Bengaluru: Traditional coaching classes are making way for online learning. India’s edutech industry is evolving into a more data-driven and innovative segment, where start-ups are syncing the industry with user needs.
Bengaluru-based start-up Oliveboard is a pioneer in the online competitive exam preparation space in India. Founded in 2012 by Abhishek Patil and Satish Kumar, former employees of InMobi, the start-up has revolutionised the online preparation market for MBA, banking and government exams.
“India is the largest public-sector test preparation market in the world, valued at over $3 billion,” says Abhishek Patil, CEO and Co-founder, Oliveboard. “As internet and smartphone penetration increase in India, we have the opportunity to help more aspirants prepare for coveted exams like RBI Grade B, SEBI, SBI PO & Clerk, IBPS PO & Clerk, EPFO, UPSC, CAT, CMAT, etc. Our focus is on offering easily accessible and affordable tutorials. About 79 per cent of our five million subscribers is from tier-2 and tier-3 cities, where the dearth of good coaching institutes has usually been a limiting factor. Our target is to hit 50 million users over the next three years while supporting over 100 different courses,” he maintains.
Currently, Oliveboard is present in more than 1900 cities and towns, across 29 states and seven union territories in India. As a leading online test preparation platform for more than 50 graduate-level India-specific competitive exams, Oliveboard offers a unique, adaptive learning platform that personalises education. It helps users benchmark their performance against candidates across India, while the adaptive engine identifies weak areas that need remedial action.
From live video sessions and textual lessons to mock tests and customised study planners, Oliveboard empowers aspirants to crack the competitive exams with confidence. The course materials are designed by toppers and experts, whereas data analytics ensures instant feedback on practice tests. One of the popular features is the gamified live practice platform that helps students collaborate and compete with friends in live sessions.
Students are encouraged to evaluate the course by taking free tests and viewing free videos before joining. Learning can happen anytime and anywhere – on computers, laptops, apps on smartphones.
Oliveboard has raised funds from India Educational Investment Fund (IEIF), an early-stage impact investment funded by the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation. The company currently has over five million registered users on the Oliveboard platform and close to four million downloads of its mobile app.