Navars Edutech, an astronomy and space EdTech startup that caters to school students, has raised new funding in an angel round led by FAAD Network.
While the company did not disclose the amount, it reportedly said that it will use the new funds primarily for marketing and expansion in India and global markets.
Founded in 2015 by Sravan Varma Datla and Shanthala Gopal, and incorporated in 2019, Navars Edutech offers online astronomy courses, Do-It-Yourself astronomy kits, planetarium shows on school premises, and astronomy labs and experience centers for school students from grade 1 to 12. It also hosts the National Science & Astronomy Olympiad (NASO) that has seen participation from over 50,000 students across 13 countries.
According to Sravan Varma Datla, Co-founder and CEO of Navars Edutech, astronomy has gained traction with its inclusion in National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and with recent announcements and accomplishments by the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO).
Navars offers 27 courses, some of which include Young Astronomer (Basic and Advanced), Junior Astronaut (Basic, Standard, and Advanced), Space Explorer Program, Space Adventurer Program, Rocket Making Mastery, Satellite Making, and Telescope Making among others. The company claims to have conducted 100,000+ hours of training sessions with over 5,000 students from five different countries.
Commenting on the funding, Aditya Arora, CEO at FAAD Network, said, “Navars Edutech perfectly fits into the theme for us by teaching astronomy and space technology courses to students from class 4 to 12. We see the adoption picking up and believe in the competence of the team to deliver on the ground.”
FAAD Network was founded in 2015 by Karan Verma and Dinesh Singh, who started the company by providing an array of startup services such as legal, content services and public relations, business documentation, and co-founder matchmaking. The company set up its angel network in late 2019. FAAD Network has a sector-agnostic approach but is building its focus on education technology, online gaming, and healthcare and wellness. It also aims to invest in startups that engaged in augmented reality/virtual reality technologies, and digital apps. The network’s investments include Huviair, a cloud-based productivity enhancement platform for the construction and mining industry; Blue Smart, an electric taxi-hailing and riding platform; and Saarthi, an educational platform that helps aspirants to prepare for government jobs.
Navars Edutech aims to create a platform for students who want to be part of the astronomy club and explore astronomy concepts. Dreaming of a day when a good number of students choose astronomy as their subject (like math, science, and commerce) and career, the platform aims to lay the foundation for those generations. It aims to bring astronomy clubs, Astro kits, astronomy curriculum online courses, and astronomy Olympiads in school curriculum to elevate young astronauts.
