Industry News

Workforce Trainer UpGrad Acquires Virtual Classroom Company

• By Dian Schaffhauser
• 06/01/21

UpGrad, which produces online workforce courses created by university faculty, has purchased Impartus Innovations, a company that specializes in video training technology, in a £14.5 million deal (including the buyout and investment commitment). UpGrad is based in the United Kingdom; Impartus was founded in India, with offices in Bangalore, Delhi and Hong Kong. UpGrad also announced that it would change the name of Impartus to upGrad Campus.

UpGrad teams up with schools to provide coursework for training workers in technology, management, marketing and business. Impartus develops virtual classrooms for online courses that include high-definition streaming, content management, collaborative learning features, searching capabilities, gamification and analytics. The company has claimed a customer base of 280 institutions and 1.5 million recorded lectures.

UpGrad said that the acquisition would enable it to reach a broader audience. In the first year of operation, the company noted, 50,000 paid learners would be added to its customer roster.

"With upGrad Campus, universities will be empowered to export education and engage with a worldwide student base," said Chairman and Co-founder Ronnie Screwvala, in a press release. "Not only will this help to build a positive perception of UK higher ed on the world stage, but will help to attract lucrative international talent that will bring both financial and strategic benefits to institutions across the UK."

Amit Mahensaria, CEO of both Impartus and the newly renamed division, added that the "synergy" between the two companies would "pave the way for augmenting college education by helping learners upskill with new-age courses, thus elevating their candidature for better career prospects."