As visa crackdowns and diplomatic tensions disrupt traditional study-abroad routes, India’s Leverage Edu is helping students reroute their academic dreams, from Canada to Germany, and from India to Nigeria and Saudi Arabia. That flexibility has enabled the startup to double its revenue, achieve profitability, and expand globally.
Founded eight years ago, Leverage has adapted quickly to international policy shifts. When India-Canada relations soured in 2023–2024, the startup redirected Indian students to Germany and supported Canadian universities by recruiting in Nigeria. A similar playbook is now being applied amid U.S.-India trade and immigration strains.
While the U.S. remains a key study-abroad destination, Leverage has expanded demand pipelines from Brazil, Vietnam, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Malaysia. Today, it operates in 16 source markets and places students across 11 destination countries.
Beyond admissions, the Noida-based company is building a full-service platform that includes a mobile app, AI-driven course search, its UniConnect matchmaking tool, and SaaS offerings for universities under Univalley.ai. Its adjacent businesses include Leverage MBBS for medical students, Fly Finance for education loans, and Fly Homes for student housing.
Financially, Leverage has achieved a sharp turnaround. It closed FY25 with over ₹1.8 billion (~$20M) in revenue, doubling from the prior year. In the first half of FY26, it generated ₹2 billion (~$23M) and projected full-year revenue of up to ₹3.8 billion (~$45M). It also turned profitable with ₹120–130 million (~$1.5M) profit after tax, and expects to hit ₹250 million (~$2.8M) by FY26-end, a 256% swing from FY25’s ₹800M loss.
Revenue is split between platform services (25%) and its core placement and counseling business (75%). Of that, 55% comes from university commissions and 20% directly from students.
Related: Via IPO Raises $493 Million as Transit Software Firm Debuts on NYSE at $3.9B Valuation
India remains its largest market, contributing 58% of student placements, with Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, and Punjab as leading hubs. The U.K. accounts for 52% of destinations, followed by Germany (22%) and fast-growing Italy. North America represents less than 5% due to visa headwinds.
With revenues rising and global expansion accelerating, Leverage is considering an India IPO as early as 2026. Founder and CEO Akshay Chaturvedi said the company would decide between a listing or raising new external capital after reaching $100M in revenue.
So far, Leverage has raised less than $50M in equity, operates across 27 countries with 50+ offices, and employs around 800 people.
