Hybrid education startup School of Accelerated Learning raises $300,000 from Astarc Ventures

Hyderabad-based hybrid learning venture School of Accelerated Learning (SOAL) has raised $300,000 from early-stage venture capital firm Astarc Ventures.

Tech and startup leaders like Srinivas Kollipara, founder of T-Hub, Ramki Gaddipatti, founder and chief technology officer at Zeta and Krishnan Menon, founder of BeeCash, also participated in the round, the venture said in a statement.  SOAL has not revealed the stage of the funding round. 

Founded in 2017 by Pratik Agarwal, Raj Desai and Varsha Bhambhani, SOAL claims to be India's first hybrid boot camp for emerging technologies and future work-skills.

The alternate tech education venture plans to deploy the funds to launch its second campus in Mumbai by December. It also wants to expand its operations with a bunch of programmes in creative-tech such as digital marketing, artificial intelligence (AI), blockchain and design. 

SOAL says it will launch its tech-enabled learning spaces in metros as well as tier 2 cities.

“Our learners are picking up skills that will help them embrace and drive disruption,” said Agarwal, co-founder, SOAL.

Its product meta-learning is a hybrid learning method and clubs offline and online modes of learning to help the learner gain technology skills.

The venture claims that the graduates from its programme are working with tech organisations like ShopClues, ClearTax, FactSet, ThoughtWorks, NowFloats and Schrocken.

“We think there is an acute shortage of demand and supply with respect to tech talent in the market and with the tech stacks evolving rapidly, an effective upskilling solution with the focus on the industry is the key to bridge the gap,” said Salil Musale, director, Astarc Ventures.

Mumbai-based Astarc Ventures has invested in several technology ventures like Virgin Hyperloop One, Rapido and PharmEasy. 

In February, Astarc Ventures helped fintech startup HomeCapital raise an undisclosed amount in a pre-series A funding round.