I hear tales about how at their peak, BYJU's used to deal with investors.  They would not share financials. If you wanted to invest, they'd ask you to come down to office, and only for that time, s...

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I hear tales about how at their peak, BYJU's used to deal with investors. 
They would not share financials. If you wanted to invest, they'd ask you to come down to office, and only for that time, see whatever you want to see. 

Investors obliged. It was the shining star of Edtech India, nobody wanted to miss out. 

Now those same investors are ousting the founder, fair enough.

But I hope enough people look back and realize they created the problem. They allowed it to exist.

BYJU's: Wasn't it always gonna happen?

Analyst

BYJU's: Wasn't it always gonna happen?- Grapevine

Welcome to News Discussion's Private Community

First the audit report got delayed. Now they’ve reported a loss of over 4.5k cr. And I believe they’re like a mothership of edtech, if they gone down then the entire category goes down from an investment perspective

What’s happening with byjus?

Software Developer

Byjus Valuation Sliced By 99% - Rasing a 200 million $ through rights issue at 250 million dollars

Software Engineer

99% off. Now $120Mn only.

So again Unacademy has asked people to leave, and asked them to resign.

Leadership is so clueless about what they are doing, they fired 3-4 people whom they had hired a month ago. Imagine the situation 😂

And I don't see this stopping at Unacademy anytime soon

They are aching left, right and centre. Still some people are making advt videos with Sachin.

And the nalla has time to tweet and enjoy vacation, I pity the investors who funded them.

100th Layoff round at Unacademy

Growth Manager

Apart from unethical sales practices, toxic work culture and mindless accusations, what do you think went wring with Byju’s.

Why do you think Byju’s is falling?

Most of us are curious of how decisions are made in major VC funds, as these funds are private and only share this information with their Limited Partners (LPs).

For the unknown, there are VC funds known as Corporate Venture Capital funds, which are the venture arms of corporate firms; they are required to disclose the performance of their CVC funds to the general public.

Prosus, one of the largest funds in this category, has just released its 2024 Annual Report, so thought it would be helpful to share the key takeaways with you all. So, here we go:

1/ Swiggy: On the Launchpad
Swiggy continues to impress with a 26% surge in its gross order value and a robust user base that's grown to 104 million. The food delivery giant isn't just expanding—it's preparing to soar with a confidential IPO filing. Swiggy's blend of core deliveries and quick-commerce ventures positions it as a frontrunner in the food-tech race.

2/ Byju's: A Reality Check
The tides have turned for Byju’s, once a darling of the edtech world, now facing a stark reality with a $493 million valuation write-down by Prosus. This significant markdown is a wake-up call to the high-flying valuations in the edtech sector, spotlighting the need for sustainable financial health over speculative growth.

3/ PayU: Quietly Confident
While specific updates on PayU were sparse, its role in Prosus’s fintech ambitions remains pivotal. PayU continues to weave through Prosus's strategy, likely focusing on enlarging its digital payment solutions and tapping into burgeoning financial service opportunities in emerging markets.

4/ PharmEasy: Unsung Potential
PharmEasy's story remains under the radar in this year’s dispatch. However, as a component of Prosus's health tech ventures, it’s poised to play a crucial role in expanding accessible digital healthcare solutions, streamlining services from prescriptions to doorstep delivery.

The Bigger Picture? Prosus's strategy paints a vivid portrait of India's evolving startup ecosystem. It's no longer just about rapid growth and sky-high valuations. The game has changed:

1/ Sustainability is king: Byju's fall from grace is a stark reminder that financial health trumps speculative growth.
2/ IPO readiness matters: Swiggy's preparations show the market's appetite for well-prepared tech giants.
3/ Quiet expansion: PayU and PharmEasy's low-key presence suggests strategic focus on steady growth over flashy headlines.
4/ Diversification is key: Prosus's varied portfolio highlights the importance of spreading bets across sectors.

Checkout their annual report at https://www.prosus.com/~/media/Files/P/Prosus-CORP/AR2024/1latestfinancialresults/04annualreport/fy2024annualreport.pdf - happy reading!

Would you like more breakdowns of such reports and documents? Let us know in comments below 👇🏽

Key takeaways from Prosus 2024 Annual Report

Journalist

- Byju's auditor BDO (MSKA & Associates) has resigned, citing lack of transparency and pending legal issues.
- The resignation letter highlighted inadequate support from Byju's management in providing necessary audit information.
- Byju's co-founder Byju Raveendran called the resignation a blackmail tactic, claiming compliance with all auditor requests.
- BDO requested a forensic audit after Byju's admitted insolvency in July and mentioned loss of control over some subsidiaries.
- This marks the second auditor resignation in 15 months, following Deloitte's exit last year over delayed financial statements. 

 Source: [Entrackr](https://entrackr.com/2024/09/byjus-auditor-resigns-over-lack-of-transparency-founder-cries-foul/)

Byju's Auditor Resigns Amid Transparency Concerns; Founder Alleges Blackmail

ICAI has found gross negligence by embattled edtech major BYJU’S auditors, its president Ranjeet Kumar Agarwal said.

ICAI Found Gross Negligence By BYJU’S Auditors, Recommended Punitive Actions: Ranjeet Kumar Agarwal

What's wrong with BYJU's? Everything.

UX/UI Designer

Just last week he was giving gyan on why BYJUs failed. Welcome BYJUs 2.0..

Another one bites the dust...

Sales

"BYJU’S grew considerably since our first investment in 2018, but, over time, its reporting and governance structures did not evolve sufficiently for a company of that scale. Despite repeated efforts from our Director, executive leadership at BYJU’S regularly disregarded advice and recommendations relating to strategic, operational, legal, and corporate governance matters. The decision for our Director to step down from the BYJU’S Board was taken after it became clear that he was unable to fulfil his fiduciary duty to serve the long-term interests of the Company and its stakeholders."

https://techcrunch.com/2023/07/24/prosus-questions-byjus-governance-says-indian-edtech-regularly-disregarded-advice/?tpcc=tcplustwitter

This is major - Prosus just publically said that BYJU's had improper governance and failed to improve despite their recommendations

Largest shareholder saying this publicly, I wonder if there is any way of recovering from this point

Corporate Strategist

Investment Associate

As informed earlier but many here said it's fake news.

Byjus: Arjun Mohan is the new CEO

then can bring Mahabharat ka arjun along with Sri Krishna, but  the decline of this company  is inevitable.

Consultant

Engineering Manager

People in the firm what is happening? Is this the end of edtech and BYJUs? What went wrong?

Hearing really bad news from BYJUs, firm has silently laid off upto 15-20 K people in months

Welcome to Office Gossip's Private Community

Hey all. My first post here. Can anyone tell me what the work culture is like at Unacademy and Upgrad. Currently in another ed-tech firm and looking for a shift.

Work Culture

Operations Manager

Sad state of Indian Edtech. Next would be Unacademy.

BlackRock has yet again cut the value of its holding in Byju's, slashing the implied valuation of the Indian startup to $1 billion from $22 billion in BlackRock has cut the value of its holding in Byju's, slashing the implied valuation of the Indian startup to $1 billion from $22 billion in early 2022.

BlackRock cuts Byju's valuation by 95% to $1 billion | TechCrunch

Just in : BlackRock cuts Byju’s valuation by 95% to $1 billion 🌀

Program Manager

https://www.ndtv.com/business-news/byjus-faces-total-shutdown-if-insolvency-proceeds-says-ceo-byju-raveendran-6141875

Byju’s on the verge of shutdown

Chartered Accountant

If founders care more about customer then they don't have to bow infront of VCs.

Customer Obsession >> Funding Obsession

Byjus debacle $ 22B to $ 1B.

Senior Consultant

Byju’s manages to raise more capital… yet again 👀

"she was obsessed with her own celebrity, doing little to stem the slide" 
They would never say this about a man. It's a woman, somehow make it about her being hungry for fame.

Typical. 
Do not support anything that Byju's cofounders did.
But this is shameful too. Not befitting.

Listen, everything is wrong with Byju's. It's true. I do not support Divya Gokulnath. But this headline is being run ONLY because she is a woman.

Product Owner

- BYJU'S founder and CEO Byju Raveendran claims the company is on the brink of reversing its negative business cycle and launching BYJU'S 3.0, an AI-driven educational platform.
- Raveendran stated that the founders have infused approximately INR 7,500 Cr into the company over the past 29 months to meet operational needs.
- The company has failed to clear July 2024 salaries, with Raveendran blaming lenders and promising prompt payment once control is regained.
- Despite financial challenges, BYJU'S remains the largest edtech platform globally with 150 Mn monthly users, transitioning to a sustainable business model.
- Raveendran addressed ongoing legal battles with US-based lenders and denied any personal investigation by the Directorate of Enforcement. 

 Source: [Inc42](https://inc42.com/buzz/byjus-on-the-verge-of-a-turnaround-investors-ready-to-back-the-company-byju-raveendran/)

BYJU's: Wasn't it always gonna happen?

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