Bengaluru: Ananya Tripathi, a managing director at KKR Capstone and a former chief strategy officer at Myntra, is in talks to become the CEO of edtech giant Byju’s Whitehat Jr later this month, according to various sources familiar with the situation. Tripathi, who was promoted to MD from director at KKR, has quit and is anticipated to start at Whitehat Jr around the middle of March, according to these sources. Tripathi’s hire comes at a time when the corporation is undergoing a wider restructuring. KKR Capstone assists KKR’s investment teams and portfolio firms around the world.
Tripathi’s possible arrival at Whitehat Jr comes at a time when the coding platform for kids has been chastised for its commercial methods, particularly the manner in which the courses were pitched to parents. In August of last year, Whitehat Jr’s original creator and CEO, Karan Bajaj, left the company, and Trupti Mukker, Byju’s customer experience head, was named CEO. Whitehat Jr was also forced to take legal action against individuals who publicly criticised its business methods.
“We do not comment on internal movements,” a Byju spokeswoman stated when approached. Tripathi remained silent on the subject.
It’s unclear what role Mukker will have at Byju’s after Tripathi joins the firm.
According to those familiar with the situation, a large portion of Tripathi’s mission would be focused on Whitehat Jr’s global operations. Byju’s, which has been on an acquisition binge and expanding into new markets around the world, has leaned extensively on Whitehat Jr to help create its Byju’s Future School, which opened in April of last year. Byju’s has previously stated that it would bring Byju’s Future School to markets such as the United States, the United Kingdom, Brazil, Mexico, and Indonesia.
Byju’s purchased WhiteHat Jr in an all-cash acquisition worth $300 million in August 2020. Byju’s introduction into the computer code learning segment, with an emphasis on high school and college students, was highlighted by this agreement.
