Neostencil

NeoStencil operates as a curated marketplace in the Indian EdTech sector, specifically targeting the vast market of government exam aspirants. Founded in 2014 by brothers Kush Beejal and Dr. Love Beejal, the company was established to address the accessibility gap for quality coaching, particularly for students in Tier II, III, and IV towns. Kush Beejal, an alumnus of IIT Bombay and IIM Calcutta, brought his experience in investment banking and business analysis to the venture. Dr. Love Beejal, with a background from AIIMS and IIM Ahmedabad, contributed his expertise across healthcare, finance, and management, driven by a vision to make education affordable and accessible.

The company's business model is a B2B2C framework, partnering with over 100 established coaching institutes to live-stream their classes. This approach allows students to access top-tier instruction for competitive exams like IAS, State PCS, IES/GATE, and Judiciary without the need for relocation. NeoStencil's platform provides both live and pre-recorded classes, offering features such as 24/7 access and unlimited revisions. Revenue is generated through a supplementary revenue-sharing model with its partner institutes, which are onboarded at no initial cost.

By creating a managed marketplace, the platform selects teachers and institutes based on stringent criteria, including past results and reviews, ensuring a high-quality learning experience identical to physical classrooms. This strategy proved effective, and by 2017, the company had raised approximately $1 million in a funding round to expand its offerings and market presence. In a significant milestone, NeoStencil was acquired by EdTech giant Unacademy in December 2020 for an undisclosed amount. This acquisition was a strategic move for Unacademy to deepen its footprint in smaller cities and towns, while allowing NeoStencil to be part of a larger movement to democratize education in India. Post-acquisition, Kush Beejal continued as CEO to integrate and find synergies between the two platforms.

Keywords: EdTech, test preparation, government exams, online learning platform, IAS coaching, GATE preparation, Unacademy acquisition, B2B2C education, live classes, online courses, competitive exams India, Kush Beejal, Love Beejal, civil services exam, judiciary exam prep, online education marketplace, accessibility in education, exam coaching, state PSC, IES preparation