The New-Age Student’s Global Aspirations
Today’s students don’t just want degrees, they want direction. Gen Z is ambitious, digital-native, and career-driven. But between rising competition, confusing admission processes, and lack of guidance, their global dreams often stall.
Enter Leverage Edu, an edtech startup that doesn’t just help students study abroad. It mentors students through every step of the journey, offering guidance, clarity, and confidence. From matching them with the right programs and universities to aligning their careers, the platform provides tailored recommendations. Along the way, it also simplifies SOPs, secures scholarships, and streamlines the student visa process. And it’s building a career-first ecosystem that feels more like a LinkedIn meets Duolingo meets Ivy League consultant, at scale.
Founding Story: From Admissions Portal to Career Companion
Leverage Edu is an AI-powered education platform built to simplify the complex journey of studying abroad, especially for students from emerging economies like India, Nigeria, Nepal, and Sri Lanka.
Instead of offering fragmented services, it takes a full-stack approach. It begins by helping students discover the right universities, using a smart matchmaking engine that aligns academic profiles with career aspirations. From there, it guides them through the application process, from crafting SOPs and preparing documents to securing student visas.
But the support doesn’t stop there. Leverage Edu also provides live coaching for standardized tests like IELTS, SAT, GMAT, and GRE. At the same time, it helps students unlock education loans, manage cross-border money transfers, and even find safe accommodation near campus.
What truly sets the platform apart, however, is its focus on long-term success. Through personalized career counseling, it ensures that students aren’t just getting admitted , they’re building a future. By combining mentorship, technology, and end-to-end support, Leverage Edu transforms uncertainty into confidence and ambition into action.
In a world where global education feels out of reach for many, Leverage Edu makes it accessible, step by step, student by student.
Over time, Leverage Edu has expanded its offerings to include:
- UniConnect: Virtual education fairs connecting students with 100+ global universities
- LeverageLive: Live coaching for test prep, SOP writing, and bootcamps
- UniValley: A suite of engagement tools for universities to interact with students
- AI Course/Job Finder: Recommends personalized academic and career paths using AI
Altogether, Leverage Edu positions itself as a comprehensive study-abroad companion, guiding students from pre-admission to post-study career readiness.
Leverage Edu was founded by Akshay Chaturvedi, an alumnus of ISB Hyderabad, with prior stints at EY, KPMG, Snapdeal, and Babajob.
Business Model: SaaS + Services + Student Stack
Leverage Edu monetizes through:
| Revenue Stream | Details |
| 🎓 Study Abroad Advisory | Counselling, SOP/LOR help, university shortlisting |
| ✈️ Visa & Loan Services | End-to-end support on education loans, forex, visa filing |
| 🏫 Partnered Colleges | Universities pay commissions per converted student |
| 📱 SaaS Platform (B2B) | Leverage Academy & UniConnect for counselors, institutions |
| 🌐 LeverageLive | Career bootcamps, resume reviews, mentorships |
Its full-stack approach supports students through every stage, from discovery to destination, covering university matching, applications, test prep, loans, transfers, accommodation, and counseling.
Leverage Edu – Revenue (₹ Cr)
- 13x Revenue Growth in 5 Years
Leverage Edu scaled from ₹7.07 Cr in FY20 to ₹94.53 Cr in FY24, highlighting consistent execution and rising demand in the study-abroad and edtech services segment. - Breakout Year in FY23
FY23 was a turning point, with revenue jumping 230% YoY—likely driven by platform scale-up, international expansion, or monetization of UniConnect and LeverageLive offerings. - Growth Moderation in FY24
While revenue still grew 33.5% in FY24, the pace slowed from the previous year, hinting at a transition from hypergrowth to operational maturity and sustainability. - Global Opportunity Tapping
The growth aligns with Leverage Edu’s push into markets like Nigeria, Nepal, and Sri Lanka, positioning itself as an AI-driven cross-border education and career-tech platform. - Strong Retention or Conversion Funnel
Sustained multi-year growth suggests strong conversion of leads across test prep, counseling, education loans, and visa services. - Platform Advantage
As one of the few full-stack study-abroad platforms (admissions → financing → relocation), Leverage Edu benefits from a high share of wallet and sticky lifetime value per student.
Tech & Product Stack
Leverage Edu’s tech is central to its scale:
- AI Matchmaking Engine: Matches students to optimal programs based on profiles
- CRM for Mentors: Manages student journeys from leads to conversions
- LeverageLive: Zoom-style tutoring for IELTS, SOP writing, bootcamps
- WhatsApp Bot: Real-time updates, document collection, reminders
- UniConnect Platform: Virtual university fairs with over 100 global institutions
Its tech stack focuses on conversion funnels + personalization, ensuring high engagement and low drop-off.
Between 2020 and 2025, Leverage Edu’s employee growth mirrors its transformation from a fast-moving edtech startup into a maturing, globally focused platform.
In 2020, the company had a modest team of just 58 employees. Over the next three years, it entered a phase of aggressive hiring, adding over 135 net new hires in 2021 and 349 in 2022, driven by the launch of innovations like LeverageLive, expansion into Nigeria, Nepal, and Sri Lanka, and the surge in demand for end-to-end study-abroad solutions. By 2023, headcount peaked at 863, a 15x growth in just three years.
However, 2023 marked a turning point.
While Leverage Edu continued hiring (adding 62 employees), attrition spiked to 80, leading to its first-ever net decline in workforce. The trend persisted in 2024 and 2025, with attrition consistently exceeding 40 annually, and overall headcount falling to 779 by 2025.
This shift signals a strategic transition, from rapid headcount expansion to a leaner, more sustainable growth model. The high attrition could be linked to internal restructuring, automation-led efficiency gains, or a broader correction in the edtech sector.
Ultimately, the data points to a company that scaled fast, hit operational peak, and is now consolidating its talent base. Leverage Edu seems to be entering a workforce maturity phase, where quality, retention, and efficiency matter more than scale. This aligns with its broader evolution into a career-first, global education companion, built not just for growth, but for lasting impact.
Audience: Who Uses Leverage Edu?
| Segment | Key Traits & Needs |
| UG Aspirants | 🔹 Age: 16–18 (Class 11–12 students)🔹 Aspirations: Undergraduate degrees in UK, Canada, US, Australia🔹 Needs: University matching, SOP help, IELTS prep, early counseling, and scholarship search |
| PG Aspirants | 🔹 Age: 21–28 (college grads, early professionals)🔹 Aspirations: MS/MBA in STEM, Business, or Design🔹 Needs: GRE/GMAT prep, SOP/LOR assistance, visa guidance, and loan help |
| Career Changers | 🔹 Age: 25–35 (mid-career professionals)🔹 Aspirations: Second master’s, PR-oriented courses, or upskilling abroad🔹 Needs: Country shortlisting (Canada, Germany, etc.), ROI counseling, visa pathway clarity |
| Parents of Students | 🔹 Age: 40–55🔹 Role: Key financial decision-makers for UG/PG aspirants🔹 Needs: Financial clarity, safety assurance, return on education investment, clarity on visa & housing |
| Counselors | 🔹 Independent or agency-based education consultants🔹 Use Leverage’s UniConnect dashboard to manage student applications🔹 Needs: Real-time university access, CRM tools, event invites |
| Test-Prep Learners | 🔹 Age: 17–30🔹 Preparing for IELTS, GRE, GMAT, SAT via LeverageLive🔹 Needs: Live classes, practice material, 1:1 feedback, flexible coaching options |
Funding Snapshot
| Jun 2023- May 2024 | Series C1 | ETS Strategic Capital, Shorelight Holdings LLC, Three State Capital, FPGA Family Foundation, Blacksoil Group | 163.31 | 1,000 |
| Jan 2022 | Series B1 | Kaizen Private Equity, Blume Ventures, Angel List, NB Ventures | 130.91 | 731.63 |
| Feb- Nov 2021 | Series A | Tomorrow Capital, Blume Ventures, DSG Consumer Partners, Trifecta Capita,l & Other notable HNIs | 43.05 | 601.72 |
| Dec 2019 | Pre Series A1 | Blume Ventures, DSG Consumer Partners | 10.50 | 56.87 |
| Jan 2019 | Pre Series A* | DSG Consumer Partners, Blume Ventures | 7.99 | 23.97 |
| Aug 2017 | Seed* | Anand Sankeshwar, Sadashiva N T, Deepak Jain | 2.00 | 9.00 |
Total Raised: ₹ 360.15 (as of FY24)
Key Investors: Blume Ventures, DSG Consumer Partners, Tomorrow Capital
Valuation: ₹ 1,000 Cr
What’s Next for Leverage Edu?
IPO by 2027?
Leverage Edu is eyeing an IPO by 2027, but that depends on hitting break-even by FY26. Sustained revenue growth is strong, but profitability is key to gaining investor confidence.
Global Expansion
The company is monetizing its mentorship and SaaS tools in Africa and MENA, targeting students and universities in emerging markets with similar study-abroad demand as India.
AI-Powered Product Upgrades
Leverage is enhancing its AI/ML engine with:
- Smart university matching
- Real-time rejection prediction
- Automated SOP and visa support tools
Freemium for Class 10–12
A freemium model is being rolled out for early-stage students (10th–12th grade), offering free tools, events, and guidance to build long-term engagement and boost conversions.
Conclusion: From Confusion to Clarity, Leverage Edu Lights the Way
In today’s overwhelming edtech ecosystem, students aren’t just looking for test prep or admission help, they’re searching for direction. This is exactly where Leverage Edu steps in. Not merely as a tool, but as a compass.
Unlike conventional platforms that stop at a college admit, Leverage Edu goes further. It starts from that point, transforming ambition into a long-term roadmap. Instead of just matching students to programs, it actively mentors them toward purpose-driven careers.
Moreover, by combining AI-powered insights with personalized human guidance, the platform effectively bridges the gap between dreams and decisions. Whether it’s a teenager in Tier-2 India aiming for UCLA or a 28-year-old professional eyeing a master’s in Germany, Leverage Edu doesn’t just assist, it adapts, supports, and steers them forward.
In addition, it understands the values of today’s learners. In an age where Gen Z prioritizes authenticity over prestige and growth over grades, Leverage Edu aligns with what truly matters: identity, clarity, and long-term impact.
Ultimately, Leverage Edu is not just building careers , it’s building confidence. While the world is full of noise, this platform offers clarity. And for every student standing at the edge of what’s next, that clarity is both empowering and essential.
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