Unacademy CEO Update on Financial Performance and Strategy

Unacademy CEO Gaurav Munjal has provided an overview of the company’s financial health and operational achievements. Munjal highlighted that Unacademy has successfully decreased its cash burn in the primary operations from over Rs 1,000 crore annually three years prior to below Rs 200 crore this year. This figures reflects nearly a 50% reduction compared to what the firm spent last year.

In a discussion on the social media platform X, Munjal mentioned that the company possesses Rs 1,200 crore in cash reserves and is currently in a “default alive” state. He noted that several of Unacademy’s ventures, like Graphy and PrepLadder, are now generating cash on a monthly basis.

To put things in perspective, the SoftBank-supported edtech unicorn managed to cut its losses by 62% to Rs 631 crore in FY24, despite its revenue remaining stable during this period. Two years ago, the company’s cash balance amounted to Rs 2,100 crore, as noted by Munjal.

Reflections on Edtech Growth and Profitability

Reflecting on previous choices, Munjal expressed that edtech firms that pursue multiple acquisitions for growth are less likely to thrive in the current marketplace. He indicated that Unacademy had made such errors in the past and is now concentrating on achieving profitability without being distracted by external pressures.

Successful Offline Operations

On the offline side, Munjal revealed that approximately 70% of Unacademy’s centres are projected to be profitable at the centre level this year. These centres are achieving positive outcomes in examination categories including JEE, NEET, and UPSC.

Growth of Airlearn

He also highlighted Airlearn as the fastest-growing product within Unacademy. Over the past year, Airlearn has seen around 70,000 active users daily and achieved $2 million in annual recurring revenue.

Key Focus Areas for Unacademy

Munjal outlined three primary focus areas for Unacademy: enhancing the profitability of the core business, developing technological products such as Airlearn and Graphy, and maintaining a focus on internal objectives rather than external market fluctuations.