Unacademy-upGrad $200 Million Acquisition Originated in 2020, Says Ronnie Screwvala

1 Sept 2026, 3:11 pm · 11d ago · 1 min read · YourStory

Amount

$200M

Stage

Acquisition

Lead

upGrad

Following the completion of upGrad’s $200 million acquisition of Unacademy in 2026, upGrad co-founder Ronnie Screwvala revealed the deal’s origins trace back to 2020. Unacademy co-founder Gaurav Munjal had pitched merging the two edtech companies during a lunch meeting with Screwvala and Mayank Kumar in Mumbai, even proposing to lead the combined entity. While upGrad declined the initial offer due to differing strategic focuses—Unacademy targeting test preparation and upGrad focusing on higher education—the discussion laid the groundwork for the eventual consolidation six years later amid shifting market dynamics.