TutorVista

TutorVista Global Private Limited (acquired by BYJU'S) is an educational organisation that specializes in online tutoring in the US. The website and its content are provided mainly in English. It relies on a combination of voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) telephony, session recording, instant messaging, file sharing and an interactive whiteboard.[1] The company mainly provides academic help by paid subscription to students in subjects such as English, Mathematics, Statistics and Science.[2]

TutorVista Global Pvt. Ltd
TypePrivate
IndustryInternet, e-learning, Education, Tutoring
FoundedNovember 2005
FounderKrishnan Ganesh and Meena Ganesh
Headquarters
Bangalore, Karnataka
,
India
ProductsOnline tutoring Homework help
ParentBYJU'S

TutorVista's operations are entirely located in India, but most of its market is abroad.[3] TutorVista's online tutorial platform connects students with about 2,000 teachers across India, United States, UK, Australia, China, Middle East and South East Asia.[4] TutorVista is reachable through computers, tablets, and mobile phones.

History

TutorVista was founded in the year 2005 by the duo Krishnan Ganesh and Meena Ganesh.[5][6] Other formation contributors included Srinivas Anumolu, Louise Kumar, and Ravi Kannan. In 2006, Sequoia Capital India and Light speed Venture Partners invested more than $10 million in TutorVista.[7]

The company expanded with the acquisition of Edurite, an educational firm in 2007,[8] and a partnership with American Book Company in 2009.[9] In 2011, Pearson increased its smaller stake to a 76 percent majority stake in TutorVista for $127 million[10] and fully acquired it by buying the remaining 20 percent stake in 2013. At this point, Krishnan Ganesh and Meena Ganesh stepped down from all management roles in the Bangalore-based company and Srikanth Iyer was appointed the new CEO.[11]

Acquisitions and investments
  • TutorVista had acquired Edurite, an education solutions provider, in 2007.
  • Pearson acquired a 17 percent stake in TutorVista from Bengaluru-based entrepreneur-investor couple K Ganesh and Meena Ganesh in 2009.
  • In January 2011, it purchased another 59 percent holding for Rs 577 crore before increasing its controlling stake to 80 percent shortly after.
  • Two years later, Pearson acquired the remaining 20 percent.
  • TutorVista, founded by serial entrepreneur K Ganesh in 2005, was bought by Pearson in a multi-million (around Rs. 1000 crore) deal across several years which was completed in 2013.
  • Bengaluru-based edutech company BYJU'S acquired the online education ventures of TutorVista and Edurite from the world's biggest learning company Pearson in June 2017.[12]

Criticism

The Economist has suggested that building trust for an unknown Indian brand was the biggest difficulty faced by the company.[13] There have also been several protests in the United States against those organizations that do not allow face-to-face and personalized tutoring. Officials and parents from both local and national bodies have mixed reactions regarding the ethical and practical implications of this trend.[14] In the UK, it is estimated that 1 in 4 students is now tutored outside school, with offshore tutoring companies increasingly entering the market.[15]

See also

References
  1. "Outsourced tutors just an ocean away - CNET News". archive.is. 13 July 2012. Archived from the original on 13 July 2012. Retrieved 6 October 2017.CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  2. Luce, Henry Robinson (2006). Time. Time Incorporated.
  3. "The Evolving Indian Offshore Services Environment: Greater Breadth, Depth, and Scope" (PDF). iis-db.stanford.edu. Archived from the original (PDF) on 11 June 2007.
  4. "Byju's acquires TutorVista and Edurite from Pearson | Forbes India". Forbes India. Retrieved 6 October 2017.
  5. Business India. A. H. Advani. 2005.
  6. "TutorVista founders Krishnan & Meena Ganesh venture into healthcare services; close to raising $10M". VCCircle. 23 April 2014. Retrieved 6 October 2017.
  7. M, Thanuja B. (20 December 2006). "Sequoia to put in $3 million in TutorVista". The Economic Times. Retrieved 6 October 2017.
  8. "TutorVista buys Edurite Technologies". The Hindu Business Line. 23 November 2007. Retrieved 6 October 2017.
  9. "TutorVista and American Book Company Link to Provide Free Tutoring for Improved Test Scores". www.businesswire.com. Retrieved 6 October 2017.
  10. Sweney, Mark (18 January 2011). "Pearson buys controlling stake in TutorVista for $127m". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 6 October 2017.
  11. Mitra, Sounak (24 February 2013). "Pearson ups stake in TutorVista to own 100%". Business Standard India. Retrieved 6 October 2017.
  12. Vignesh, J. (3 July 2017). "Byju's acquires TutorVista, Edurite from Pearson". The Economic Times. Retrieved 6 October 2017.
  13. "The outsourcerer". The Economist. 21 June 2007.
  14. "Online Tutoring and the Offshoring of Education" (PDF).
  15. Henry, Julie (22 January 2012). "Facebook generation fuels boom in online tutors". The Daily Telegraph. London.
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