Byju’s, a prominent ed-tech company, finds itself entangled in a complex financial crisis, triggering significant repercussions for its top leadership and founders. The unfolding scenario paints a picture of struggles, legal battles, and strategic shifts that have marked the company’s trajectory.
In the latest development, shareholders of Byju’s have taken a decisive step by proposing a resolution for the removal of the founders from their leadership positions, a move that includes the potential ousting of CEO Byju Raveendran. This move underscores the severity of the financial challenges the company is facing.
The crisis intensified as Byju’s became embroiled in a legal dispute in the United States, revolving around the terms and payment of a substantial loan. This legal entanglement has fueled a standoff between the investors and the CEO. The valuation of the company, once soaring at $22 billion in March 2022 during the peak of online education demand fueled by the Covid-19 pandemic, has dwindled to a mere $1-3 billion, a stark decline of nearly 10 percent from its zenith.
The downward spiral of Byju’s began in 2023 when the demand for online education started to wane, especially with increased competition in the industry. In April 2023, the company faced scrutiny from the Enforcement Directorate (ED), with three of its offices raided under the provisions of the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA). The ED slapped a FEMA violation notice on Byju’s, amounting to ₹9,362.35 crore, adding to the mounting legal troubles.
Further complicating matters, one of Byju’s foreign lenders filed a lawsuit against the company in 2023. Redwood, a US-based investment firm, had extended a loan of $1.2 billion to Byju’s in November 2021. However, the ed-tech firm failed to meet a quarterly interest payment of ₹330 crore, leading to the filing of a lawsuit. In response, Byju’s counteracted with a case against Redwood, citing “accelerating demand” for loan repayment.
The repercussions of the financial crisis reverberated within the company, resulting in high-profile exits, including three board directors – GV Ravi Shankar, Russell Dreisenstock, and Vivian Wu. Deloitte, the financial auditor of the company, also resigned in 2023, reflecting the depth of internal challenges.
The year 2023 witnessed a tumultuous period for Byju’s, characterized by thousands of layoffs across all departments and constant disruptions in payroll. These measures were part of the company’s attempt to cut costs and weather the storm, but they triggered a backlash against founder and CEO Byju Raveendran.
In November 2023, a US court ruling favored the lenders, asserting that the consortium of lenders had the right to appoint a director on a special purpose vehicle (SPV) that borrowed $1.2 billion. The court also sanctioned the removal of Riju Raveendran, the CEO’s brother, from the SPV’s board. These legal setbacks further strained Byju’s financial position.
Under mounting pressure from lenders, Byju’s made the strategic decision to further cut its valuation. Currently seeking to raise $200 million against a valuation of $250 million, the company faces investor demands for the removal of founder Byju Raveendran from the board.
Amid this turmoil, six shareholders of Byju’s parent company, Think and Learn Private Limited, have moved a resolution to terminate CEO Byju Raveendran. However, the company has countered this initiative, asserting that shareholders lack the authority to vote on CEO changes.
The intricate web of challenges faced by Byju’s underscores the complexities inherent in the ed-tech industry. From the initial surge in demand driven by the Covid-19 pandemic to the subsequent intensification of competition and legal woes, Byju’s finds itself at a crossroads. The unfolding saga of financial struggles and internal conflicts not only impacts the company’s leadership but also has broader implications for the ed-tech sector, serving as a cautionary tale in a rapidly evolving educational landscape.
