GUVI
{{Short description|Indian online education platform}}
{{Orphan|date=February 2021}}
{{Infobox company
| name = GUVI Geek Networks Pvt. Ltd.
| type = Private
| industry = E-Learning, Edtech, Online Education
| founded = {{start date and age|2011|df=yes}} (as a YouTube channel)
{{start date and age|2014|df=yes}} (as a company)
| founders = Arun Prakash (founder & CEO)
Late Sridevi Arun Prakash (co-founder)
SP Balamurugan (co-founder)
| parent = HCL
| website = {{URL|guvi.in}}
| logo = GUVI logo.png
}}
GUVI (named as an acronym of Grab Your Vernacular Imprint) is an online platform to learn computer programming based in India. It offers free and paid coding courses to students and working professionals in Indian languages such as Hindi, Telugu, Kannada, Swahili, Bengali, Tamil, and in English. GUVI's mission is "to make technical education available to all in their native languages".{{Cite web|last=Singh|first=Tanaya|date=November 15, 2016|title=Three Techies in Chennai Have Made It Possible for Students to Learn Programming in Indian Languages|url=https://www.thebetterindia.com/75103/guvi-computer-programming-chennai-intel-ekuka/|access-date=December 20, 2020|website=thebetterindia}}
History
GUVI was started as a YouTube channel in 2011. The channel posted video tutorials, courses, and practice materials created by Arun Prakash, Sridevi Arun Prakash, and SP Balamurugan. The videos were posted in Tamil, Telugu, and Marathi, with the goal of reaching people not fluent in English.{{Cite web|last=Peermohamed|first=Alnoor|date=July 16, 2017|title=Guvi sidelines English, trains coders in Tamil, Telugu and Marathi|url=https://www.business-standard.com/article/companies/guvi-sidelines-english-trains-coders-in-tamil-telugu-and-marathi-117071600488_1.html|access-date=December 20, 2020|website=Business Standard}}
The trio quit their job in 2014 and started GUVI as a company. Seeded with an initial capital of ₹1,000,000, the start-up was incubated at the Rural Technology and Business Incubator (RTBI) based out of IIT Madras. The start-up raised seed funding of ₹500,000, and officially launched in November 2014.
GUVI received its first institutional round of funding of ₹10,000,000, from US-based Gray Matters Capital's edLABS in April 2019.{{Cite web|date=April 26, 2019|title=GUVI gets ₹1 cr. funding |url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/chennai/guvi-gets-1-cr-funding/article26947350.ece|access-date=December 20, 2020|website=The Hindu}} It raised ₹60,000,000 in its pre-series A round of funding from Education Catalyst Fund, an education-focused venture capital fund managed by CBA Capital, in April 2020{{Cite web|date=April 25, 2020|title=IIT Madras-incubated ed-tech startup GUVI raises Rs 6 crore in pre-series A funding|url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/small-biz/startups/newsbuzz/iit-madras-incubated-ed-tech-startup-guvi-raises-rs-6-crore-in-pre-series-a-funding/articleshow/75381118.cms|website=The Economic Times}}
Events
GUVI conducted All India Robotic Process Automation Skillathon, with UiPath, in June 2020, to provide students an opportunity to get exposure to robotic process automation.{{Cite web|date=June 3, 2020|title=GUVI start-up ties up with US-based UiPath to host 'Robotic Process Automation' event to prep students for new-age jobs|url=https://www.edexlive.com/campus/2020/jun/03/guvi-start-up-ties-up-with-us-based-uipath-to-host-robotic-process-automation-event-to-prep-students-12405.html|access-date=December 20, 2020|website=exex live}} The event included over 400 colleges across India and over 60,000 participants{{Cite web|location=New Delhi|date=April 3, 2019|title=IIT Madras-incubated startup GUVI creates platform for freshers from Tier-I, II and III Cities in tech sector|url=https://www.indiatoday.in/education-today/news/story/iit-madras-incubated-startup-guvi-creates-platform-for-freshers-from-tier-i-ii-and-iii-cities-in-tech-sector-1492967-2019-04-03|access-date=December 20, 2020|website=India Today}}
GUVI offered free online coding courses in March 2020 (during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown in India).{{Cite web|date=March 15, 2020|title=IIT Madras-incubated Startup GUVI offers Skilling Classes Free of cost to students affected by COVID-19-related shutdowns|url=https://indiaeducationdiary.in/iit-madras-incubated-startup-guvi-offers-skilling-classes-free-of-cost-to-students-affected-by-covid-19-related-shutdowns/|access-date=December 20, 2020}}{{Cite web|last=Jaiswal|first=Binita|date=March 16, 2020|title=GUVI the latest to join bandwagon of edtech start-ups offering free online courses|url=https://www.newindianexpress.com/business/2020/mar/16/guvi-the-latest-to-join-bandwagon-of-edtech-start-ups-offering-free-online-courses-2117199.html|access-date=December 20, 2020|website=Indian Express}}
Co-founder Sridevi Arun Prakash died on 20 September 2020 due to Breathing problem.{{Cite web |title=Facebook |url=https://www.facebook.com/guviofficial/posts/woman-entrepreneur-sridevi-arunprakash-who-believed-in-the-power-of-education-an/3823682844326136/ |access-date=2024-06-11 |website=www.facebook.com}}
Recognition and awards
GUVI was supported by Google's Launchpad Accelerator Program in 2017.{{Cite web|last=Mishra|first=Aparna|date=July 14, 2017|title=11 Women Entrepreneurs Selected For Google Developers' Launchpad Build|url=https://inc42.com/buzz/women-entrepreneurs-google-launchpad/|access-date=December 20, 2020|website=Inc42}}