NewsPhotos Meet Man Who Passed AIIMS At 16, Became District Collector At 22, And Later Resigned From IAS To Build Edtech Company; Check Valuation

Meet Man Who Passed AIIMS At 16, Became District Collector At 22, And Later Resigned From IAS To Build Edtech Company; Check Valuation

Unacademy Success Story: Roman Saini, a prodigy who cracked the AIIMS exam at 16 and the UPSC exam at 22, chose an unconventional path. After earning a coveted IAS position, he resigned to channel his energy into building a billion-dollar Edtech venture. Saini played a key role in transforming Unacademy into a company reportedly valued at ₹28,680 crore.

Co-founded by Roman Saini in 2015, Unacademy started as a YouTube channel created by Gaurav Munjal, Hemesh Singh, Sachin Gupta, and Saini himself. The founders set out with a mission to deliver high-quality educational content for competitive exams like UPSC, NEET, JEE, and GATE.

Zee Media Bureau|

Updated:Dec 14, 2024, 04:49 PM IST

Early Achievements:

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At just 16, Roman Saini passed the AIIMS entrance exam and went on to complete his MBBS by the age of 21, embarking on a career as a doctor. (Image Credit: @romansaini1991/Insta)

From Medicine to Civil Services:

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At 22, Roman cleared the IAS exam and became a district collector in Madhya Pradesh. However, his desire for something greater led him to leave the high-profile civil services role.

The Birth Of Unacademy:

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In 2015, Roman co-founded Unacademy with Gaurav Munjal and Hemesh Singh, making a bold transition from civil services to the education sector.

Unacademy's Humble Beginnings:

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He started as a YouTube channel, Unacademy has grown into a major edtech platform, with reserves of Rs 1,800 crore reportedly and a mission to provide affordable education.

Reaching Unicorn Status:

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Unacademy was officially registered in Bengaluru as an education company in 2015. In September 2020, it joined the Unicorn club after raising $150 million from Softbank and other investors.

Unacademy’s Growth And Valuation:

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Currently, Unacademy is valued at Rs 28,680 crore and has raised $880 million from investors such as Temasek, General Atlantic, and Tiger Global.

Acquisition Talks And Market Shift:

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With over 1.8 million YouTube subscribers, 4,000 educators, and 50,000 video lessons, Unacademy is reportedly in talks for an acquisition, potentially valued at $800 million, reflecting a sharp drop from its peak valuation of $3.4 billion.