Get All Access for $5/mo

The Immersive Learner Practically is an interactive and immersive learning app for students of classes 6-12 with a focus on STEM learning.

By Saurabh Kumar

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

You're reading Entrepreneur India, an international franchise of Entrepreneur Media.

Entrepreneur India
CHARU NOHERIA, CO-FOUNDER & COO, PRACTICALLY

Charu Noheria, Subbarao Siddabattula and Ilangovel Thulasimani, were working together at a leading healthcare IT company in the US. Each of them was passionate about and wanted to revolutionise the education landscape in India and that's when they thought about Practically and founded it in 2018.

Talking about the inspiration towards starting Practically, Charu shares, "The inspiration personally came from taking competitive exams for IITs in India back in the day. All I remember from that experience was the stress in learning. I dropped a year, switched five engineering streams and changed three colleges during the 18 months when I struggled to get my footing right. Unconsciously this impacted me immensely and I was always attracted towards unconventional ways of learning which are different from rote learning."

Practically is an interactive and immersive learning app for students of classes 6-12 with a focus on STEM learning. It offers features such as lifelike video content, hands-on learning, experiential learning, 24x7 help with access to subject experts for doubt resolution, live classes, Proton - the AI assistant and study buddy and Coding++. 3,00,000+ students have already benefited from various features on the platform.

Practically is constantly innovating ways to improve the rate of retention for students to more than 90 per cent by using new age learning methodology and experiential content. They have the largest repository of augmented reality (AR), 3D videos and simulations which can be experienced on the Practically app available to students to download for free on Play Store and App Store.

The new-age classroom experience for teachers and students, through the Practically School Solution, focuses on futuristic content, gamification and distractionfree classes. Practically has come up with a unique tool which gives teachers the AI-based insights to help personalize homework and assessments, and come up with alternative teaching solutions such as a pop-quiz or playing a subject related, simulation videos, thereby making learning and fun. Over 130 schools across India are already using Practically to engage their students online during the pandemic.

Talking about Practically's presence in India and across, Charu shares, "While our focus so far has been on Andhra Pradesh and Telangana states in India, Practically is working on expanding pan-India and in the Middle East along with launching in one more international market in 2021."

Charu says that personally for her, fundraising has been a very rewarding experience. She has learnt a lot along the way and added some incredible people in her close network.

"Fundraising isn't easy, it takes patience and critical time of founders who also need to focus on building the business. Balancing the two is like doing two full-time jobs. Even a slight amount of delay in securing funds can be detrimental to the business. Moments like those can demoralize you, as you can see the market opportunity slipping away in front of you and there is nothing you can do. I am sure a lot of entrepreneurs can relate to that feeling.

Luckily for us, we have survived our early battles, gone through many ups and downs, raised multiple rounds of funding and are now in a very good place."

The company has raised $9 Million of funding and is working on raising a Series B round sometime this year for growth capital.

Starting with three people, the company currently has over 250 employees on board with virtual hiring even during the lockdown and expect to be 2000+ strong by the end of this year!

News and Trends

"45% of All Ongoing Hydropower Projects in India are Ours": Patel Engineering

Patel Engineering reported a turnover of INR 4,400 crore in the last fiscal year, with a projected 10 per cent growth for the current year.

Business Ideas

63 Small Business Ideas to Start in 2024

We put together a list of the best, most profitable small business ideas for entrepreneurs to pursue in 2024.

Side Hustle

'Hustling Every Day': These Friends Started a Side Hustle With $2,500 Each — It 'Snowballed' to Over $500,000 and Became a Multimillion-Dollar Brand

Paris Emily Nicholson and Saskia Teje Jenkins had a 2020 brainstorm session that led to a lucrative business.

Leadership

Visionaries or Vague Promises? Why Companies Fail Without Leaders Who See Beyond the Bottom Line

Visionary leaders turn bold ideas into lasting impact by building resilience, clarity and future-ready teams.

Science & Technology

5 Rule-Bending AI Hacks to Make Your Mornings More Productive and Profitable

By 2025, AI will transform productivity by streamlining workflows and cutting costs. Major companies like Microsoft, Google, and OpenAI are leading the way, advancing AI into "Phase 3," where tools act as digital assistants. Discover 5 AI hacks to boost efficiency and redefine your daily routine.

Business News

Former Steve Jobs Intern Says This Is How He Would Have Approached AI

The former intern is now the CEO of AI and data company DataStax.