Michael & Susan Dell Foundation backed Villgro invests in Esdecs and iTeach One

Mumbai: Mumbai-based impact investor and incubator Villgro on Monday said it has made early stage investments in education companies Esdecs Edskill Services India Pvt Ltd. and iTeach One Fellowship. The amount of investment was not disclosed.

Villgro, backed by the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation for its projects in the education sector, typically makes investments in the range of ₹ 10 lakh to ₹ 65 lakh.

The West Bengal-based ESDECS, founded in 2013 by Shourie Chatterji, Samina Alam and Soma Choudhury, provides skills training and development to school students to improve employment opportunities. Pune-based iTeach Fellowship, founded by Soumya Jain and Prashant Mehrishi in 2014, carries out similar training and skill development programmes for students.

“These enterprises are addressing critical needs in the education and skilling ecosystem, and are founded by passionate and motivated entrepreneurs who and are committed to building sustainable enterprises with social impact. they will change the learning outcomes of students in school, and urban youth seeking employment opportunities that are aspirational,” said Kavita Rajagopalan investment manager for education at Villgro.

Impact investment in the space of education has been on a rise since 2014. Bengaluru-based impact investing fund Unitus Seed Fund invested an undisclosed amount in iStar Skill Development Pvt. Ltd, Curiositi Learning Solutions Pvt. Ltd,and Cue Learn Pvt. Ltd.

Pearson Affordable Learning Fund (PALF), put in a seedround in Experifun Learning Solutions Pvt Ltd., a company that allows teachers and students to conduct innovative science experiments and activities via provides low cost science kits in the classroom. In April, Acumen invested in Ignis Careers and Standard of Excellence in Education and Development (SEED) to to improve the current state of low-cost, private education in India.

“In the next 10 years, if we can create new jobs for one lakh youth, provide career direction setting for another one lakh adolescents and provide an educational foundation to 10,000 children, our work would be relevant and meaningful,” says Chatterji.