ISB's DLabs names 15 edtech startups for its EduRISE accelerator program

DLabs, the technology business incubator at the Indian School of Business (ISB), set out the cohort of its EduRISE Accelerator Program on November 9, 2021, naming 15 edtech startups. The program, run by DLabs with ISB, was aimed at early-growth-stage companies building digital tools for schools and universities, and it was scheduled to close with a demo day on November 18, 2021. DLabs was established with backing from the Department of Science and Technology of the Government of India.

The selected startups were ThinkTac, Solvio, Heraizen Technologies, TruScholar, EdPrime, Vawsum, Linways, CoachDirect, Unikul Solutions, Xamplay, Ken42, Kriyo, WitBlox, Next Skills 360 and Schooglink. According to a program listing on the CSR platform CSRBOX, the cohort was meant to provide tools that improve learning, management, campus life and administration at educational institutions, with the stated goal of better learning outcomes and a better campus experience for students.

Support in the program centered on growth readiness rather than early ideas. DLabs said it worked with the startups on fine-tuning business models, defining go-to-market strategies, pilot testing with academic institutions and allied stakeholders, process standardization and integration with the wider education ecosystem. Founders also attended mentoring sessions and masterclasses designed to prepare them for fundraising, with FundEnable acting as fundraising partner. Neither source reported investment amounts, equity terms or the length of the program.

The program was framed as a response to the disruption caused by COVID-19, when teaching moved online and access to digital learning tools was uneven, according to the CSRBOX listing. EduRISE drew on an incubator with an existing track record: DLabs said its earlier cohorts, numbering more than 12, had seen more than 70 startups funded and more than 124 graduate. The organizers described the program as aimed at growth-stage startups, with support for go-to-market work, pilots with institutions and preparation for new investment.