Hustler Words – Amidst escalating visa restrictions and strained international relations impacting study-abroad opportunities, Indian startup Leverage Edu is strategically redirecting students’ aspirations. This agile approach, pivoting from traditional destinations like Canada to emerging hubs such as Germany, Nigeria, and Saudi Arabia, has fueled remarkable growth for the company. Leverage Edu has doubled its revenue, achieved profitability, and is aggressively expanding its global presence.
The increasing uncertainty surrounding international college admissions has left many students in emerging markets facing significant challenges. Shifting visa regulations and diplomatic tensions, exemplified by the 2023-2024 India-Canada dispute and evolving India-U.S. policies on tariffs and immigration, have disrupted application processes and eligibility for countless individuals. Stricter student visa policies in countries like Canada and Australia have caught numerous families off guard, leaving even established local consultants and study-abroad firms struggling to adapt. However, Leverage, the company behind the Leverage Edu platform, has proactively responded by assisting students in identifying alternative destinations and swiftly adjusting their plans to overcome these disruptions.
Leverage Edu swiftly responded to the souring of India-Canada relations by facilitating the rerouting of Indian students to Germany and supporting Canadian universities in recruiting from Nigeria. This proactive approach effectively preserved student pipelines in both regions. The company is now employing a similar strategy to navigate the ongoing tensions between the U.S. and India.
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While Leverage Edu continues to facilitate student placements in the U.S., a growing proportion of demand is now originating from countries like Brazil and Vietnam, where interest in American universities remains strong, according to founder and CEO Akshay Chaturvedi.
This adaptability across different regions is now central to Leverage Edu’s growth strategy. In recent months, the startup has expanded into Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Vietnam, and Malaysia – emerging markets with a growing number of students seeking international education but limited access to structured admissions support. This expansion brings Leverage Edu’s operational footprint to 16 countries for student recruitment, assisting them in applying to universities across 11 destination countries.
Beyond application assistance, the Noida-based startup is positioning itself as a comprehensive platform for international education, providing students with support in planning, financing, and managing their educational journeys. Its offerings include a mobile app, an AI-powered course search engine, a university matchmaking tool called UniConnect, and a newly launched SaaS suite for global universities under the brand Univalley.ai.
Leverage Edu has also diversified into related areas, offering Leverage MBBS for medical aspirants, Fly Finance for education loans, Fly Homes for student housing, and other services under Leverage Careers and Compass.
Leverage Edu now places over 10,000 students annually, a significant increase from approximately 1,500 just a few years ago. Much of this growth has been driven by organic demand, with 60% of student acquisitions requiring no customer acquisition cost, according to Chaturvedi.
"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," he told Hustler Words – .
Financially, Leverage Edu has experienced substantial growth and achieved profitability for the first time this year, a rare feat in India’s edtech sector. The startup concluded fiscal year 2025 with over ₹1.8 billion (around $20 million) in revenue, doubling from the previous year’s ₹900 million (approximately $10 million). In the first half of fiscal year 2026 (April to September), it generated more than ₹2 billion (roughly $23 million) and is on track to end the fiscal year with ₹3.7-₹3.8 billion (about $45 million) in revenue.
On the profitability front, Leverage Edu garnered ₹120-130 million (approximately $1.4-1.5 million) in profit after tax and expects to surpass ₹250 million ($2.8 million) by the end of fiscal year 2026, marking a 256% turnaround from a full-year loss of ₹800 million in fiscal year 2025.
The startup generates approximately 25% of its revenue from its platform businesses, which support students beyond admissions with value-added services, including loans, money remittance, housing, and assistance with securing internships or first jobs. The remaining 75% of revenue comes from its core education business – the student placement and counseling services. Within that, about 20% comes directly from students and 55% from universities in commissions, Chaturvedi told Hustler Words – .
India remains Leverage Edu’s largest source market, accounting for 58% of its total student base. Within the country, the startup focuses on states like Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, and Punjab – regions that consistently send large numbers of students to universities abroad.
In terms of destinations, the U.K. remains Leverage Edu’s largest market, accounting for 52% of student placements, followed by Germany at 22%. Italy, its fastest-growing market this summer, is also gaining traction.
North America currently represents less than 5% of total placements for Leverage Edu, reflecting tightened visa rules and diplomatic headwinds in recent years. The startup expects this share to grow as its presence expands across Latin America, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East.
With rising revenues and an expanding global footprint, the startup is now considering a potential IPO in India as early as next year, and investment bankers have already made early pitches, sources familiar with the matter told Hustler Words – .
Founder and CEO Chaturvedi did not deny the possibility of a public listing, but he said Leverage Edu would decide between pursuing an IPO or raising external capital after hitting the $100 million revenue milestone, which the company expects to reach sometime in 2026.
So far, Leverage Edu has raised less than $50 million in equity. The company operates across 27 countries through over 50 offices and has a headcount of around 800 people.
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