India’s top online education technology platform, Physics Wallah, has recently acquired UAE-based K-12 online learning platform Knowledge Planet for an undisclosed sum, marking its first international acquisition.
With this acquisition, Physics Wallah is looking to expand across the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region in the coming year. It will also invest an undisclosed amount in the Dubai-based EdTech company. EY acted as the advisor for this deal, according to a report.
The Delhi-based startup said in a statement while it will leverage Knowledge Planet’s school partnership machinery to reach students in UAE, Knowledge Planet will benefit from PW’s tech stack to strengthen its online and hybrid offerings. It will offer SAT (Scholastic Aptitude Test) preparation courses for students looking to move abroad for higher education in the Middle East.
Founded in 2011 by Monika Oli and Sachin Bharti Gupta, Knowledge Planet provides test preparation and training for major competitive exams such as JEE and NEET. Within seven years of the institution’s existence, the platform has fast emerged as the most trusted Entrance Exam preparation institute, with one of the fastest growth in student numbers over the last few years for any institute in the entire Gulf region. It has more than 2000 students from various Indian schools in the UAE studying with the startup at its education centres in Dubai, Sharjah, Abu Dhabi and Ajman.
Commenting on the acquisition, Founder & CEO of Physics Wallah, Alakh Pandey, said:
We are delighted to announce our very first international acquisition in the UAE. With 13 centres operating across the Middle East and a well-established school partnership model, Knowledge Planet, the most trusted exam preparation network, is the perfect brand to champion our foray into this promising market. This is a critical milestone in PW’s journey, and we are excited to welcome students from this region into the PW family.
As part of the deal, Knowledge Planet’s founders will continue to lead the startup and scale its operations in the GCC region.
Chief Executive Officer of Knowledge Planet said:
We are well-aligned with Alakh Pandey’s vision to offer high-quality education at scale in the Middle East. Our combined expertise will be able to add immense value to the test prep segment in UAE.
Started as a bootstrapped company in mid-2020 by Alakh Pandey and Prateek Maheshwari, Physics Wallah strives to develop a comprehensive pedagogical structure for students, where they get a state-of-the-art learning experience with study material and resources. Apart from catering for students preparing for JEE/NEET, the platform also provides study material for each state board, like Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and others. The startup focuses on making the learning experience as economical as possible for all students.
Last month, Physics Wallah and the e-learning platform Utkarsh Classes formed a joint venture to provide academic training and course offerings in various categories. The startup has also acquired firms such as online medical entrance tests coaching platform PrepOnline and exam preparation books publisher Altis Vortex, doubt-solving and resource management startup FreeCo, and upskilling startup iNeuron.ai.
