[Funding] EdTech Startup SOAL raises funds from Munjal Auto Promoters

The School of Accelerated Learning (SOAL) is a skill-tank edtech that aims to bridge the employment gap in the country. In a recent development, the startup has raised an undisclosed amount from the investment arm of the promoters of Munjal Auto.

With the funds, the company aims to invest in expanding to emerging economies, said CEO and founder, Raj Desai. It will also use the fund to expand its proprietary technology platform - DELTA, an AI learning assistant.

About SOAL

Found in 2017, the edtech company has seen an 8x rise in its students. In the last 6 months alone, they have launched a new course in Product Design. Also, they now have a new campus in Mumbai. Through its quick iteration to online learning, it has effectively met the need of the hour of providing undisrupted education. Nearly 400+ individuals have been nurtured by the school so far, getting placed at global product companies like Dunzo, ClearTax, ShopClues, FactSet, and more.

It is also gearing up to offer programs in Product Management, Artificial Intelligence, Android Development, Blockchain, etc. The startup has campuses emerging across the country. With it, it now intends to identify the potential of top product enthusiasts from India’s next half billion and accelerate their careers.

The founders Pratik Agarwal, Raj Desai, and Varsha Bhambhani-Kanwal aim to solve the glaring double-pronged employment-skill gap caused by a financially exclusive, outdated education system that focuses on credentialing rather than skilling. The startup has backing from Zeta, T-Hub & IIIT-H.

The founders, alumni of ISB, Dev Bootcamp (USA), and IIM-B, had launched SOAL with a project-driven course in Product Engineering. Back then, they aimed to resolve the gap in quality education. Today, the institute develops the whole gamut of on-the-job skills - relevant tech, superior logic, and soft skills in their learners. Taking it a notch higher, they’ve also recently solved for inclusion by offering income share agreements to their learners from diverse socio-economic strata.

From the investor

Speaking on the investment round, Anuj Munjal, SARA Investments - Investment Wing of Munjal Auto Industries, said:

“India has substantial potential to capitalize owing to its massive population. Unfortunately, the discrepancies in the country’s formal education system keep it from fully tapping into this talent prospect. The country is still considerably lagging behind the global standards of contemporary education and innovation. And digital is the only way forward. Thus, the youth needs to hone their skills in this direction. The founding team at SOAL has made a brilliant headway in transforming the country’s youth into aspiring creators of digital products, and I wholeheartedly share their splendid passion.”