[Funding alert] James Murdoch’s Lupa Systems makes first India investment with Harappa Education

Online learning institution Harappa Education on Wednesday announced that it has completed a round of funding led by Lupa Systems. This marks the first-ever investment in India for Lupa Systems, the private investment company founded by James Murdoch in 2019, with presence in New York and Mumbai.

“The potential in India is as enormous as ever, and it continues to energise me,” said Founder James Murdoch praising Harappa Education’s Founder and Chairman Pramath Raj Sinha’s vision with the online institution.

“I am excited to help realise the inspiring vision Harappa has to become a preeminent online learning institution with a curriculum that is both foundational and unique. Pramath’s passion and track record of establishing pioneering higher education institutions sets us up well to build a unique enterprise,” James added.

Founded in 2018 by Pramath and Shreyasi Singh, Harappa Education draws inspiration from ancient Indian civilisation. Evocative of the foundational character of the Harappan civilisation, the online platform aims to go back to the basics of the learning it imparts while combining it with the latest technology to educate at scale.

The company claims that its pedagogical approach is rooted in academic research, expert insights and behavioural science.

With this latest fundraise, however, Harappa Education will be aiming to accelerate product development, invest in high-quality curriculum creation, build a rich learning experience, and significantly scale its presence across corporates and campuses throughout India.

“The Lupa Systems team brings invaluable experience in mainstreaming new content-led ideas and building them into global businesses. We are privileged to have this experience back us. We see great demand for our courses and this investment will help us meet these expectations,” added Harappa Education Founder & CEO Shreyasi Singh.

While the details of this investment were not disclosed, the company added that this investment will give Lupa Systems a majority stake in Harappa while securing Harappa’s growth plans for the next three years.

(Edited by Evelyn Ratnakumar)