Stiarena

India's newest billionaire is a former classroom teacher who developed an education app that's grown to a valuation of almost $6 billion in about seven years. Byju Raveendran joined the rarefied club after his Think & Learn Pvt scored $150 million (roughly Rs. 1,000 crores) in funding earlier this month. That deal conferred a value of $5.7 billion (roughly Rs. 39,000 crores) on the company in which the founder owns more than 21 percent, people familiar with the matter said. Its closing coincided with the announcement that the company's Byju's app - named after the founder - will team up with Walt Disney Co, and taking its service to American shores by early 2020. The 37-year-old entrepreneur - who has said he wants to do for Indian education what the Mouse House did for entertainment - is taking his biggest step yet geographically and creatively. In his new app, Disney staples from The Lion King's Simba to Frozen's Anna teach math and Engl...