AdmitKard

About AdmitKard

AdmitKard, operated by Pineyards Solutions Pvt. Ltd., is a technology-driven platform in the international education sector, founded in 2016. The company was established by Piyush Bhartiya and Rachit Agrawal, alumni of India's prestigious IITs and IIMs, who both previously worked at the Boston Consulting Group. Their personal experiences with studying and working abroad fueled the creation of a platform designed to address the complexities students face in pursuing overseas education. Rachit Agrawal holds a background in engineering from IIIT Allahabad and an MBA from IIM Calcutta, with prior experience at Microsoft and Adobe. Piyush Bhartiya is an alumnus of IIT Roorkee and IIM Bangalore and worked at Schlumberger in Africa and Mexico before his time at BCG.

The firm targets the growing market of students, primarily from India, seeking higher education in countries like the US, UK, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. AdmitKard provides an end-to-end solution that guides students from course and university discovery to the application process and beyond. The platform uses data-backed algorithms and AI to provide personalized recommendations for universities and courses, simplifying a traditionally fragmented and offline process. A key feature is its mentorship network, which connects aspiring students with current international students, or 'Mentors', who offer firsthand insights into university life. The service portfolio is extensive, covering profile building, assistance with statements of purpose (SOPs) and essays, test preparation, and support for visa applications, education loans, and accommodation.

AdmitKard operates on a freemium business model. Students can access core features and guidance on the platform for free, which is a significant client acquisition channel. Revenue is generated through multiple streams: fees from students for premium services like personalized guidance and profile building, and commission fees from over 3,000 partner universities for marketing and student recruitment. To date, the company has raised a total of $12.2 million over seven funding rounds. Its most significant round was a Series A in February 2023, which raised $6.03 million, led by GSV Ventures. This capital is being deployed to expand its product offerings into ancillary services such as education financing, scholarships, and accommodation, while also enhancing its technological capabilities and market reach within India.