As increasingly stringent visa regulations and mounting diplomatic frictions impede long-standing study-abroad pathways, Indian startup Leverage Edu has emerged as a resourceful lifeline, redirecting students toward new opportunities when conventional destinations close their doors. Where once Canada was the primary aspiration for many Indian students, the company now guides them toward academic prospects in Germany, while simultaneously enabling Canadian institutions to recruit students from countries such as Nigeria. Likewise, new frontiers are being opened in emerging regions, such as Saudi Arabia and Egypt, demonstrating the firm’s agility in adapting to the ever-shifting global landscape. This nimbleness has proven commercially rewarding: the enterprise has not only doubled its revenues but also turned profits, and today it is rapidly extending its presence on the international stage.
Throughout recent months, countless students in developing markets have been plunged into a state of uncertainty regarding their academic futures abroad. Immigration policies are fluctuating without warning, with some governments adopting protectionist stances that complicate admissions. Episodes such as the diplomatic standoff between India and Canada in 2023–2024 and the more recent strains in India–U.S. relations over tariffs and immigration regulations have unsettled timelines and closed eligibility for thousands of prospective applicants. Nations like Canada and Australia, once seen as reliably open educational hubs, have enforced new layers of restrictions, catching families by surprise and straining even seasoned education consultants who have long specialized in sending students overseas. In contrast, Leverage Edu has distinguished itself by deploying technology and expertise to assist students in swiftly identifying alternative destinations, thereby ensuring that dreams of studying abroad are not derailed but merely rerouted.
This ability to pivot under pressure became especially visible during the deterioration of India–Canada ties, when Leverage Edu not only diverted Indian applicants toward German universities but also helped Canadian schools attract promising students from Nigeria, ensuring that both sides of the disrupted academic exchange still benefited. The same responsive blueprint is now applied in the face of shifting India–U.S. diplomatic priorities. While demand for higher education in the United States has softened among Indian applicants, Leverage is instead sourcing students from countries like Brazil and Vietnam, where enthusiasm for American universities has not waned. In this way, the company balances risks, sustains demand, and preserves its reputation as a resilient intermediary.
Adaptability has evolved from being a temporary response to becoming the cornerstone of Leverage’s larger growth vision. Over the past two months, the startup has established itself in Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Vietnam, and Malaysia — regions with rising numbers of students, growing aspirations for global degrees, yet limited structured guidance for navigating complex admission systems. Combined with its existing reach, Leverage now maintains active operations in 16 different countries of student origin, while channeling applicants into a network of universities spread across 11 major destination nations.
Beyond core admissions counseling, Leverage Edu is steadily developing into an integrated platform that addresses every stage of a student’s international journey. From its headquarters in Noida, an expanding technology hub on the outskirts of New Delhi, the startup provides a suite of digital tools: a mobile application for on-the-go guidance, an artificial intelligence–driven course discovery engine, UniConnect — its proprietary university matchmaking platform — and a SaaS product branded Univalley.ai that assists global universities in recruitment management. These technology-led solutions highlight how the company is carving out a unique position as both a student-centric facilitator and an institutional partner.
Expansion has not been confined to admissions alone. The company also offers specialized verticals that target adjacent needs frequently faced by international students. Under the Leverage Edu umbrella, “Leverage MBBS” supports those pursuing medical degrees abroad, addressing one of India’s most competitive education segments. Complementary services such as Fly Finance streamline higher education loans, Fly Homes facilitates international student accommodation, while Leverage Careers and Compass cater to internships, jobs, and navigational guidance for long-term professional trajectories. Collectively, these branches diversify revenue sources and cement the startup as a comprehensive education ecosystem.
The scale of this operation is evident: having grown from placing about 1,500 students just a few years ago, the company now facilitates global admissions for more than 10,000 students each year. Much of this surge has been propelled by word-of-mouth recommendations and organic demand, with an impressive 60% of student acquisitions occurring without any customer acquisition costs, according to founder and CEO Akshay Chaturvedi.
Financial performance has mirrored this growth trajectory. In a sector often criticized for burning cash in pursuit of scale, Leverage has marked a significant milestone by achieving profitability. The fiscal year 2025 closed with revenues above ₹1.8 billion (approximately $20 million), a doubling from the previous fiscal’s ₹900 million. The momentum continued into the following year: between April and September, the firm generated over ₹2 billion (roughly $23 million), and it now projects total revenue of approximately ₹3.7–3.8 billion (close to $45 million) by the end of fiscal year 2026. Profitability figures are equally noteworthy: the company recorded ₹120–130 million (about $1.4–1.5 million) in profit after tax, with expectations to grow this to over ₹250 million ($2.8 million) by year-end, representing a dramatic 256% turnaround from its prior fiscal year losses of ₹800 million.
In terms of revenue segmentation, around 25% stems from value-added platform services beyond admissions. These encompass critical support mechanisms such as education financing, currency transfers, overseas housing arrangements, and help in securing internships or entry-level employment. The remaining 75% originates from the core student placement and counseling segment, of which roughly one-fifth of revenue derives directly from students, while universities contribute around 55% through commissions.
India remains the startup’s most significant market, generating 58% of the overall student volume. Within India, states such as Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, and Punjab are particularly strong contributors, as they have historically sent large pools of young people abroad for higher studies. Concerning destination preferences, the United Kingdom currently dominates as the largest recipient of Leverage students, commanding 52% of placements. Germany follows at 22%, while Italy is emerging as the fastest-growing destination, especially evident in recent months. North America, once the dream target for many, represents fewer than 5% of placements due to stricter visa policies and diplomatic pauses, though Leverage anticipates its share will expand in the future as the company deepens its strongholds in Latin America, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East.
As revenues soar and coverage widens, attention inevitably turns to capital markets. Leverage Edu is already exploring the possibility of a domestic public listing. According to individuals familiar with its strategy, the firm may contemplate an IPO in India as early as 2026, using the milestone of crossing $100 million in revenue as a trigger point for formal deliberations. Founder Akshay Chaturvedi has refrained from confirming outright, noting instead that the company will determine whether to pursue an IPO or seek significant external capital once that scale is achieved. Up to the present, Leverage has raised less than $50 million in equity financing. Its footprint spans 27 countries, supported by over 50 physical offices and a workforce of approximately 800 employees — a reach that further enhances its candidacy for a successful public market debut.
In summary, Leverage Edu is not merely navigating the turbulent currents of global higher education — it is actively redrawing the maps. Amid tightening migration policies, shifting alliances, and heightened uncertainty, the company illustrates how innovation, technology, and responsiveness can together transform obstacles into opportunities. For thousands of ambitious students across continents, this means that their dreams of a global education remain not only viable but increasingly within reach.
Sourse: https://techcrunch.com/2025/10/01/visa-crackdowns-are-blocking-students-study-abroad-dreams-so-indias-leverage-edu-is-rerouting-them/
