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."

About the Author

Dian Schaffhauser is a former senior contributing editor for 1105 Media's education publications THE Journal, Campus Technology and Spaces4Learning.

Featured

  • person signing a bill at a desk with a faint glow around the document. A tablet and laptop are subtly visible in the background, with soft colors and minimal digital elements

    California Governor Signs AI Content Safeguards into Law

    California Governor Gavin Newsom has officially signed off on a series of landmark artificial intelligence bills, signaling the state’s latest efforts to regulate the burgeoning technology, particularly in response to the misuse of sexually explicit deepfakes. The legislation is aimed at mitigating the risks posed by AI-generated content, as concerns grow over the technology's potential to manipulate images, videos, and voices in ways that could cause significant harm.

  • close-up illustration of a hand signing a legislative document

    California Passes AI Safety Legislation, Awaits Governor's Signature

    California lawmakers have overwhelmingly approved a bill that would impose new restrictions on AI technologies, potentially setting a national precedent for regulating the rapidly evolving field. The legislation, known as S.B. 1047, now heads to Governor Gavin Newsom's desk. He has until the end of September to decide whether to sign it into law.

  • illustration of a VPN network with interconnected nodes and lines forming a minimalist network structure

    Report: Increasing Number of Vulnerabilities in OpenVPN

    OpenVPN, a popular open source virtual private network (VPN) system integrated into millions of routers, firmware, PCs, mobile devices and other smart devices, is leaving users open to a growing list of threats, according to a new report from Microsoft.

  • interconnected cubes and circles arranged in a grid-like structure

    Hugging Face Gradio 5 Offers AI-Powered App Creation and Enhanced Security

    Hugging Face has released version 5 of its Gradio open source platform for building machine learning (ML) applications. The update introduces a suite of features focused on expanding access to AI, including a novel AI-powered app creation tool, enhanced web development capabilities, and bolstered security measures.