Unitus Seed Fund backs activity-based learning venture Curiositi & after-school education startup Cue Learn

Bangalore-based impact investor Unitus Seed Fund (USF) has invested undisclosed amounts in two education startups, namely Curiositi Learning Solutions Pvt Ltd and Cue Learn Pvt Ltd.

Based out of Bangalore, Curiositi was founded in July 2013 by Vinod Abraham and Manoj Thandassery. Abraham is an alumnus of IIM Bangalore while Thandassery is an alumnus of Xavier School of Management (Jamshedpur).

Curiositi partners with schools to transform their science curriculum into an activity-based experience. It maps a school's science curriculum to the startup's portfolio of over 80 'science activity kits', and then delivers these kits to students so that they can explore activities related to the topic they are currently studying.

Curiositi claims that its programme can be tailored to all budgets; it delivers activities covering 80 topics across all branches of science. The startup has partnered with 26 schools across six locations, and delivers solutions to over 6,000 students.

Cue Learn was launched in 2013 by the father-son duo of Jagjit and Manan Khurma. Jagjit is a PhD in Chemistry from University of Otago (New Zealand), while Manan is an alumnus of IIT Delhi.

Cue Learn provides after-school learning programme for Math and English to the masses, by tapping incremental efforts of women and senior citizens with basic academic background, and backing them with custom-designed learning materials. It uses a combination of paper-based worksheets, tablet-based interactive learning technology and skilled instructors to deliver these solutions.

Cue Learn's centres are small, home-based set-ups, with no more than eight students in each session, ensuring personalised attention to the needs of each learner. The firm has over 25 learning centres.

Cue Learn will use the new funds to expand operations to multiple states across India and to introduce additional offerings to its product line.

USF is a venture seed fund supporting startups innovating for the masses in India. It invests in healthcare, education, mobile commerce & value-added services, marketplaces & e-commerce, retail & distribution, agriculture, and water & energy sectors. Founded in 2012, USF is part of the Unitus Group, a financial services group that has been operating in India and other emerging markets since 2000. USF's other portfolio companies include mGaadi, Jiffstore, Medypal, Smile Merchants and  Laundry Project.

USF recently invested an undisclosed amount in Blowhorn, an online marketplace for last mile logistics services.

(Edited by Joby Puthuparampil Johnson)