Byju’s acquires coding startup co for $300m

WHITEHAT JR. helps kids aged 6 to 14 years build commercial-ready games, animations and apps online using the fundamentals of coding. The startup offers four levels of courses to children grades 1 to 9.

Leading ed-tech company Byju’s has acquired Mumbai-based ed-tech start-up, WhiteHat Jr for $300 million. With the National Education Policy pushing for skills such as coding, this will provide Byju’s a major boost.

Founded in November 2018, WhiteHat Jr specializes in coding. With coding fast emerging as a key skill for the future, this integration will help Byju’s to further expand its offerings. This partnership is timely with the government pushing skills such as coding from early classes with the New Education Policy (NEP) 2020, Byju’s said in a release.

WhiteHat Jr has presence in India and the US. It had recently announced plans to expand to other global markets like Canada, UK, Australia and New Zealand.

According to sources, the coding platform was acquired in an all-cash deal of $300 million.

After the acquisition, Byju’s will make significant investments in WhiteHat Jr’s technology platform, product innovation while expanding the teacher base to cater to demand from new markets. WhiteHat Jr. founder Karan Bajaj will continue to lead and scale this business in India and the US.

WhiteHat Jr. helps kids aged 6 to 14 years build commercial-ready games, animations and apps online using the fundamentals of coding. WhiteHat Jr. offers four levels of courses — beginner, intermediate, advanced and professional — for students in grades 1-9. Kids create complex games, animations and apps using logic, structure, sequence, commands and algorithmic thinking. Early graduates of the course have created professional-ready apps downloadable on the App Store at ages as young as seven years old, claims Byju’s.