultural & concerned father talking to his son/daughter to get prepared for exams in conventional ways, and Kids giving responses in vivid ways of learning from Mobile applications, yeah that’s BYJU learning app.
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The Idea Behind BYJU Learning App
BYJU’s start-up name came from the first name of its very founder Mr. Byju Raveendran. He has forged his huge legacy hailing from a small village named Azhikode in the Kannur district of Kerala.
Byju was born in 1981 to a Malayalam school teacher couple. Byju’s early life started at the same school where his parents used to teach.
He has completed his earlier education at the same Malayalam School. In childhood, he was good at mathematics and showed pretty good interest as well.
He has a wider inclination towards sports as well, which was well accepted by his parents, he mostly football and cricket, and his interest in sports helped him learn English on his own from the sports commentary.
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Later he completed his engineering from GCE (Government College of Engineering) Kannur, after which like several others he got a job (a good one) and went to the UK.
Later, during 2005-2006, he paid a visit in the short term to see his friend who was at that time preparing for CAT. He assisted them with preparation and also filled up his form as well, which resulted in a perfect 100 percentile.
BYJU learning app may have thought that 100 Percentile was by fluke, but he again came back and appeared again and this time again bingo (perfect 100 Percentile), He was not interested at all in IIMs.
He got his interest now lined up to help students crack the prestigious CAT; he started teaching for free and then the number of students started piling up and soon it crossed nothing like 20,000 at a time; he became a leading celebrity in the teaching world.
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Current Valuation of BYJU Learning App
He could have settled there and kept teaching in the same format, but he has a different perspective and wants to widen his gaze to a bigger extent.
So he started a company (Think & Learn Pvt. Ltd.) in 2011 and his journey began as a prodigal millionaire. In 2015 he launched BYJU’s The Learning App. Which soon hit 50,000 downloads per day and clinched the mark of 5.5 million downloads.
This company’s current valuation stands mammoth at 3.6 Billion US $. Mr. Byju has been featured in several magazines and he is on the list of 100 Billionaires in India and youngest as well and stands at 72nd position.
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He was also featured in Fortune Magazine 2020 (‘40 under 40’) list under the technology category.
BYJU is the only Asian company in which Mark Zuckerberg’s Foundation with his wife Chan-Zuckerberg Foundation invested 50 Million US $.
The current valuation of BYJU’s Learning App is reported to be around $200 million as of January 2024. This marks a significant drop from its peak valuation of $22 billion in March 2022, representing a 99% decline.
Here’s a quick breakdown of Byju’s valuation journey:
- June 2020: Achieved “decacorn” status with a valuation of over $10 billion.
- March 2022: Raised $800 million, reaching a peak valuation of $22 billion.
- January 2024: Secured $200 million at a significantly reduced valuation of $225 million.
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Several factors contributed to this drastic decline in Byju’s valuation
- Declining investor confidence: Concerns about Byju’s financial performance and the broader tech sector led to investor skepticism.
- Financial issues: Delayed financial reports and missed interest payments fueled concerns about the company’s financial health.
- Strategic shift: Questions arose about the impact of Byju’s aggressive acquisition strategy on its long-term sustainability.
It’s important to note that these are estimates, and the actual valuation may vary depending on the source and methodology used.
The Real success story of BYJU revolves around some key points from a Business management perspective.
That’s a new case study for Business management students.
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1. BYJU Beginning
BYJU started by training graduates and undergraduates to tame their aptitude.
But sooner the teaching goes beyond that to focus on absolute basic, which goes all the way to our school students, the lowest section of our education system, the very basic form where mainline education starts.
Every child goes to school and most of them take tuition. Here comes the BYJU’s. In the age of smartphones instead of playing games, children started studying on smartphones and parents do like that.
This strategy is based on the concept of using the known as a necessity.
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2. Great Marketing Strategy
Roping in Shah Rukh Khan as a Brand Ambassador is the key aspect of its quick success. The actor is a father in real life and also brings up a warm feeling of being a concerned father for their child’s education.
The advertisement itself has gathered a lot of parents opting for BYJU for their children, children need smartphones and parents need their children to study, and both get what they want with BYJU.
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3. Ease of Access
Learning from the comfort of your smartphone at your time of convenience and place is a new high in the set of education. It captures the concept of learning anytime, anywhere, and has a great impact on vast media.
4. Interactive Learning
Indian schooling and the primary education system have an old-fashioned teaching module, which has not risen in contrast with rising technology.
BYJU captured that well, and with its interactive, personalized, and visual effect teaching module was a great hit, and now it keeps enhancing with newer techniques.
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5. Concept of Learning with Play
Byju himself is a sports enthusiast, and he emphasizes that sports play a better part of your daily routine. Sports like table tennis teach you to control your aggression and to keep patience and perseverance in the course of life.
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6. Hiring Young Mind
The success of BYJU revolves around another feature of hiring young grads straight from Engineering colleges. Byju’s belief in young age, fresh talent instead of experienced guys. BYJU offers excellent packages to college grads, the average employee age at BYJU is 24 years.
Building a great team of highly enthusiastic, motivated, and efficient backend forces.
7. BYJU’s Moto of Appreciation
Backend and frontend employees are well balanced and maintained in terms of appreciation, package, and rewards. BYJU believes in appreciating at times instead of de-motivating and hauling as the opposite in contrast to the conventional corporate working style.
This is a major reason for a low attrition rate and higher work output.
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8. High Motivation for Employees
Thousands of engineers now working under the Flag of BYJU are motivated with appraisal and evaluation based on a market analysis of their value. This is one such great difference BYJU has maintained to excel in quick time.
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9. Covering all Dimensions at the Right Time
BYJU has stepped into all teaching formats, starting from primary schooling of all central and state boards to JEE, NEET, CAT, UPSC, IBPS, and SSC and now going international to train for GRE and GMAT
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10. Major Acquisitions
BYJU acquired the main players in the market of online education and gaming content.
BYJU acquired TutorVista (including Edurite) from Pearson in 2017, OSMO (a US-based children’s educational gaming platform) in 2018, White Hat Jr an Indian start-up in 2019, and according to reports BYJU’s now acquiring Akash Education Service for nearly 1 Billion $, which would be the world largest EdTech acquisition.
BYJU’s momentarily moving ahead in quick time is what we have seen as its success mantra, and this has been driven by young, highly motivated, and enthusiastic Mr. Byju Raveendran.
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Great ideas and their timely execution built up a success story…
Net Worth of Byju Raveendran
The net worth of Byju Raveendran, the founder and CEO of Byju’s Learning App, is estimated to be around $100 million as of February 2024. This represents a significant decline from his peak net worth of $3.6 billion in July 2022.
The decline in Raveendran’s net worth is primarily due to the sharp drop in the valuation of Byju’s. As mentioned earlier, the company’s valuation has fallen from $22 billion in March 2022 to $200 million in January 2024.
Here are some of the factors that have contributed to the decline in Byju’s valuation
- Declining investor confidence: Concerns about Byju’s financial performance and the broader tech sector have led to investor skepticism.
- Financial issues: Delayed financial reports and missed interest payments have fueled concerns about the company’s financial health.
- Strategic shift: Questions have been raised about the impact of Byju’s aggressive acquisition strategy on its long-term sustainability.
It’s important to note that these are estimates, and the actual net worth of Byju Raveendran may vary depending on the source and methodology used.
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Interesting Facts About Byju Raveendran
Beyond the financial aspects of Byju Raveendran, here are some interesting facts about him that offer a glimpse into his personality and journey:
Byju Raveendran Early Life and Education:
- Both his parents were teachers, which likely ignited his passion for education at a young age.
- He skipped classes but learned effectively at home, demonstrating independent learning skills.
- Despite unconventional methods, he scored a perfect 100% in the CAT exam, showcasing his exceptional aptitude.
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Byju Raveendran Entrepreneurial Journey:
- After working as an engineer, he transitioned to coaching students, following his true calling.
- He began by teaching friends and neighbors, demonstrating a humble start to his successful venture.
- He translated complex concepts into engaging stories and animations, revolutionizing traditional learning methods.
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Philanthropy and Recognition of Byju Raveendran:
- He established the “Education for All” initiative to offer free education to underprivileged children.
- He received the EY Entrepreneur of the Year Award, recognizing his impact on the ed-tech industry.
- He is often featured as a motivational speaker, sharing his journey and encouraging young entrepreneurs.
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Other Interesting Facts about Byju Raveendran:
- He secured the Indian cricket team jersey sponsorship, showcasing his passion for the sport.
- He married Divya Gokulnath, who plays a crucial role in Byju’s success, highlighting their collaborative spirit.
- He remains an avid reader and learner, emphasizing the importance of lifelong learning.
These are just a few interesting facts about Byju Raveendran. His journey from a passionate teacher to a leading ed-tech entrepreneur is an inspiration, and his commitment to improving education continues to impact millions of lives worldwide.
Who is Byju Raveendran and His Wife Divya Gokulnath: FAQ
Who is Byju Raveendran
BYJU’s start-up name came from the first name of its very founder Mr. Byju Raveendran. He has forged his huge legacy hailing from a small village named Azhikode in the Kannur district of Kerala. Byju was born in 1981 to a Malayalam school teacher couple. Byju’s early life started at the same school where his parents used to teach.
Where is Byju Raveendran From
Azhikode in Kannur district of Kerala
Byju Raveendran has forged his huge legacy hailing from a small village named Azhikode in the Kannur district of Kerala. Byju was born in 1981 to a Malayalam school teacher couple. Byju’s early life started at the same school where his parents used to teach.
How Old is Byju Raveendran
41, as of year 2021
Byju Raveendran is 1981 born. So as of 2021, he is 40 years old.
Net Worth of Byju Raveendran
As per reports net worth of Byju Raveendran in 2021 is $250 crore.
Net Worth of Byju’s Company
$8 Billion as of year 2021
As per reports, Byju’s Company’s net value as of the year 2021 is $8 billion. Byju’s Company has investors like Mark Zuckerberg and Tencent.
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