Experiential Learning Platform Habbit Raises $320,000 In Pre-Seed Round The startup will use the funds towards growing its community of users, onboarding new mentors, and to further develop the product
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Habbit—an interactive online learning platform for new-age digital skills and hobbies—on Thursday announced that it has raised $320,000 in a pre-Seed round led by Ashok Goyal, ex-supervisory board member; Sanjeev Goenka Group, ex-managing director, Philips Carbon Black, and ex-president, KEC International, with participation from a clutch of well-known angel investors.
The angel investors who participated in the round include Rajinder Mohan, RT Vision Technologies and Bitcomm Technologies, Gaurav Vij, Sanctum Wealth Management; Geeta Ahluwalia, Aanchal Apparels Private Limited and Kunal Ojha S/O Vijay Ojha, Techno Relief Group.
The funds will be primarily used towards growing their community of users, onboarding new mentors, and to further develop the product.
"In a world full of content and consumption, what is scarce is engagement and interaction through live mentorship and community. We have seen increasing validation for our business model and overwhelming adoption from our learners to immerse themselves in our live learning experience and communities, especially college students, working professionals and homemakers. In just three months of full-fledged product launch, we have expanded our community to more than 5000 learners and conducted over 400 learning sessions. We couldn't ask for better partners than our current investors who have tremendous experience and strategic vision. The new investments will primarily accelerate product development, expanding our content, and creator base to cover unique learning experiences for our learners," said Somnath Sandeep, co-founder, Habbit.
Founded in September 2020 by Somnath Sandeep and Raghav Goyal, alumni of BITS-Pilani, Habbit is an experiential learning platform that connects passionate mentors and learners through live mentorship, engaging learning experiences and community building. Habbit was founded with a twofold goal in mind - one, to help learners upskill to become creators and to support existing creators monetize to become micro-entrepreneurs, and two, to encourage people to have a hobby, a recreational habit or a meaningful interest that gives them a break from their daily hustle. Learners can opt for one-on-one tutoring for a personalized learning experience, or join a small group of passionate learners on a fun-filled journey with experienced mentors. Additionally, learners can also attend concise one-time classes or workshops to learn a skill together. At Habbit, along with learning experiences, learners can be a part of a community of like-minded learners, the company shared.
"Though there are a number of learning platforms for enhancing professional skills, there are hardly any players that cater exclusively to creative learning. I believe that Habbit is solving a large unmet need in the market with its focus on creating a one-stop platform for learning creative and digital skills and hobbies. The young team has shown impressive growth within a short period of time. I am happy to be a part of their growth story," stated Ashok Goyal, lead investor, ex-supervisory board member, Sanjeev Goenka Group, ex-managing director, Philips Carbon Black, and ex-president, KEC International.
"With the world continuing to endure the effects of the pandemic, not only are people looking for creative ways to invest their time to avoid burnout from our everyday hustle but also pursue it as a side or main gig. Being a creator is increasingly becoming a satisfying as well as a sustainable occupation and lifestyle. At Habbit, you can discover your passion, find your tribe, share experiences and build life-long relationships," added Raghav Goyal, co-founder, Habbit.
The company currently offers 42 skills under 7 categories that include art, music, design, games, fitness, dance, and gardening. In the next few months, the startup plans to introduce learning experiences in new-age digital skills, self-care, culinary arts, and photography. To date, Habbit has engaged with more than 5000 learners and conducted over 400 learning sessions.
