Unacademy Success Story: 5 Growth Lessons for Every Entrepreneur

Introduction

In the dynamic world of Indian edtech, Unacademy has carved a distinct niche as one of the country’s most influential learning platforms. Founded in 2015 by Gaurav Munjal, Roman Saini, and Hemesha Singh, Unacademy began as a humble YouTube channel. What started with educational videos evolved into a full-fledged digital learning ecosystem empowering millions across India.

“Solving and disrupting education is as big a problem as Tesla inventing electric cars… The impact we can create is huge.” — Gaurav Munjal

With a focus on competitive exams, skilling, and now the broader creator economy, Unacademy has scaled rapidly, both in scope and ambition. As of 2024, the platform has served over 100 million learners and collaborated with more than 60,000 educators. Its diversified strategy includes key acquisitions like PrepLadder, Relevel, Graphy, and Spayee, aimed at consolidating capabilities and addressing multiple learner segments.

Unacademy achieved unicorn status in September 2020 after raising $150 million in a round led by SoftBank, reaching a valuation of $1.45 billion

By August 2021, it peaked at a $3.44 billion valuation after a $440 million Series H round. However, by late 2024, Unacademy’s valuation reportedly dropped to around $800 million, reflecting the changing tides in the edtech funding landscape. Despite valuation fluctuations, Unacademy continues to be a force in Indian education, driven by product innovation, a creator-first mindset, and an unwavering belief in transforming how India learns.

Origin Story

Unacademy officially launched in 2015, but its roots trace back to a humble YouTube channel created by Gaurav Munjal in 2010. What started as a few educational videos soon evolved into a bold mission shared by co-founders Roman Saini, Hemesh Singh, Sumit Jain, and Sachin Gupta — to democratize education and make it accessible to every Indian learner.

In the early days, the team recognised a gaping void in India’s education system. Traditional institutions were expensive, inefficient, and failed to deliver real outcomes. “98% of colleges are doing a poor job when it comes to education and placements,” said Gaurav Munjal. “Solving education is as big a problem as Tesla inventing electric cars.”

Unacademy began by bringing India’s top educators online, offering live interactive classes, structured courses, and test preparation tools for competitive exams. But the team soon realised their real power lay in enabling creators, not just students.

“We were creators before we became founders. We understood the psyche of educators—and we wanted them to have the best platform to teach, earn, and grow,” — Gaurav Munjal

This creator-first mindset sparked a series of strategic acquisitions:

• WiFiStudy for its YouTube marketing prowess
• PrepLadder for premium medical coaching
• TapChief, Graphy, and Spayee to empower the creator economy
• Relevel, which aims to reimagine college education

Unacademy didn’t chase acquisitions for revenue. “We’re not private equity players—we’re builders. We acquire unique capabilities or great teams,” said Munjal. This philosophy helped Unacademy transform from a learning app into a full-fledged edtech ecosystem.

“If we provide great education, people get jobs, people can literally change the orbit of their lives,” — Gaurav Munjal

From its origin as a passion project to becoming one of India’s most valuable edtech companies, Unacademy’s story is defined by bold pivots, product innovation, and an unwavering belief in the power of learning to uplift lives.

Business Landscape and Early Challenges

Unacademy was founded in 2015 by a group of passionate entrepreneurs—Gaurav Munjal, Roman Saini, Hemesh Kumar Singh, Sumit Jain, and Sachin Gupta—with a bold mission to transform India’s education landscape. What started as a YouTube channel by Roman Saini, an IAS officer-turned-educator, soon evolved into a comprehensive edtech platform aiming to democratize access to quality education for millions across the country.

The founders identified a massive gap in affordable and accessible learning resources, especially for competitive exams and skill development. As Gaurav Munjal explains,

“We believe education in India today is expensive and inefficient. Our goal was to build a platform where anyone can learn from the best educators, anytime, anywhere.”

Unacademy’s growth was fueled by a relentless focus on creating a creator-first ecosystem, empowering educators to build their own brands and reach millions. This creator-centric approach was unique in the Indian edtech market, helping the platform attract top talent and diverse course offerings, from K-12 to government exams and professional skill-building.

The Unacademy success story is also one of strategic acquisitions, including companies like WiFiStudy, PrepLadder, TapChief, Relevel, and Graphy, allowing it to broaden its product portfolio and deepen its reach across multiple learning segments. Founder Gaurav Munjal highlights the approach:

“We don’t just acquire companies for revenue but for unique capabilities that help us build a holistic education ecosystem.”

Despite facing high customer acquisition costs, retention challenges in a price-sensitive market, and intense competition from well-funded rivals like BYJU’S, Unacademy persevered. It continuously invested in product innovation and infrastructure to ensure seamless delivery during peak exam seasons such as UPSC and NEET.

Unacademy achieved unicorn status in September 2020, raising $150 million led by SoftBank and reaching a valuation of $1.45 billion. The company scaled further, peaking at a valuation of $3.44 billion in August 2021 after a $440 million Series H round. Though its valuation adjusted to around $800 million by late 2024, Unacademy remains a powerhouse in Indian edtech, driven by its commitment to transform how India learns through innovation and a creator-first mindset.

This journey is a powerful chapter in the Unacademy success story, showcasing how vision, adaptability, and an unwavering focus on quality education can disrupt an entire industry.

Growth Strategies

Unacademy’s growth strategy revolves around building a comprehensive education ecosystem that caters to diverse learning needs while empowering educators and learners alike. The company has combined organic expansion with strategic acquisitions to scale rapidly and broaden its market reach.

A key strength lies in its ability to attract and retain top educators by providing the best tools, revenue models, and support systems. The dedicated “educator delight” team ensures creators are motivated and valued, resulting in low churn and consistently high-quality content creation. 

As co-founder Gaurav Munjal states, “We want educators to stay because we offer the best experience, not because they have no alternatives.”

Unacademy focuses on acquiring startups for their unique capabilities rather than just revenue. Acquisitions like WiFiStudy, PrepLadder, TapChief, Relevel, and Graphy have expanded the platform’s product suite and market presence, creating a multi-brand ecosystem under the Unacademy umbrella.

The company invests heavily in product development, enhancing the user experience with live classes, interactive quizzes, doubt-solving sessions, and AI-driven personalised learning paths. Unacademy’s platform is optimised to handle peak traffic during high-stakes exams like UPSC and NEET, ensuring seamless access for millions.

Starting with competitive exams, Unacademy has strategically diversified into K-12 education, skill development, language learning, and professional certification prep. This broad-spectrum approach captures a wider audience and reduces dependence on any single vertical.

In a market known for high customer acquisition costs and retention challenges, Unacademy emphasises building long-term trust and value rather than aggressive sales tactics. It maintains strict quality controls to prevent mis-selling, ensuring its offerings genuinely help learners achieve their goals.

Recognising the rise of the creator economy in India, Unacademy nurtures educators into brand creators and offers them tools for monetisation and engagement, helping to scale both educator and platform growth. 

As Gaurav Munjal explains, “Creator economy will eventually be the biggest economy, and we want to be the best platform for creators.”

Through this multi-pronged growth approach, Unacademy has positioned itself as a dominant player in India’s edtech sector, driving sustainable expansion and setting new standards for digital learning experiences.

Marketing Strategies

Unacademy’s marketing playbook was never about just pushing a product—it was about creating aspiration. While many edtech players chased celebrity endorsements, Unacademy went a step further by crafting narratives that resonated deeply with India’s ambitious student base.

The platform struck gold with its “Let’s Crack It!” campaign, which wasn’t just a tagline—it became a rallying cry for millions of UPSC, JEE, and NEET aspirants. These campaigns featured real educators and students, not just stars, and built an image of relatability, hard work, and hope. As co-founder Gaurav Munjal noted, “We’re not just selling courses. We’re helping people change their lives.”

A major component of Unacademy’s success was its content-led marketing approach. Before it ever launched an app, Unacademy had already built a loyal base on YouTube, where its free lessons by charismatic educators garnered millions of views. This created organic brand equity, even before monetization began. Their YouTube presence became a top-of-the-funnel engine, fueling conversions and brand trust at scale.

Instead of relying solely on traditional media, Unacademy leveraged data-driven performance marketing across Google, Facebook, and regional platforms—often with vernacular content tailored for specific exam segments and geographies. These ads were optimized for both click-through rates and sentiment, making sure they struck an emotional chord with aspirants.

In addition, the brand doubled down on community building. Through initiatives like “Legends on Unacademy”, they brought inspirational icons like Virat Kohli, Sachin Tendulkar, and A.R. Rahman to interact with students. These weren’t just vanity events—they were crafted to motivate learners, enhance retention, and position Unacademy as more than just a study app.

Unacademy also focused on educator branding. Their top educators weren’t just content creators—they became influencers and role models. By empowering educators with tools for livestreams, merchandise, and personal branding, Unacademy created a two-sided marketing engine, where both learners and teachers promoted the platform.

The platform’s UI/UX played a subtle yet crucial role. With gamification elements, leaderboards, and peer comparisons, the app created stickiness and a sense of competition, turning learning into a social, aspirational experience.

By blending aspiration-driven storytelling, organic YouTube traction, and intelligent community engagement, Unacademy built a powerful brand that became synonymous with success in Indian competitive exams.

5 Growth Lessons for Every Entrepreneur 

1. Start Small, but Think Platform

Unacademy didn’t begin as a full-fledged edtech company. It started as a YouTube channel by Gaurav Munjal in 2010, offering free lessons on coding and exam prep. The content was raw, the setup was basic, but the impact was undeniable. The channel resonated with thousands of aspirants who lacked access to quality coaching.

By listening closely to this early traction, Unacademy’s founders saw the potential for something much bigger: a creator-driven learning platform.

“When students started writing in, saying they cracked UPSC with our free lessons—I knew this had to become a company.”
— Gaurav Munjal, Co-founder & CEO, Unacademy

Entrepreneurial takeaway: You don’t need a million-dollar idea on Day 1. Start where you can provide value, observe the response, and let the platform vision evolve organically.

2. Build the Ecosystem, Not Just the Product

Instead of just providing recorded lectures or study materials, Unacademy focused on building a full-stack ecosystem: live classes, test series, doubt-clearing, community interaction, and even motivational sessions by national icons.

They didn’t just hire instructors—they empowered educators to become influencers, giving them tools to livestream, monetise, and engage with students.

“We’re building a platform where educators are the new creators.”
— Roman Saini, Co-founder, Unacademy

Entrepreneurial takeaway: To create a lasting business, solve the entire problem. Don’t just sell features—build systems where value multiplies.

3. Focus on Depth Before Width

Unacademy initially doubled down on test prep—a deep, high-stakes vertical with strong demand and repeat engagement. Instead of trying to serve all kinds of learners from day one, they mastered one niche.

Once they proved success in UPSC and SSC, they expanded methodically into JEE, NEET, and other competitive exams. This focused approach allowed them to refine their product, build trust, and scale with confidence.

Entrepreneurial takeaway: In the early stages, depth beats breadth. Win one vertical completely, then use that foundation to expand.

4. Make Brand Your Moat

Unacademy understood that in India’s crowded edtech space, brand recall was critical. From their iconic “Let’s Crack It” campaign to inspirational sessions with Sachin Tendulkar and Virat Kohli, they turned their brand into a cultural movement.

Rather than just competing on price or curriculum, they created an emotional connection—students saw Unacademy not just as a learning platform, but as a partner in their journey to success.

“Marketing wasn’t just about acquisition—it was about making students feel they belonged to something bigger.”
— Gaurav Munjal, Co-founder, Unacademy

Entrepreneurial takeaway: A strong brand creates loyalty, inspires confidence, and gives you a moat in competitive markets.

5. Keep Reinventing, Even After You Succeed

Even after reaching unicorn status, Unacademy didn’t get comfortable. They ventured into new formats like subscription bundles, launched Unacademy Centres for offline coaching, and experimented with gamification inside the app. The idea was simple: stay ahead of learner expectations.

They even entered non-test-prep spaces—like upskilling, language learning, and foundational education—showing that even in edtech, reinvention is survival.

Entrepreneurial takeaway: Success isn’t a finish line. The best founders disrupt themselves before the market does.

Conclusion

Unacademy isn’t just an edtech unicorn—it’s a revolution in how India learns. From its humble beginnings as a YouTube channel in 2010 to becoming a multi-billion-dollar platform by the early 2020s, Unacademy’s journey is a testament to the power of vision, persistence, and community-led innovation.

“We’re not just teaching subjects—we’re unlocking dreams for millions.”
— Gaurav Munjal, Co-founder & CEO, Unacademy

What sets Unacademy apart is not just its content, but its commitment to building an ecosystem where educators thrive, students belong, and ambition has no geographical limits. It scaled not through shortcuts or vanity growth, but by empowering creators, nurturing trust, and delivering consistent value to learners across India.

Even as market dynamics shift and valuations fluctuate, Unacademy continues to reinvent itself, expand into offline coaching, explore new learning verticals, and invest in long-term impact. Its success isn’t just about numbers—it’s about shaping aspirations, democratizing access, and creating a future where anyone, anywhere, can crack it.