Edtech company byteXL has raised $9 million in its latest funding round as investors back its college-focused approach to AI and technology skilling.
The round was led by Elevar Equity, with participation from existing investors Kalaari Capital and The Michael & Susan Dell Foundation.
The new funding comes after byteXL raised $5.9 million in Series A funding in July 2024. The company will now focus on expanding its college network, improving its technology and AI capabilities, and building more industry-focused learning programmes.
Founded by Karun and Sricharan Tadepalli
Founded by brothers Karun Tadepalli and Sricharan Tadepalli, byteXL works with engineering colleges, mainly in Tier II and Tier III cities.
Instead of selling online courses directly to students, the company follows a B2B model, working with colleges and becoming part of their regular degree programmes.
Its offering combines industry-focused curriculum, practical projects, technology platforms and trained teachers with existing college courses.
The idea is simple: students should build job-ready technology skills during their four-year engineering journey rather than having to depend completely on separate courses after graduation.
From 40 Colleges to 120
byteXL currently works with around 40 institutions and plans to increase this number to 120 colleges over the next two years.
The company also wants to expand its student reach from around 200,000 students to 500,000 across 15 states.
The fresh capital will support this expansion along with investments in AI-powered learning and assessment tools, student analytics and personalised learning features.
CEO Karun Tadepalli said the next phase will focus on expanding the company’s institutional footprint while building deeper technology and AI capabilities.
7,600 Students Placed in IT and Engineering Jobs
One of byteXL’s main focus areas is employability.
The company claims that around 7,600 of its graduates were placed in IT and engineering roles last year, showing the importance it places on connecting classroom learning with actual job requirements.
Kalaari Capital partner Sampath P said byteXL works within the existing college system rather than trying to build a completely separate education model. He also pointed to the company's growth and progress towards profitability.
AI Is Changing the Edtech Opportunity
The funding comes at a time when India's edtech sector has become more selective. According to Tracxn data, edtech equity funding stood at around $214 million in the first eight months of 2026, far below the sector's 2021 peak.
However, investors are still backing companies with clear AI and employment-focused models.
For example, Arivihan raised $10 million from Accel and Prosus in September to expand its AI tutoring platform, while ProLearn raised Rs 30 crore in June for an AI-focused learning platform.
The government is also pushing AI and employment-linked learning through initiatives such as Skill India Digital Hub, which brings training, assessment, certification and employment services together.
Its SOAR programme has also expanded from basic AI courses to 50 AI-related qualifications. At the same time, SWAYAM Plus is increasing industry-linked and credit-eligible learning opportunities in higher education.
Building Skills Inside the College Journey
For byteXL, the opportunity is not simply about adding another online course. The company is trying to make AI and technology skills a regular part of engineering education.
Its next phase will depend on how effectively it can scale across more colleges while maintaining learning quality and delivering measurable placement outcomes.
Investor interest in this space is also visible through other deals. Elevate Education, the Gurugram-based higher education platform formerly known as Sunstone, raised Rs 170 Cr in July, showing that investors continue to see opportunities in employment-focused education.
With its new funding, byteXL is now looking to take its college-linked AI skilling model to more students and institutions across India.
Key Numbers
- $9 million - Latest funding raised by byteXL
- 120 institutions - Target over the next two years
- 5 lakh students - Target reach across 15 states
