Hobit, an interactive learning platform for non-academic skills, has recently raised INR 4 crore in a seed round led by Research Capital’s Douglas Penny, a largest investment banking firm of Toronto, Canada. The funding round also witnessed participation from ex Global CEO of Bookings.com (Stoffer Anko Norden). Startup Lanes, Marwari Catalysts and IVY Growth Associates played an important role in growth of the company, according to the press statement.
The firm will use the funds to strategically allocate for strengthening the technology & product, penetrating the UAE and US market, user base expansion, strengthening the team, and accelerating its growth in order to expand its footprint in India and international markets.
Co-founded by Gaurav Dua, Arpit Tyagi, and Lakshay Rohilla in 2020, Hobit is addressing the market for extracurricular activities/hobbies for working professionals and homemakers where people learn from the industry’s top-notch artists through Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning. The platform enables the users to access prerecorded modules and live video sessions with the topmost tutors across the world. The learners and educators platform gives users a chance to get access to content and modules in the form of live video sessions of various hobbies of their Interest. It aims to bring most of the hobbies under one roof on HOBIT Application. Currently, the startup has 17 hobbies on board.
Speaking about the company, Co-founder & CEO of Hobit, Gaurav Dua, said:
Our goal is to help you learn in the best way possible, across categories and mediums. The next decade will see new paradigms of learning and for this, we’re building a new model of community and learning that is a fundamental evolution of ed-tech.
The company claims to have impacted more than 2 lakhs lives in India and UAE by helping users pursue their favourite hobby. It offers 360-degree solutions, empowering skills, knowledge, and bringing to life the dreams of potentially hundreds of millions of students from all walks of life across the nation. Hobit has developed a leveled curriculum with leading artists as well as pedagogy experts, and the courses are delivered online in live classes by experienced educators and award-winning artists, in the convenience of home.
Adding further about the platform, Co-founder & COO, Arpit Tyagi, said:
In today’s era, the biggest challenge for home makers & working professionals is not getting enough possible time to pursue their hobbies. Hobit helps them to pursue their hobby at their convenient time and place with the help of artificial intelligence and machine learning.
Lakshay rohilla, Co-founder & CTO further commented:
Hobit has seen tremendous growth in the past one year, Our community of like-minded individuals is seeing high engagement with average conversation started within the platform with each other is 3 minutes and platform is having 20+ minutes average user engagement time.
In February 2022, Hobit had raised $200,000 in a seed round of funding from strategic investors including Vaibhav Mittal, Varun Hangloo, Rachit Poddar, Rajesh Gupta, Sharad Todi, IVY Growth Associates, and Marwari Catalysts Ventures.
