Edtech Startup Virohan Raises $2.8 Mn to Ramp Up Access to Vocational Training in Healthcare Jobs The capital is raised across seed and series A rounds, with Silicon Valley-based Keiretsu Forum leading the seed round, whereas series A round led by philanthropic impact investor elea Foundation for Ethics in Globalization and The Singh Family Trust

Education technology company Virohan, specializing in healthcare stream, has raised USD 2.8 million (about INR 20.79 crore) across seed and series A funding rounds.

The seed round was led by the Silicon Valley-based Keiretsu Forum, a private group comprising of international angel investors, whereas series A round was led by philanthropic impact investor elea Foundation for Ethics in Globalization and The Singh Family Trust.

While Artha Impact acted as an advisor through the fundraising, National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) participated in the round as an investor.

Founded in 2018 by Kunaal Dudeja, Nalin Saluja and Archit Jayaswal, Virohan is a healthcare vocational training company that provides young people from low-income backgrounds with a career in the healthcare sector and in turn, make trained workforce available to the industry.

Virohan said it will use the fresh funding to continue introducing new virtual technologies in the vocational training segment that allow for greater accessibility, scalability and immersion at affordable costs. Mainly, the company will use the capital to expand its content library by introducing standardized study material to students in 15 new languages and grow its partnerships to hundreds of institutions.

Filling the Demand for Skilled Workforce in Healthcare Sector

Virohan claims to be solving the critical problem of shortage of technically skilled workforce for low and mid-level jobs in the healthcare sector.

It uses technology to train youth from marginalized backgrounds, equip them with knowledge and skills required for a particular line of work and open their ways to sources of earning and a progressive career.

"Virohan bridges the gap between industry demand and the skills of the workforce by using its "technology skill stack' through which they predict job demand for each job role across India, builds out the curriculum needed and delivers standardized training through blended and online learning," the company said in a statement.

The Gurgaon-based startup works in collaboration with GE Healthcare and Indian Medical Association (IMA) and is a training partner of NSDC.

The courses offered by Viroha emphasise on development of core technical skills required for a job, strengthening language abilities and inculcating life skills in the students. This is done through gamified learning approach delivered by its facilitators in classrooms or purely online on its myCareer app, the edtech startup said.

The various programs include internships at hospitals to facilitate practical training of the skills acquired through the course. The institute works on a fee-based model and in order to encourage young people to join, financial linkages are provided with easy installment-based payback options after a job is secured by the users, the company stated.

In August 2018, Yunus Social Business Fund, an impact fund co-founded by Noble Laureate Mohammand Yunus, had invested an undisclosed amount in Viroha.