Mesa School of Business Raises Rs 110 Crore for Startup Education
Mesa School of Business, a prominent business school focused on startups and an edtech entity, has successfully raised Rs 110 crore. This total includes approximately Rs 85 crore in Series A equity funding co-led by Dharana Capital and the current investor Elevation Capital, alongside Rs 25 crore acquired in venture debt from InnoVen Capital and Alteria Capital. Esteemed founders such as Kunal Shah from CRED, Vidit Aatrey, Abhiraj Bhal, and Vijay Shekhar Sharma of Paytm are also backing the company. Startup Superb had reported exclusively on Mesa School of Business’s Series A funding last month.
The funding will be directed towards investing in an AI-first curriculum for their present programmes, launching and scaling new initiatives, and forming strategic partnerships within the startup ecosystem, as indicated by the company in a press release.
About Mesa School of Business
Founded in 2023 by Ankit Agarwal and Varun Limaye, Mesa School of Business provides residential programmes aimed at undergraduates, recent graduates, and early-career professionals. Located in Bengaluru, the institution strives to equip students for leadership and entrepreneurship in an increasingly AI-driven world.
Hands-On Learning Experience
The school ensures that each student constructs and manages their own small business, learning to employ AI for the development and launch of technology products. Mesa has expanded its reach from a single postgraduate cohort to over 550 students enrolled across three programmes: a one-year Post Graduate Programme in Startup Leadership, a four-year undergraduate business and entrepreneurship programme, and Forge, a one-year offering for recent graduates.
Track Record of Success
Mesa has reported that more than 100 founders have participated in teaching activities on campus, while students have engaged in over 200 projects with various startups. Alumni typically secure positions in startups or launch their own ventures.
Impressive Placement Statistics
As per the company, students from the first two postgraduate cohorts obtained an average Cost to Company (CTC) of Rs 26 lakh, with the top 25% achieving an average of Rs 36.5 lakh. All placed graduates have joined startups such as Zomato, Zepto, Urban Company, Scapia, and Comet, with 58% taking on founder-facing roles. Remarkably, nearly 20% of graduates have ventured into entrepreneurship, as mentioned by Mesa.
Currently, more than 50 student-led startups are being incubated at the Mesa Startup Lab, the school’s in-house residency programme. These startups have collectively raised in excess of Rs 25 crore in funding and grants, boasting an annual revenue run-rate of more than Rs 50 crore.