Edtech startup Nalanda Learning Systems has raised Rs 40 crore from Aavishkaar Capital to expand operations nationally, its chief executive said on Wednesday.

The startup owns the ‘Little Laureates’ brand, under which it runs pre-schools across Eastern India. Tamal Mukherjee, the CEO of Nalanda Learning Systems said:

“We have raised Rs 40 crore from Aavishkaar Capital to fund our drive to expand nationally using digital content. The pandemic has reshaped the education market. While it has accelerated the adoption of education technologies, the benefits have been limited to a small section of the society.”

According to Mukherjee, Nalanda intends to not only ensure sustained learning and development outcomes for children, but also enable the pre-schooling industry to revive and upskill, and provide comprehensive, contemporary and early learning programmes. Ajay Maniar, partner at Aavishkaar Capital added:

“We are extremely excited to continue partnering with Nalanda as it expands its high-quality pedagogy across India through its digital platform. The Nalanda team has shown great dexterity in reimagining the pre-schooling business and have been able to translate their high-quality pedagogy into a highly impactful business proposition for pre-school owners, teachers and parents.”