Unacademy was founded in 2015 by Gaurav Munjal, Roman Saini, and Hemesh Singh. It started as a YouTube channel where Roman Saini, a former IAS officer, shared free exam preparation videos. The channel’s success led to the creation of the Unacademy platform, which has grown into one of India’s largest EdTech companies.
The platform specializes in preparation for India’s notoriously competitive exams — UPSC (civil services), JEE and NEET (engineering and medical entrance), SSC, banking exams, and state-level public service commissions. Live classes are the core format, with top educators teaching scheduled sessions that students attend in real time. Recorded lessons are available for later viewing.
Unacademy’s “Educator” model is a key differentiator. Popular teachers on the platform have built massive followings — some have millions of subscribers. Top educators earn significant income and are treated almost like celebrities within the Indian exam prep ecosystem. This model has attracted high-quality teaching talent to the platform.
The company raised over $880 million in funding and was valued at $3.4 billion at its peak. Unacademy has also acquired several companies, including PrepLadder (medical exam prep) and CodeChef (competitive programming). Like other Indian EdTech companies, Unacademy has faced challenges with profitability and has undergone significant cost-cutting and layoffs. The platform continues to serve millions of exam aspirants across India.
