MAM
Byju’s acquires US start-up Epic for $500 mn
New Delhi: Signalling its bid to expand its global footprint, edtech major Byju’s has announced that it has acquired Epic, US based digital reading platform for kids for $500 million.
The company said it will invest an additional $1 billion in the US to strengthen its vision of “helping students fall in love with learning”.
The acquisition will enable the ed-tech major to bolster its presence in the US market by providing access to the more than two million teachers and 50 million kids in Epic’s existing global user-base, which has more than doubled over the last year, Byju’s said in a statement. It will also enable it to create engaging and interactive reading and learning experiences for children globally.
“Our mission is to fuel curiosity and make students fall in love with learning. Knowing that Epic and its products are rooted in the same mission, it was a natural fit. Together, we have the opportunity to create impactful experiences for children to become lifelong learners,” said Byju’s founder and CEO, Byju Raveendran.
Epic CEO Suren Markosian and co-founder Kevin Donahue will continue in their current roles.
“The alignment of missions and shared passion makes Byju’s the perfect partner, as Epic is confident that this acquisition will ignite excitement for learning around the world,” said Epic co-founder, Markosian. “Together, we can help empower future generations of kids by fostering a lifetime love for reading and learning.”
Byju’s has aggressive plans for international and US market expansion, and the acquisition with Epic will not only lead to significant investments in technology that will help to further personalised learning for students but also enable Byju’s to become a natural part of America”s learning culture, the statement said
Brands
Amazon appoints Menka Asrani as lead studio
To drive branded content for Prime Video within Amazon Ads ecosystem
MUMBAI: Amazon has appointed Menka Asrani as lead studio, strengthening its branded content ambitions within the Amazon Ads ecosystem for its OTT platform.
Asrani announced the move, saying she will lead branded content initiatives that bring together storytelling, brand partnerships and audience-first thinking. “This role brings together storytelling, brand partnerships and audience-first thinking—areas I’ve been deeply passionate about throughout my career,” she shared, adding that she looks forward to building content solutions that forge stronger connections between brands and audiences in the premium digital entertainment space.
She also expressed gratitude to Gulshan Verma for the opportunity and said she is eager to collaborate with the team to shape brand storytelling at scale.
Asrani joins Amazon after a year at Collective Artists Network, where she served as head brand solutions – BigBang.Social. Prior to that, she spent over three years at Viacom18 Media Private Limited, leading branded content creative for digital ventures at JioCinema’s entertainment vertical.
Her earlier stint as head of sales strategy and brand solutions at Zee5 saw her drive data-led content solutions and revenue strategies across digital and tv+. She has also held brand solutions roles at The Walt Disney Company, Bloomberg TV India and DB Corp Ltd., building intellectual properties and multi-platform brand partnerships.
Across her career, Asrani has produced and shaped high-impact branded properties and original formats. These include the L’Oréal Professional Indian Hairdressing Awards, an original hairstyling reality series featuring filmmaker Karan Johar as a judge, the anthology Saath By Chance on JioCinema, and Royal Stag Barrel Select Large Short Films’ Select Films Select Conversations.
With over a decade of experience spanning print, television and digital, Asrani brings a rare mix of creative instinct and commercial acumen. At Amazon, that blend is expected to power branded storytelling that feels less like advertising and more like entertainment audiences choose to watch.
