Unacademy

Corporate brand

Indian online education platform providing digital courses, live instruction and preparation for competitive examinations.

Last updated October 14, 2026

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First read: Nov 4, 2026
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Overview

Unacademy is an Indian educational-technology company headquartered in Bengaluru. Its platform connects learners with educators through live and recorded online classes, subscription programs, test series and examination-preparation content. The company serves students preparing for a wide range of Indian examinations and academic goals, including the Union Public Service Commission examination, engineering and medical entrance tests, government recruitment examinations, banking and other professional assessments. The business began with a YouTube channel created by Gaurav Munjal in 2015 while he was an engineering student in Mumbai. Munjal initially uploaded a computer-graphics tutorial to help fellow students prepare for university examinations. Later that year, he joined with Hemesh Singh and Roman Saini to develop an app intended to provide more interactive educational content. The initial free-content model evolved into a subscription business. In 2019, Unacademy introduced Unacademy Plus, a paid offering built around access to educators, live classes and structured examination preparation. The company reported an annual recurring revenue figure of US$30 million in 2019 and attracted substantial venture investment, including direct backing from Facebook. Unacademy expanded through acquisitions and adjacent products. It acquired WiFiStudy in 2018, bringing in an established examination-preparation platform. In 2020 it acquired or integrated businesses including Kreatryx, CodeChef, PrepLadder, Mastree and Coursavy. These transactions broadened its reach across technical examinations, competitive programming, postgraduate medical preparation and civil-service preparation. Mastree's operations were later shut down. In the same period, Unacademy launched Graphy, a technology platform intended to let educators and institutions create and operate online schools. The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the company's digital-education activity. In 2020, Unacademy made its platform available to schools and colleges seeking to conduct live classes remotely. It also introduced Legends on Unacademy, a lecture and engagement format featuring athletes, business leaders, public figures, academics and other prominent speakers. The company subsequently pursued a hybrid strategy: in 2022 it opened its first offline learning centre in Kota, Rajasthan, followed by centres in cities including Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru. Unacademy has also pursued social-impact and public-sector initiatives. Educate India, launched in 2021 with support from Feeding India, was described as providing free one-year subscriptions to 10,000 children. Its Shikshodaya initiative, introduced later in 2021, aimed to support the education of more than 500,000 girls across India. The company has signed memoranda of understanding with Indian state governments concerning support for meritorious students preparing for examinations such as K-12 assessments, IIT-JEE, NEET-UG and defence examinations. The company has faced operational and reputational challenges typical of a rapidly expanding digital platform. In 2020 it confirmed a security incident involving user data after reports that information from millions of accounts had appeared for sale online. It has also faced criticism over educator removals, layoffs and contract suspensions during the 2022 funding slowdown, as well as controversies involving examination content and platform conduct rules. A separate legal dispute concerned allegations that PrepLadder had copied intellectual property associated with Medical Joyworks' Prognosis application; an initial civil-court order was subsequently stayed by the Bombay High Court. Unacademy remains a privately held Indian edtech business. The company was reported in reference material as having reached a valuation of approximately US$3.44 billion in 2021–2022 and having raised about US$860 million by 2021, although those figures are historical estimates rather than current financial disclosures. Reference material also describes a proposed all-stock acquisition by upGrad in March 2026. Because that transaction was described as a term sheet rather than a completed acquisition, Unacademy's present ownership should be treated as unconfirmed.

History

Unacademy originated as a YouTube education channel created by Gaurav Munjal in 2015 while he was an engineering student in Mumbai. Munjal's initial computer-graphics tutorial was designed to help peers prepare for semester examinations. He later joined with Hemesh Singh and Roman Saini, and the three founders launched an application in December 2015 focused on free, interactive learning content. The company gradually moved from an open content model toward a structured commercial platform. In 2018 it acquired WiFiStudy, a Jaipur-based examination-preparation service. In 2019 it launched Unacademy Plus, a subscription product centered on live classes, educator access and examination preparation. The same year brought significant investment activity and reported recurring revenue growth. Facebook became a direct investor, making Unacademy one of the earliest Indian edtech companies to receive such backing. Expansion accelerated in 2020. Unacademy acquired Kreatryx, which focused on GATE and ESE preparation, and also acquired or integrated CodeChef, PrepLadder, Mastree and Coursavy. These additions extended the brand into competitive programming, postgraduate medical entrance preparation and UPSC preparation. Mastree's operations were later discontinued. Unacademy also launched Graphy, a separate technology product designed to help educators and institutions establish online schools. The pandemic created a major growth opportunity for digital education. Unacademy opened its technology to schools and colleges for live remote teaching and created Legends on Unacademy, a program featuring lectures from sports figures, executives, public officials, academics and other public personalities. The initiative helped position the company as both an examination-preparation service and a broader educational media platform. In 2021, Unacademy continued its acquisition strategy by purchasing TapChief, Rheo TV and Swiflearn. It also introduced Educate India, which was described as offering 10,000 children free one-year subscriptions with support from Feeding India. Later that year it launched Shikshodaya, an initiative intended to support more than 500,000 girls. The company also entered partnerships and memoranda of understanding with Indian state governments to assist meritorious students preparing for school and competitive examinations. Unacademy became a founding member of the India EdTech Consortium in 2022. That year it began moving beyond a purely digital model by opening a first offline centre in Kota, a major Indian coaching hub, followed by centres in Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru. The hybrid approach sought to combine the scale and convenience of online education with the structure of physical classrooms. The company has faced several controversies. A 2020 breach report concerned the exposure of data associated with millions of users; Unacademy acknowledged the incident while stating that sensitive information had not been compromised. In 2021, Medical Joyworks sued over alleged copying by PrepLadder, and an initial civil-court order restricted use of the disputed material before the Bombay High Court stayed that order. The company was criticized in 2021 over test-series questions described by complainants as religiously biased or anti-national. In 2022, layoffs and educator contract suspensions drew scrutiny amid a difficult funding environment. In 2023, the termination of educator Karan Sangwan after comments about voting for educated politicians became a prominent public controversy. Reference material reports that Unacademy had been valued at roughly US$3.44 billion in 2021–2022 and had raised around US$860 million by 2021. It also describes a March 2026 term sheet under which upGrad would acquire the company in an all-stock transaction. Since the latter was presented as a proposed transaction rather than a completed deal, the company's current ownership and post-transaction status require verification.

2022
Offline learning expansion begins
[1]Unacademy — Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org
The company opens its first physical learning centre in Kota and later expands to other Indian cities.
2021
Social-impact initiatives expand
[1]Unacademy — Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org
Unacademy launches Educate India and Shikshodaya to widen access to digital education.
2020
Graphy launches
[1]Unacademy — Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org
Unacademy launches a platform for creating and managing online schools.
2019
Unacademy Plus launches
[1]Unacademy — Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org
The company introduces its subscription-based learning model.
2018
WiFiStudy acquisition
[1]Unacademy — Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org
Unacademy acquires WiFiStudy, expanding its online examination-preparation operations.
2015
Unacademy is founded
[1]Unacademy — Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org
Gaurav Munjal, Hemesh Singh and Roman Saini launch the Unacademy app after Munjal's earlier educational YouTube channel.

Products and positioning

Large-scale Indian digital learning and competitive-examination platform combining educator-led live classes, subscription access, test preparation and an expanding offline centre network.

Subscription education platform · 2019
Unacademy Plus
Unacademy Plus is the company's paid learning service. It provides subscribers with access to structured courses, live and recorded lessons, educator-led instruction and examination-preparation resources. The offering was introduced in 2019 as Unacademy shifted from primarily free digital content toward recurring subscription revenue.
Competitive-examination preparation
UPSC preparation
Unacademy provides courses, live classes, study materials and tests for the Union Public Service Commission examination and related civil-service preparation. The offering includes educator-led instruction across general studies, optional subjects and other components of the examination pathway.
Engineering entrance preparation
IIT-JEE preparation
The platform offers online preparation for IIT-JEE and related engineering entrance examinations. Its format combines classroom-style live teaching, recorded lessons, practice questions, revision content and mock examinations delivered through the Unacademy digital platform and, in some markets, physical centres.
Medical entrance preparation
NEET and medical preparation
Unacademy offers preparation for NEET-UG and other medical examinations through lessons, test programs and educator-led courses. Its acquisition of PrepLadder expanded the group's presence in medical education, including postgraduate medical entrance preparation.
Education technology infrastructure · 2020
Graphy
Graphy is a platform launched by Unacademy to help educators and organizations create online schools. It is positioned as infrastructure for publishing courses and managing digital learning businesses rather than solely as a learner-facing examination-preparation service.
Physical education centres · 2022
Offline learning centres
Beginning with Kota in 2022, Unacademy developed physical learning centres in major Indian education markets. The centres represent a hybrid model intended to combine digital course access with in-person teaching, classroom routines and local student support.

Controversies

2023
Karan Sangwan termination controversy
Educator Karan Sangwan was dismissed after a video in which he urged students to vote for educated candidates became widely circulated. Unacademy cited its conduct rules, while political figures and commentators criticized the decision.
Source
2022
Layoffs and educator contract suspensions
Unacademy faced criticism after reducing staff and suspending educator contracts during the technology-sector funding downturn.
Source
2021
PrepLadder intellectual-property lawsuit
Medical Joyworks alleged that PrepLadder copied proprietary elements from its Prognosis application. An initial Bombay civil-court order restricted use of the disputed materials, but the Bombay High Court later stayed that order.
Source
2020
User-data breach
A hacking incident was reported to have exposed data connected to millions of Unacademy accounts. The company acknowledged the incident and said that sensitive information had not been compromised or misused.
Source

2021Educate India
India
With support from Feeding India, Unacademy described an initiative providing free one-year subscriptions to 10,000 children.
Outcome. Improved access to the platform for a targeted group of children.
Source
2021Shikshodaya
India
The initiative aimed to support educational access for more than 500,000 girls across India.
Outcome. Established a large-scale gender-focused education access goal.
Source
2020Schools and colleges live-learning access
India
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Unacademy opened its platform to schools and colleges seeking to continue teaching through live online classes.
Outcome. Expanded use of the platform for institutional remote learning.
Source
2020Legends on Unacademy
India
A lecture and engagement program brought athletes, business figures, public officials, academics and other notable personalities to the platform.
Outcome. Broadened Unacademy's public profile beyond conventional test preparation.
Source

Brand decisions

2026
Proposed upGrad acquisitionM&A
Background
Reference material describes a proposed transaction intended to combine two Indian education-technology businesses.
Action taken
upGrad signed a term sheet for a proposed all-stock acquisition structured as a 100% share swap.
Aftermath
The transaction was described as proposed rather than completed; Gaurav Munjal was expected to continue leading Unacademy.
Source
2022
Move toward hybrid educationStrategy
Background
Following rapid digital adoption during the pandemic, Unacademy pursued greater physical presence in India's coaching markets.
Action taken
It opened a first offline centre in Kota and subsequently added centres in Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru.
Aftermath
The business adopted a combined online and offline delivery model.
Source
2020
Expansion into education infrastructureStrategy
Background
The company sought to serve educators and institutions in addition to individual examination candidates.
Action taken
Unacademy launched Graphy, a platform for creating and managing online schools.
Aftermath
The group broadened its business model beyond direct learner subscriptions.
Source
2019
Shift to subscription learningStrategy
Background
Unacademy sought to convert its free digital-content audience into a recurring-revenue learning business.
Action taken
It launched Unacademy Plus with paid access to structured courses, live educators and examination preparation.
Aftermath
The subscription model became a central part of the company's commercial offering.
Source

Recent events

2022.03.11
Reported2022.03.11
Unacademy announces its first offline store in New Delhi[3]Unacademy宣布在新德里开设首家线下体验店thehindubusinessline.com
Unacademy announced that its first offline experience store in India, at Pusa Road in New Delhi, would officially open on March 12 at 10 AM.
2022.02.23
Reported2022.02.23
Unacademy launches Unacademy Icons learning product[4]Unacademy推出Unacademy Icons学习产品economictimes.indiatimes.com
Unacademy launched Unacademy Icons, an annual-subscription learning product initially priced at Rs 299, with an interactive cricket course developed by Sachin Tendulkar and his brother Ajit.
2021.11.02
Reported2021.11.02
Unacademy announces acquisition of Swiflearn[5]Unacademy 宣布收购 Swiflearndeccanherald.com
Unacademy announced its acquisition of Swiflearn, an online platform providing live online tuition for school students. The acquisition amount was undisclosed.
2021.08.02
Reported2021.08.02
Unacademy announces $440 million funding round[6]Unacademy宣布完成4.4亿美元融资business-standard.com
Unacademy announced that it had raised USD 440 million in a funding round led by Temasek, with participation from General Atlantic, Tiger Global, Softbank Vision Fund, Aroa Ventures and others. The round valued Unacademy Group at USD 3.44 billion.
2021.07.26
Reported2021.07.26
Unacademy acquires Rheo TV[7]Unacademy收购Rheo TVinc42.com
Unacademy announced that it had acquired Rheo TV, a platform for professional game streamers to livestream gameplay and monetize the streams. The deal enables the exit of all existing investors.
2021.07.26
Reported2021.07.26
Unacademy announces acquisition of Rheo TV[8]Unacademy宣布收购Rheo TVglamsham.com
Unacademy announced that it had acquired game-streaming platform Rheo TV; the report also states that the deal would fully acquire Rheo TV and enable all existing investors to exit.
Unconfirmed
Reported2021.02.16
Unacademy acquires majority stake in TapChief[9]Unacademy收购TapChief多数股权economictimes.indiatimes.com
Unacademy acquired a majority stake in TapChief in a deal valuing TapChief at Rs 100 crore and providing an exit to existing investors. Unacademy said the acquisition would enable it to build Unacademy Pro.
Unconfirmed
Reported2020.11.25
Unacademy raises fresh investment[10]Unacademy获得新一轮投资thehindubusinessline.com
Unacademy raised an undisclosed investment round from Tiger Global Management and Dragoneer Investment Group, valuing Unacademy Group at $2 billion.
2020.09.24
Unacademy acquires Coursavy[11]Unacademy收购Coursavymoneycontrol.com
Unacademy said it had acquired Coursavy, a platform for Union Public Service Commission examination preparation. The financial terms were not disclosed.
Unconfirmed
Reported2020.09.02
Unacademy raises $150 million in funding[12]Unacademy获得1.5亿美元融资thenewsminute.com
Unacademy raised $150 million in a funding round led by SoftBank Vision Fund 2, with existing investors also participating. The round valued Unacademy at $1.45 billion.

Sources27 sources

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