“SuperProfs,
enables students pursue their career ambitions by helping them ace competitive
exams”, Piyush Agrawal,
Co-founder & CEO, SuperProfs
enables students pursue their career ambitions by helping them ace competitive
exams”, Piyush Agrawal,
Co-founder & CEO, SuperProfs
 |
| Piyush Agrawal, Co-founder & CEO, SuperProfs |
Startup Bureau:
When did you decide to take the path of ‘entrepreneurship’ as your career? Do
you remember any special incident?
When did you decide to take the path of ‘entrepreneurship’ as your career? Do
you remember any special incident?
Piyush Agrawal: While doing my schooling in Bhopal, which is also my
hometown, I always felt that students in non-metro cities face a disadvantage
in terms of preparing for competitive exams due to lack of experienced
teachers. Throughout my college education at IIT Kanpur and later at Stanford
University, I worked towards developing technologies which could help us in
solving grass root problems of the society. I always felt that although cutting
edge technologies were being developed in university labs, there was lack of
adoption of these technologies, especially in emerging countries like India.
During one of my visits to India while I was doing my postgraduate program at
Stanford University, I got a chance to interact with a number of teachers in
metro cities who wanted to reach out to the masses and impart quality
education, but were not able to do so due to lack of infrastructure and scale.
This led me to start my own venture with a vision to make quality education
accessible to masses using technology.
hometown, I always felt that students in non-metro cities face a disadvantage
in terms of preparing for competitive exams due to lack of experienced
teachers. Throughout my college education at IIT Kanpur and later at Stanford
University, I worked towards developing technologies which could help us in
solving grass root problems of the society. I always felt that although cutting
edge technologies were being developed in university labs, there was lack of
adoption of these technologies, especially in emerging countries like India.
During one of my visits to India while I was doing my postgraduate program at
Stanford University, I got a chance to interact with a number of teachers in
metro cities who wanted to reach out to the masses and impart quality
education, but were not able to do so due to lack of infrastructure and scale.
This led me to start my own venture with a vision to make quality education
accessible to masses using technology.
Startup Bureau:
Can you briefly tell us more about your startup?
Can you briefly tell us more about your startup?
Piyush Agrawal:
SuperProfs,
enables students pursue their career ambitions by helping them ace competitive
exams like CA, CS, CMA, UPSC, Banking, SSC and GATE. SuperProfs provides
comprehensive preparation for these exams through Video lectures, Mock Tests
and Assessments and Personalized Guidance. We have helped over 5 Lakh students
along the path of their dream careers in last 2 years.
SuperProfs,
enables students pursue their career ambitions by helping them ace competitive
exams like CA, CS, CMA, UPSC, Banking, SSC and GATE. SuperProfs provides
comprehensive preparation for these exams through Video lectures, Mock Tests
and Assessments and Personalized Guidance. We have helped over 5 Lakh students
along the path of their dream careers in last 2 years.
SuperProfs provides high
quality and personalized Coaching from India’s Best Faculties at their home or
vicinity, at a very low cost compared to face-to-face classes. Students can
prepare for these exams through their Website (SuperProfs.com) and Mobile &
Desktop App. As of today we have 500+ courses, around 200+ professors from top
institutes teaching with us and students from 800+ cities.
quality and personalized Coaching from India’s Best Faculties at their home or
vicinity, at a very low cost compared to face-to-face classes. Students can
prepare for these exams through their Website (SuperProfs.com) and Mobile &
Desktop App. As of today we have 500+ courses, around 200+ professors from top
institutes teaching with us and students from 800+ cities.
Startup Bureau:
How big is your team at present? Are you planning to increase your team
size?
How big is your team at present? Are you planning to increase your team
size?
Piyush Agrawal:
During our
first year of operations, we had a team of 10 people. Today, we are about 50.
In terms of the team size, we are firm believers of running a lead
organization, with the help of technology and automation. As we grow to more
exam segments & acquire more students, we see the team growing to about 100
people in next 2 years.
During our
first year of operations, we had a team of 10 people. Today, we are about 50.
In terms of the team size, we are firm believers of running a lead
organization, with the help of technology and automation. As we grow to more
exam segments & acquire more students, we see the team growing to about 100
people in next 2 years.
Startup Bureau:
Did you get any funding for your startup? Are you planning to attract funding
in the near future?
Did you get any funding for your startup? Are you planning to attract funding
in the near future?
Piyush Agrawal:
We bootstrapped the company for the
first 2 years before raising any funding. One of the biggest learnings during
this period was that people will pay you only if you have a painkiller for them.
It is very difficult to extract money out of Indian customers for good-to-have
products. We had to do a few pivots to finally arrive at the solution which was
solving a real business need for which customers were willing to pay. Had we
been not flexible towards learning from the market, I don’t think we would ever
have been able to survive.
We bootstrapped the company for the
first 2 years before raising any funding. One of the biggest learnings during
this period was that people will pay you only if you have a painkiller for them.
It is very difficult to extract money out of Indian customers for good-to-have
products. We had to do a few pivots to finally arrive at the solution which was
solving a real business need for which customers were willing to pay. Had we
been not flexible towards learning from the market, I don’t think we would ever
have been able to survive.
We raised the first round of funding (about Rs. 3 Cr.)
from Indian Angel Network and another round of funding (about Rs. 18 Cr.) later
from IDG Ventures and Kalaari Capital. The first round of funding was utilised
towards developing the technology and on-boarding the first 100 B2B customers.
Part of it was also utilised later towards pivoting from a B2B model to a B2C
model and developing technical and marketing expertise for the same. The second
round of funding was mostly used to scale up the B2C business.
from Indian Angel Network and another round of funding (about Rs. 18 Cr.) later
from IDG Ventures and Kalaari Capital. The first round of funding was utilised
towards developing the technology and on-boarding the first 100 B2B customers.
Part of it was also utilised later towards pivoting from a B2B model to a B2C
model and developing technical and marketing expertise for the same. The second
round of funding was mostly used to scale up the B2C business.
Startup Bureau:
What challenges do you face in your daily professional life?
What challenges do you face in your daily professional life?
Piyush Agrawal:
The
biggest challenge today (which is also an opportunity for us) is to induce
confidence and trust amongst students in tier 2/3/4 cities and towns on
internet based learning methodologies. Conventionally, the internet
connectivity in these areas have been very poor, due to which the learning
experience often gets compromised. However, today, on one side the Internet
connectivity and coverage is improving due to roll out of 3G and 4G services,
cutting edge technologies being developed by companies like SuperProfs are
improving the learning experience for the remote learner. We believe that very
soon, the experience and the end result of internet based learning
methodologies will surpass the conventional face-to-face classroom experience, leading to
an inflection point for the online education industry.
The
biggest challenge today (which is also an opportunity for us) is to induce
confidence and trust amongst students in tier 2/3/4 cities and towns on
internet based learning methodologies. Conventionally, the internet
connectivity in these areas have been very poor, due to which the learning
experience often gets compromised. However, today, on one side the Internet
connectivity and coverage is improving due to roll out of 3G and 4G services,
cutting edge technologies being developed by companies like SuperProfs are
improving the learning experience for the remote learner. We believe that very
soon, the experience and the end result of internet based learning
methodologies will surpass the conventional face-to-face classroom experience, leading to
an inflection point for the online education industry.
Startup Bureau:
How do you see yourself in next 2 years from now?
How do you see yourself in next 2 years from now?
Piyush Agrawal: As compared to most other
players in the EdTech industry who are targeting school going students, we are
targeting college students and graduates, along with working professionals.
This market segment has higher paying capacity and decision making freedom.
Most importantly, students who are studying in college or are doing a
part-time/full-time job cannot relocate to metro cities or attend face-to-face
classes due to financial and geographical constraints. Although around 40
million students appear for the exams being targeted by us today (including
UPSC, CA, GATE etc.), less than 1 million of them are able to relocate to metro
cities and afford the expensive form of exam preparation. We are working
towards penetrating deeper into tier 2/3/4 markets by offering our high quality
online courses in regional languages, on-boarding more regional experts and
offering courses for other related exams including job related certifications
which make these college students more employable.
players in the EdTech industry who are targeting school going students, we are
targeting college students and graduates, along with working professionals.
This market segment has higher paying capacity and decision making freedom.
Most importantly, students who are studying in college or are doing a
part-time/full-time job cannot relocate to metro cities or attend face-to-face
classes due to financial and geographical constraints. Although around 40
million students appear for the exams being targeted by us today (including
UPSC, CA, GATE etc.), less than 1 million of them are able to relocate to metro
cities and afford the expensive form of exam preparation. We are working
towards penetrating deeper into tier 2/3/4 markets by offering our high quality
online courses in regional languages, on-boarding more regional experts and
offering courses for other related exams including job related certifications
which make these college students more employable.
Startup Bureau:
What are your hobbies in your personal life? Which is your favorite holiday
destination?
What are your hobbies in your personal life? Which is your favorite holiday
destination?
Piyush Agrawal:
In my free time, I like to explore
different new technologies that can help in the development in the education
sector. Some of my other hobbies include reading and watching movies. I like
volunteering for NGO work as well. My favourite holiday destination is Jodhpur.
In my free time, I like to explore
different new technologies that can help in the development in the education
sector. Some of my other hobbies include reading and watching movies. I like
volunteering for NGO work as well. My favourite holiday destination is Jodhpur.
Interviewed by Startup Terminal Bureau
