Allen Career Institute is in advanced talks to acquire Unacademy, slashing the edtech startup’s valuation to $800 million from $3.4 billion in 2021.
The deal hinges on approval from Allen's promoters, the Maheshwari family, and involves share swap negotiations to determine equity for Unacademy shareholders. Unacademy’s $160 million cash reserves are included in the valuation. The merger may lead to Unacademy’s founders, including CEO Gaurav Munjal, exiting the company. This comes after Unacademy faced layoffs, executive departures, and cost-cutting measures in recent years.