imported>Adamsamuelwilson at 11:13, 3 September 2021

2021-09-03T11:13:39Z

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{{short description|Founder and CEO of BYJU's}}
{{Indian name|Byju|Raveendran}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Byju Raveendran
| image = Byju Raveendran CEO Byju's (cropped).jpg
| alt = 
| birth_date = {{Birth year and age|1981}}
| birth_place = [[Azhikode and Azhikkal|Azhikode]], [[Kannur district]], [[Kerala]], [[India]]
| nationality = Indian
| networth = {{USD}} 3.05 billion{{efn|combined with [[Divya Gokulnath]] and Riju Raveendran}} (2020)<ref name="Forbes 2020" />
| occupation = Entrepreneur
| title = Founder of [[Byju]]'s
| spouse = [[Divya Gokulnath]]
| years_active =
| known_for =
| notable_works =
}}
'''Byju Raveendran''' (born 1981)<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|title=Byju Raveendran {{!}} 2020 40 under 40 in Tech|url=https://fortune.com/40-under-40/2020/byju-raveendran/|access-date=2020-09-13|website=Fortune|language=en}}</ref> is an Indian entrepreneur and educator who co-founded [[Byju's]].

==Early life and education==
He was born in 1981 in the [[Azhikode and Azhikkal|Azhikode]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://qz.com/india/740893/an-engineer-has-built-indias-largest-education-technology-startup-by-helping-students-get-into-the-iims/|title=Byju's education app: A CAT topper who didn't fancy IIMs is making self-learning cool among Indian students — Quartz India|website=qz.com|language=en|access-date=2018-11-10}}</ref> village of [[Kerala|Kerala, India]] to Raveendran and Shobhanavalli.<ref name="Mathrubhumi">{{cite news |title=ബൈജൂസ് ആപ്പിന്റെ കഥ; ബൈജു രവീന്ദ്രന്റെയും |url=https://www.mathrubhumi.com/books/excerpts/story-of-byju-s-app-and-byju-raveendran-1.4572526 |work=Mathrubhumi |language=en}}</ref> He studied at a [[Malayalam]] medium school where his mother was a mathematics teacher and father a physics teacher.<ref name="Gilchrist 2019">{{cite news |last1=Gilchrist |first1=Karen |title=India crowns its newest billionaire, a 37-year-old former teacher |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2019/07/30/indias-newest-billionaire-is-37-year-old-ex-teacher-byju-raveendran.html |access-date=26 March 2021 |work=CNBC |date=July 30, 2019}}</ref><ref name="Krishna 2016">{{cite news |last1=Krishna |first1=Niharika |title=Teacher, entrepreneur: The success story of Byju Raveendran |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/business-news/teacher-entrepreneur-the-success-story-of-byju-raveendran/story-5ByyzxoX5aM6KjHB6lVn6I.html |access-date=26 March 2021 |work=Hindustan Times |date=July 11, 2016}}</ref> He would skip classes and then learn at home.<ref name="Rai 2019">{{cite news |last1=Rai |first1=Saritha |title=Byju Raveendran, a former school teacher, joins Indian billionaires' club |url=https://www.livemint.com/companies/news/byju-raveendran-a-former-school-teacher-is-india-s-newest-billionaire-1564387408340.html |access-date=26 March 2021 |work=LiveMint |agency=Bloomberg |date=July 29, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=India TV News Desk |title=Reluctant student-turned teacher, meet Byju Raveendran - India's newest billionaire |url=https://www.indiatvnews.com/education/news-meet-byju-raveendran-kerala-teacher-india-newest-billionaire-539141 |access-date=26 March 2021 |work=India TV |date=July 30, 2019}}</ref>

== Career ==
After completing his B.Tech from the [[Government College of Engineering, Kannur]], he joined a multinational shipping company as a service engineer.<ref name="Mathrubhumi"/> During a vacation in 2003, helped friends who were studying for the CAT exam.<ref name="Krishna 2016" /> He then took the CAT exam and says he scored in the 100th percentile.<ref name="Krishna 2016" /> When he took the exam again, he again scored in the 100th percentile.<ref name="TNM 2019">{{cite news |last1=TNM Staff |title=Kerala-born former teacher Byju Raveendran is India’s newest billionaire |url=https://www.thenewsminute.com/article/kerala-born-former-teacher-byju-raveendran-india-s-newest-billionaire-106342 |access-date=3 May 2021 |work=The News Minute |date=July 29, 2019}}</ref> Two years later, he continued helping people study for the CAT exam, and based on the good results, decided to quit his job.<ref name="Krishna 2016" />

In 2007, Byju founded the test preparation business Byju's Classes,<ref name="Krishna 2016" /> and the company grew to stadium-size classes.<ref name="Banerjee 2019">{{cite news |last1=Banerjee |first1=Sreya |title=Teacher turned app maker Byju Raveendran is India's newest billionaire |url=https://abcnews.go.com/International/teacher-turned-app-maker-byju-raveendran-indias-newest/story?id=64678698 |access-date=3 May 2021 |work=ABC News |date=July 31, 2019}}</ref> In 2011, he founded [[Byju's]] with his wife, [[Divya Gokulnath]],<ref name="Gilchrist 2019" /> who he met while she was a student in his exam preparation class.<ref name="Ghosh 2020">{{cite news |last1=Ghosh |first1=Debojyoti |title=Byju’s better half |url=https://www.fortuneindia.com/people/byjus-better-half/104850 |access-date=26 March 2021 |work=Fortune India |date=November 21, 2020}}</ref><ref name="ET 2020">{{cite news |last1=ET Now Digital |title=With a wealth of over Rs 11,300 crore, meet India's youngest billionaire |url=https://www.timesnownews.com/business-economy/companies/article/with-a-wealth-of-over-rs-22000-crore-these-two-are-indias-youngest-billionaires/664128 |access-date=26 March 2021 |work=TimesNowNews |date=October 10, 2020}}</ref>

In 2015, as smartphone screen sizes increased, [[Byju's]] launched an app developed by Byju Raveendran.<ref name="FP 2019">{{cite news |last1=FP Staff |title=Byju's founder, Raveendran polevaults into billionaire club with latest funding of $150 mn |url=https://www.firstpost.com/business/byjus-founder-raveendran-polevaults-into-billionaire-club-with-latest-funding-of-150-mn-7076731.html |access-date=27 March 2021 |work=FirstPost |date=July 29, 2019}}</ref><ref name="Krishna 2016" /><ref name="Rai 2020">{{cite news |last1=Rai |first1=Saritha |title=Byju Raveendran, the A Student in Online Ed |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-12-03/byju-raveendran-the-a-student-in-online-ed-bloomberg-50-2020 |access-date=26 March 2021 |work=Bloomberg BusinessWeek |date=December 3, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Shah |first1=Vrutika |title=5 youngest billionaires of India and how they make their money |url=https://www.gqindia.com/get-smart/content/5-youngest-billionaires-of-india-net-worth-richest-people-in-india |access-date=26 March 2021 |work=[[GQ]] India |date=February 12, 2020}}</ref> In October 2018, the app expanded to the UK, US and other English-speaking countries.<ref>{{cite news |title=India's Game-Changers - Byju Raveendran |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/n3ct5ckk |access-date=26 March 2021 |work=BBC World News |date=October 6, 2018}}</ref>

According to ''[[Forbes]]'', as of 2020, Byju, his wife, and his brother Riju Raveendran, have a combined net worth of $3.05B.<ref name="Forbes 2020">{{Cite news|url=https://www.forbes.com/profile/byju-raveendran-and-divya-gokulnath-1/?list=india-billionaires&sh=5e1254e55bb3|title=India's Richest - #46 Byju Raveendran and Divya Gokulnath & family|date=10 July 2020|work=Forbes}}</ref>

In January 2021, he was added to the National Startup Advisory Council as a non-official member along with [[Kunal Bahl]].<ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-01-19|title=Byju Raveendran, Kunal Bahl named to startup advisory panel|url=https://www.siasat.com/byju-raveendran-kunal-bahl-named-to-startup-advisory-panel-2071262/|access-date=2021-01-19|website=The Siasat Daily|language=en-GB}}</ref>

==Honors and awards==
* 2019 [[Malayala Manorama|Manorama]] News Newsmaker award<ref>{{cite news |last1=Staff |title=Byju Raveendran dedicates Manorama News Newsmaker Award to COVID warriors, teachers |url=https://www.onmanorama.com/kerala/top-news/2020/12/06/byju-raveendran-receives-manorama-news-newsmaker-award-2019.html |access-date=26 March 2021 |work=Onmanorama |date=December 7, 2020}}</ref>
* 2020 [[Ernst & Young]] Finalist, Entrepreneur of the Year, India<ref>{{cite news |title=Byju Raveendran |url=https://www.ey.com/en_in/entrepreneur-of-the-year/finalists-2020/byju-raveendran |access-date=6 April 2021 |work=EY}}</ref> and Winner, Business Transformation Award<ref>{{cite news |last1=Dave |first1=Sachin |title=Harsh Mariwala wins EY Entrepreneur of the year 2020 award |url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/company/corporate-trends/harsh-mariwala-wins-ey-entrepreneur-of-the-year-2020-award/articleshow/81693034.cms |access-date=14 April 2021 |work=Economic Times |date=March 25, 2021}}</ref>
* 2020 [[Fortune (magazine)|Fortune Magazine]]'s '[[40 Under 40]]' list<ref name=":0" />
* 2021 [[Forbes India]] Leadership Award (FILA) Entrepreneur for the Year<ref name="Bathija 2021">{{cite news |last1=Bathija |first1=Monica |title=FILA 2021 Entrepreneur for the Year: Byju Raveendran's global ambitions |url=https://www.forbesindia.com/article/leadership-awards-202021/fila-2021-entrepreneur-for-the-year-byju-raveendrans-global-ambitions/66885/1 |access-date=26 March 2021 |work=Forbes India |date=March 18, 2021}}</ref>

==Notes==
{{notelist}}

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Raveendran, Byju}}
[[Category:Indian company founders]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Indian billionaires]]
[[Category:People from Kannur district]]
[[Category:Businesspeople from Kerala]]
[[Category:1981 births]]

Byju Raveendran - Revision history

imported>Adamsamuelwilson at 11:13, 3 September 2021