ISN Exclusive: Edtech is back! Kunal Shah-backed Mesa School of Business kicks off funding round

Gone are the days when the Edtech sector had a default and attached negative connotation in the Indian startup ecosystem.

Mesa School of Business, a provider of full-time, residential programs focused on startup leadership and business, has initiated talks to raise as much as $8-$10 million in funding from existing backer Elevation Capital and others, people privy to confidential information told ISN. 

This will be the largest round at Mesa, which was started by former Urban Company executive Ankit Agarwal and Amazon executive Varun Limaye.

Elevation Capital chose not to reply to ISN. Mesa did not offer comments for the story.

Mesa, which has a model similar to Masters Union, is picking up pace in line with other edtechs which investors are loving, too. 

At Mesa, the firm aims to utilize the raised capital to build a cutting-edge, hands-on, and application-based curriculum designed and delivered in partnership with startup leaders and potential future employers for a founding cohort of just 60 hand-picked students.

Emversity, a startup which trains professionals for particular industries, recently raised money from Premji Invest and other marquee backers, showing increasing positive investor sentiment.

Mukul Arora, Managing Partner, Elevation Capital, had said in 2023 when Mesa had raised a new round: “We believe there is a clear opportunity to build new age, outcome-focused higher-ed institutes in India.”