Supernova, an EdTech startup that offers interactive live quizzes on CBSE topics, has raised $1.1 million in a pre-seed funding round led by Lumikai, a venture capital firm focused on gaming and interactive media.
The round also saw participation from Kae Capital, All In Capital, Goodwater Capital, and strategic angel investors such as Nandan Reddy and Phani Kishan (Founders of Swiggy), Nitin Gupta (Founder of PayU and Uni), Prashant Aggarwal (Ex-Chief Executive of Gaana), and Tanay Tayal (Founder of Moonfrog Labs).
Founded by Maharishi RB, Anirudh Coontoor, and Nawin Krishna in 2021, Supernova offers interactive live quizzes, bite-sized lessons, and worksheets on CBSE curriculums to kids aged 4 to 12. It aims to redefine the current passive forms of learning by making learning more fun and engaging.
Supernova currently focuses on math but it said that they are also experimenting with other subjects such as science and space. The company claims to enhance math skills in 30-minute sessions.
Commenting on the funding, Maharishi RB, Co-founder of Supernova, said,
“Today’s kids are born into a world of smartphones and highly engaging digital experiences, so they look for the same levels of engagement from their learning experiences. As a result, education is undergoing a generational shift towards user-centricity. We aim to be at the forefront of this change by providing high-quality and fun learning for most kids, which is also affordable and effective. The only way to achieve this is through fundamental innovation. Our product is a fresh take on EdTech that leverages the power of interactivity and systems of play. We are rethinking everything from pedagogies to price points to distribution channels. This funding round will help us go a long way with this much-needed disruption.”
The company said it will use the fresh capital to further develop and scale its product to incorporate multiplayer formats, strengthen its leadership team and deploy strategies that will amplify product lead user acquisition over the next 18 months.
Justin Shriram Keeling, Founder General Partner, Lumikai Fund, said,
“We believe that systems of play and gaming best practices have the potential to unlock massive disruption in ed tech. Supernova is taking a first-principles approach to a massive opportunity with a new platform that re-imagines kids’ education by leveraging the power of experiential, game-based “learning by doing”. We’re excited to be partnering with Rishi, Anirudh, and Nawin at an early stage, and look forward to supporting them with our deep gaming expertise and network on their critical mission to bring in-demand pedagogies to a much wider audience in delightful and fun ways.”
