Mumbai-based professional education firm Imarticus Learning has acquired a 100% stake in MyCaptain, an edtech platform, for 50 crore rupees (around US$6 million).
This acquisition marks Imarticus Learning’s fourth purchase in the past four years.
With this acquisition, the company’s workforce has grown to over 850 employees, including MyCaptain’s team.
MyCaptain focuses on skilling college students, fresh graduates, and early professionals in non-tech careers.
The platform has over 500,000 learners and generated 27 crore rupees (around US$3.2 million) in revenue last year, achieving EBITDA breakeven.
Imarticus Learning plans to scale MyCaptain’s operations fivefold over the next three years, as the firm aims to expand its reach into Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities across India.
Edtech consolidation targets India’s underserved small-town markets
Imarticus Learning’s acquisition of MyCaptain represents a growing trend of strategic consolidation in India’s edtech sector, specifically targeting tier 2 and 3 cities.
This acquisition, Imarticus’ fourth in four years, follows a pattern where established players acquire smaller, specialized platforms to access untapped markets, as seen with their previous acquisitions of Hero Mindmine, StratOnBoard, and Eckovation.
MyCaptain’s strong presence in smaller cities (60% of customers from tier 2 and 3 cities) provides Imarticus immediate access to a market contributing approximately 40% to India’s national GDP.
The timing is strategic as these smaller urban centers are experiencing 30% annual growth in internet penetration, creating fertile ground for digital education services.
This acquisition addresses a documented skills gap, as research shows engineering graduates from tier 2 and 3 colleges struggle with industry-relevant skills and employment opportunities despite their academic performance.
The pivotal shift toward non-tech career training in India
The acquisition highlights a significant pivot in India’s professional education landscape toward creative and non-technical career paths that have traditionally been underserved.
MyCaptain’s focus on creative fields like digital marketing, design, and content creation (with 80% of their customers from creative and entrepreneurial backgrounds) represents a departure from India’s conventional emphasis on engineering and IT training.
This shift comes at a critical time when the banking, financial services, and insurance (BFSI) sector saw a 24% increase in junior-level positions in 2024, many in smaller cities, creating demand for diverse skill sets beyond pure technology.
The acquisition positions Imarticus to address a major pain point in Indian education: the disconnect between traditional curriculums and current industry demands, particularly pronounced in tier 2 and 3 institutions.
By integrating MyCaptain’s 60+ live cohort-based programs in new-age careers, Imarticus is responding to market signals that employability requires more diverse skill sets than technical education alone typically provides.
Building accessibility bridges to address India’s employability challenges
MyCaptain’s grassroots network across 1,500+ campuses offers Imarticus a direct channel to address India’s persistent employability gap through earlier intervention in students’ career journeys.
While India’s engineering graduates have a 71.5% employability rate, those from tier 2 and 3 institutions face significant barriers including outdated curriculums and limited industry exposure.
MyCaptain’s strong Net Promoter Score of 70—exceptionally high for India’s education sector—suggests their approach to skill development resonates with students who otherwise lack access to quality career preparation.
The acquisition connects different phases of career development, with Imarticus traditionally focusing on mid-career professionals while MyCaptain serves college students and recent graduates, creating a continuous pipeline for “lifelong career” development.
The combined entity aims to scale MyCaptain’s operations fivefold in three years, potentially transforming how career preparation happens in smaller cities where limited access to quality technical and vocational training programs has historically hampered workforce readiness.
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