EdTech startup WhiteHat Jr. eyes to bring AI-based coding to schools across India

WhiteHat Jr. is planning to bring its AI and robotics coding curriculum to schools across India. In recent times, coding and AI have gained immense interest amongst schools, not just for future-proofing the next generation, but also as a result of government policy.

Earlier in 2019, the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has announced its decision to include AI in its syllabus for students from class 8 to 10 as an optional subject.

Kajal Chhatija, Principal, Global Talent International School, said, “Learning coding and AI from a young age will soon become a culture. We are in the age of collaboration and integration in which they are essential skills to make our students future-ready and should be taught right from an early age. The concepts must be introduced in the foundational years like recognition of alphabets, numbers and phonics.”

“As educators, we face difficulty in translating a highly technical field like coding into a structured, sequential curriculum that can be learned by the children across all ages. WhiteHat Jr’s specially developed curriculum covers technologies like AI and Machine Learning in an interactive and engaging way and the best part are the 1:1 online classes. We’re excited to collaborate with them to make our students at GTIS future-ready for coding and AI,” she added.

3 models offered by WhiteHat Jr.

The edtech startup will be partnering with schools in three different models. In the first model, WhiteHat Jr. will license its curriculum to schools where they will train teachers on the curriculum and on how to best deliver it to students.

The company’s second model will supplement the school’s existing computer science class and teach students in the schools’ computer labs via 1:1 live, online classes. In the third model, it will be helping schools form post-school coding clubs and conduct coding classes to complement their existing computer science curriculum.

Karan Bajaj, Founder and CEO, WhiteHat Jr., said, “While kids today learn the basics of computing in schools, there is an immediate need for a comprehensive and well-researched approach to teaching them coding. We’ve developed the world’s first coding curriculum for kids which includes cutting-edge fields such as AI, robotics, machine learning and space tech. Our curriculum has been created by MIT/IIT computer scientists and we have seen proven results over the past year. We believe that there are great synergies for schools to collaborate with us and we are witnessing an overwhelming demand from schools across the country. We’re currently in discussions with over 150 schools to roll this program out.”

Recent fundraise

Recently, WhiteHat Jr., backed by Nexus Ventures Partners, Omidyar Network India and Silicon Valley-based leading EdTech VC fund Owl Ventures, secured $10 million in Series A funding.

The startup has also launched a program where the top 1% of kids on the platform will have a chance to get an all-expense-paid trip along with one of their parents to Silicon Valley to be mentored by top entrepreneurs and venture capitalists.