In section Startups & Technology

Unacademy Sold to Rival upGrad at 94% Discount from Peak Valuation

The acquisition of Unacademy by rival upGrad for $206 million marks a staggering retreat for the Indian edtech sector, representing a 94% drop from the startup’s $3.44 billion valuation in 2021. The all-stock deal brings an end to the independent journey of one of the country's most prominent online learning platforms.

Unacademy Sold to Rival upGrad at 94% Discount from Peak Valuation

Co-founder and CEO Gaurav Munjal confirmed the deal on X, noting that while the company maintained approximately $94.8 million in cash reserves and reached near-profitability across its business segments, leadership opted for the merger to accelerate scaling efforts. The transaction includes the entire Unacademy group—including PrepLadder and Graphy—and the language-learning app Airlearn. The Unacademy brand will remain intact, and Munjal will continue to lead the unit under the upGrad umbrella.

This consolidation reflects a broader cooling of India’s edtech market, which saw explosive growth during pandemic-era lockdowns followed by a painful retraction as physical classrooms reopened. Unlike the collapse of industry giant Byju’s, which recently entered insolvency after its valuation plummeted to zero, Unacademy chose to exit while still operational. UpGrad co-founder Ronnie Screwvala stated that no layoffs are planned for the 1,000-person workforce, signaling a strategic focus on integrating Unacademy’s online reach with upGrad’s established offline presence.

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