Jayadev Gopalakrishnan

Leading GTM and Product Marketing.

I lead global business development and partnerships across the group. Our team created an industry-first distribution model for various products (Reading, Coding, Math, Upskilling) by partnering marquee brands with a focus on the US market. These are deep product collaborations for scaling live, online classes and other asynchronous offerings. I also lead all BigTech partnerships including those with Microsoft, Google, and Apple that resulted in co-certification deals, strategic placements for growth and large-scale AI collaboration opportunities. Currently leading the group’s foray into the Retail market with the launch of a category-first Learning Device through India’s leading Electronics chains handling P&L, GTM, Marketing and Growth.

Launched and led Byju’s Xcel, arguably one of the largest ‘live’ STEM properties for K-12 students, with concurrent participation reaching as high as 40,000 students in a single episode. Offered in a live, interactive format, each Byju’s Xcel episode features well-known hosts alongside well-known celebrities (VVS Laxman, Parineeti Chopra, Viswanathan Anand, etc) and renowned experts from the world of Science and Technology (SpaceTech, Animatronics, Coding, Drones, etc). What made Xcel unique was the attention to detail in the script (complete with live quizzes, experiments et al) and the orchestration between a 25-30 member team of content, production, marketing, product and tech to ensure we get that one hour of ‘live’ right, every two weeks. Xcel added thousands of new users per session.

Built an eclectic team of artists, animators, product managers and engineers to launch a category-defining live, 1-on-1 Art and Animation online course for school students. Within four months of launch in the US and India markets, this became the highest ARPU category for the live, learning vertical. Marquee partners included Adobe and Faber Castell. Broke new ground by partnering with one of the world’s largest animation tools for students in order to launch co-certified Live 1-on-1 Animation courses completely powered by our teachers, content and curriculum with deep product integrations.

Advisor and mentor to Abhay, founder of One Good, a market leader in plant-based milk and related products.

A 24/7 Personal Learning Assistant for students to clear doubts instantly, attend high-quality video lectures and access curated supplementary content for high-stakes exams, HashLearn was the first to build an on-demand 'Uber for Tutoring' model for India and a 360 degree education ecosystem connecting tutors, coaching centres, content providers, students and parents. As CEO, I led the product vision, raised money from marquee investors, and hired a great team of product managers, marketers and engineers to build various innovations in the industry including sachet payments, subscriptions and digital coaching centres. HashLearn was a Google Launchpad Accelerator company. Acquired by Byju's.

Manipal K-12 Education was acquired by Pearson in Jan 2011, another exit cycle in less than two years post the Tandem acquisition. P&L head for the tuition/test-prep business. Responsible for a network of hundred retail and institutional centres with the new Edurite Learning Centre business registering a four-fold growth in two years primarily through a high degree of focus on events/community-based marketing. Was also involved in evaluating M&A opportunities for the company.

Part of the core team at Manipal K-12 Education post acquisition.

Scaled Tandem to 40 centres making it the first organized and one of the most well-known retail brands in Kerala to offer a bouquet of education services via centres in almost every district in the State. Led P&L, marketing and ops for all centres (direct & franchisees) offering a wide variety of test-prep, technology and skills-related courses. From hiring and managing teachers, steering centres to profitability and launching new centres, I have done it all.

Started entrepreneurial journey with Tinfo, a software development outfit I founded while in college. Tinfo morphed into Tinfo Mobile, one of the earliest mobile development companies focused on wireless games and applications. Won leading industry awards including the NASSCOM and Reliance awards for our innovations ranging from tools for the visually impaired to one of the earliest m-learning applications.

- a full-fledged software services outfit that did work for the US and European markets (morphed into Tinfo/Tinfo Mobile). - SmartCafe - advanced cyber cafe management software. - a BPO. - a chain of cyber cafes. - a chain of snooker parlours. - Kerala's first AirTel dealership.