Manipal-backed Ed-tech start-up UNext Learning acquires leading data science institute Jigsaw Academy

UNext Learning, the Manipal Group-backed  Ed- tech learning organisation,  recently announced that it has acquired India’s leading data science and emerging technologies institute, Jigsaw Academy. With this transaction, UNext Learning will further strengthen its higher education offerings by adding specialised professional certifications in trending domains shaping the business world today. With this, Jigsaw co-founders, Gaurav Vohra and Sarita Digumarti, will join UNext as Chief Business Officer and Chief Learning Officer, respectively, and all employees from Jigsaw Academy will transition to UNext Learning. 

Speaking on the acquisition, Ambrish Sinha, Chief Executive Officer, UNext Learning, said, “Professional development in emerging tech is becoming increasingly crucial for people and businesses that are constantly innovating and disrupting. This strategic acquisition strengthens our online play in the higher education ecosystem while increasing our range of up-skilling and re-skilling offerings alongside our online degrees – both in the enterprise and individual learners’ segments. By driving outcome-based immersive learning through short-term professional programmes, we’re further fortifying UNext’s vision to enhance affordability and accessibility for our community of students and learners.”

Jigsaw Academy was founded to address the skills gap in the industry through programmes in artificial intelligence, machine learning, cloud, and cyber-security among others through strategic partnerships with illustrious institutions such as the Indian Institute of Management - Indore, HackerU (Israel), and NASSCOM FutureSkills. It has transformed the careers of 50,000+ students, is recognised in over 30 countries, and has collaborated with many Fortune 500 companies across the world. It has been consistently recognised as No. 1 in the ‘Top 10 Data Science Institutes in India’ several years in a row.

Speaking on the occasion, Gaurav Vohra, Chief Business Officer, UNext Learning, said, “I’m excited about the tremendous market potential this new opportunity presents. After successfully building Jigsaw and helping professionals up-skill and organisations stay relevant, my new role offers a larger canvas where we can impact the lives of learners across the entire higher education spectrum – starting from online college degrees to specially curated, industry-relevant professional programmes.”

Speaking on the occasion, Sarita Digumarti, Chief Learning Officer, UNext Learning, said, “The need for change in the seemingly recent but relatively old mode of online education has never been more urgent. In my new role, I am looking forward to designing a seamless, enhanced learning journey for students – complete with robust student engagement, differentiated pedagogy, interactive technologies and events, new learning content and formats, and much much more. Our synergy with UNext is set to empower students with all the ammunition they need to succeed and build a strong community of keen learners.”

With the rising preference for digital learning, this acquisition strengthens UNext Learning’s position in the Indian Ed-tech market. The two firms will be combining their resources to make UNext India’s first Ed-tech organisation that provides end-to-end learning and assessment solutions for higher education in the online space.