Summary of Proposed Investment
Project Number
10307
Company Name
LEARNING UNIVERSE PRIVATE LIMITED
Date SPI Disclosed
Jun 12, 2000
Country
India
Industry
Health, Education and Life Sciences
Projected Board Date
Jul 13, 2000
Status
Completed
Sector
Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools
Department
Regional Industry - MAS Asia & Pac
Environmental Category
C - No Impact
Previous Events
Approved : Oct 17, 2000
Signed : Dec 14, 2000
Invested : Dec 27, 2000
Project Description
The proposed investment would be IFC’s first investment in a web-based education company. The project consists of investing up to US$250,000 of equity in the second round of capitalization of Learning Universe Private Limited (LU), a company based in Delhi, India, which owns eGurucool.com, an education portal. eGurucool aims to provide an on-line ‘learning universe’ to students in India through an optimized integration of technology, content, and training.
Learning Universe aims at capitalizing on the ability of technology to deliver high quality education at a lower cost via the use of the Internet. The Internet has inherent advantages as it can reach widely scattered schools and students with quality content and input. The interactivity of the medium and its ability to customize content make on-line education seem to be the way forward with two-way flow of information between students, teachers, counselors, schools, and others.
eGurucool.com has a comprehensive range of content. This includes academic curricula for schools through tailored tutorials, tutoring and testing for competitive examinations, academic content for graduate studies, career counseling, and a 24-hour on-line help-line for students appearing for board exams. The Company plans to host various school accounts in its server to create a large education network. These schools would offer and share courses, tests and mock board exams on-line, as well as build up a community based on which students can obtain percentile rankings on their performance in various tests and exams. While most schools will be charged for these services, eGurucool is seeking ways of accessing funds and free computer equipment to be installed in poorer schools in both metropolises and remote areas. eGurucool is already offering some government schools with free websites and other services. The Company is in discussion with state education boards to further expand such services to public schools.
Through its involvement in eGurucool.com, IFC would play a pioneering role by investing and assisting in the formation of a start-up web-based education company in India focused on using the Internet to improve both the access and content of education material. For new companies like LU, IFC’s presence in the project lends credibility, especially in its dealings with schools, state and national education boards.
Learning Universe aims at capitalizing on the ability of technology to deliver high quality education at a lower cost via the use of the Internet. The Internet has inherent advantages as it can reach widely scattered schools and students with quality content and input. The interactivity of the medium and its ability to customize content make on-line education seem to be the way forward with two-way flow of information between students, teachers, counselors, schools, and others.
eGurucool.com has a comprehensive range of content. This includes academic curricula for schools through tailored tutorials, tutoring and testing for competitive examinations, academic content for graduate studies, career counseling, and a 24-hour on-line help-line for students appearing for board exams. The Company plans to host various school accounts in its server to create a large education network. These schools would offer and share courses, tests and mock board exams on-line, as well as build up a community based on which students can obtain percentile rankings on their performance in various tests and exams. While most schools will be charged for these services, eGurucool is seeking ways of accessing funds and free computer equipment to be installed in poorer schools in both metropolises and remote areas. eGurucool is already offering some government schools with free websites and other services. The Company is in discussion with state education boards to further expand such services to public schools.
Through its involvement in eGurucool.com, IFC would play a pioneering role by investing and assisting in the formation of a start-up web-based education company in India focused on using the Internet to improve both the access and content of education material. For new companies like LU, IFC’s presence in the project lends credibility, especially in its dealings with schools, state and national education boards.
Sponsor / Cost / Location
Development Impact
Related ESRS/ERS
Contacts
For Inquiries About the Project, Contact
Vivek Agarwal
Learning Universe Pvt. Ltd.
Piccadilly House
4th Floor
275/276 Capt. Gaur Marg
Sriniwaspuri, Okhla
New Delhi - 110065
Tel - 91 11 692 6326