Nikhil Saraf Empowering English Learning through Innovative EdTech at Freadom

Nikhil Saraf, the co-founder of Freadom, is on a mission to revolutionize English language learning in India. Freadom, based in Gurugram, is an innovative edtech platform that equips children with the skills to read and learn in English, particularly in countries where English is an aspirational second language.

A Vision for Transformative Learning:

Freadom was born in 2016 after eight years of extensive grassroots research in learning and reading science. Nikhil Saraf, along with his co-founder Kavish Gadia, embarked on a journey to address a fundamental challenge—enhancing early literacy and English language proficiency among children. They envisioned a platform that would provide personalized learning experiences, focusing on children aged three to 12 years.

A Comprehensive Learning Ecosystem:

Freadom offers a comprehensive learning ecosystem through its user-friendly app, available on both Android and iOS devices. The app’s content includes a rich array of stories, quizzes, live classes, storytelling sessions, news updates, activities, and speech games. What sets Freadom apart is its advanced recommendation engine, developed in collaboration with Stanford University, which tailors the learning journey from the very first interaction.

Personalized Learning and Assessment:

One of Freadom’s key strengths is its data-driven approach. The platform continually assesses a child’s proficiency and guides them toward improvement. Freadom’s speech AI capabilities, developed in partnership with Carnegie Mellon Speech, enable students to track their oral fluency, making language learning more interactive and engaging.

For students who seek a more hands-on approach, Freadom offers paid live virtual classes conducted by teachers trained in the Freadom pedagogy.

Freadom’s success lies in its commitment to data science and adaptive learning. Their proprietary recommendation engine, in collaboration with Stanford University, offers extreme personalization. Moreover, Freadom is the first app to assess oral fluency using speech AI, positioning itself as the operating system for English language learning in countries where English is a second language.

Navigating the Competitive Landscape:

In the realm of English content, Freadom competes with giants like YouTube, while in the reading space, it faces competition from digital libraries like EPIC!. However, Freadom’s data-driven approach and speech AI give it a unique edge in the market.

The Visionaries behind Freadom:

Founders Kavish Gadia and Nikhil Saraf, driven by their passion for reading and stories, embarked on this entrepreneurial journey to address a fundamental challenge in early literacy. Kavish, an alumnus of IIM-Lucknow, and Nikhil, an alumnus of VIT, MICA, and Stanford, have created Freadom as an expression of their love for reading and their commitment to quality education.

Funding and Growth:

Freadom has raised a total of $6 million, with $5 million secured post-pandemic. Investors include Unreasonable Capital, Capital A, and other prominent figures in the business world. Freadom’s growth strategy focuses on India initially, with international expansion on the horizon. The platform aims to achieve cash break-even operations, reaching 10 million app users and $7.5 million in revenue by FY-2023.

As of now, Freadom has 465,000 registered users, with 12,000 users opting for paid subscriptions, generating Rs 9.50 crore in revenue in the first nine months of the year.

Empowering Future Generations:

Nikhil Saraf‘s journey with Freadom exemplifies the power of innovation and data-driven learning in transforming education. Freadom’s commitment to equipping children with essential language skills and its unwavering focus on personalization position it as a trailblazer in the edtech landscape. As Freadom continues to empower young learners, Nikhil Saraf’s vision of accessible English language education becomes a reality, opening doors to a world of opportunities.