Leverage Edu just proved agility beats adversity in the study-abroad game. As visa crackdowns and diplomatic tensions shut down traditional routes from India to Canada and the U.S., the edtech startup pivoted fast - rerouting students to Germany and helping Canadian universities recruit from Nigeria. The moves paid off: revenue doubled to $20 million, the company turned profitable for the first time, and it's now expanding across 16 countries while eyeing a potential IPO in 2026.
When India-Canada relations hit rock bottom in 2023, thousands of Indian students watched their study-abroad dreams crumble. Visa applications stalled, university partnerships froze, and traditional consultants scrambled for answers. But Leverage Edu saw opportunity in the chaos.
The eight-year-old startup didn't just survive the diplomatic fallout - it thrived. While competitors struggled to adapt, Leverage quickly rerouted Indian students from Canada to Germany and simultaneously helped Canadian universities recruit from Nigeria. The strategy essentially salvaged student pipelines in both regions, turning a geopolitical crisis into a growth opportunity.
"Our gap has narrowed with most of our global competitors who were either large listed companies or who had raised some of these mega rounds," founder and CEO Akshay Chaturvedi told TechCrunch.
That agility is paying dividends. The Noida-based startup just closed fiscal 2025 with over ₹1.8 billion (around $20 million) in revenue - double the previous year's ₹900 million. More impressively, it turned profitable for the first time, generating ₹120-130 million ($1.4-1.5 million) after tax in a sector where profitability remains elusive for most players.
The turnaround represents a stunning 256% swing from fiscal 2025's ₹800 million loss. Between April and September alone, Leverage generated over ₹2 billion ($23 million) and projects hitting ₹3.7-3.8 billion ($45 million) by year-end.
Leverage's secret sauce lies in geographic diversification. The startup now operates across 16 source countries, placing over 10,000 students annually into universities across 11 destinations - up from just 1,500 placements a few years ago. That growth comes with impressive unit economics: 60% of student acquisitions cost zero in customer acquisition spend, according to Chaturvedi.
The company's expansion accelerated dramatically in recent months, adding Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Vietnam, and Malaysia to its roster. These emerging markets represent untapped demand pools where students seek international education but lack structured admissions support.
