India’s AI Childcare Revolution is Here

In a significant leap for India’s edtech sector, illumine, an AI-powered childcare management platform based in Bengaluru, has raised $2.5 million in seed funding. The round was led by Prime Venture Partners, following an earlier $800,000 angel investment. This new capital injection is set to strengthen illumine’s AI-powered SaaS platform that automates preschool operations while enhancing learning outcomes and parent engagement.

Founded in 2018 by Navneet Rastogi, Sourabh Agarwal, and Purva Goyal, illumine is helping transform how early education is delivered across geographies, moving away from manual, time-consuming processes to intelligent, scalable automation.

From Manual Admin to Intelligent Childcare Automation

Childcare centers and preschools often face administrative overload from managing attendance and learning reports to communicating with parents and ensuring regulatory compliance. illumine addresses this pain point through an AI-first SaaS platform designed to simplify the entire operational stack.

The platform allows preschools to digitize attendance, generate real-time reports, track developmental milestones, and maintain seamless parent-teacher communication. By eliminating manual errors and reducing administrative load, illumine enables educators to focus more on pedagogy and personal development of children.

This adaptability makes illumine a compelling choice not just for single preschools but also for institutional groups managing multiple centers across countries.

Expanding Global Presence Across 56 Countries

illumine currently supports over 3,000 childcare centers across 56 countries, including key markets like the United States, UAE, Southeast Asia, Europe, and India. Its rapid adoption globally demonstrates a rising demand for AI-powered early education tools that are compliant, customizable, and data-rich.

By offering localization features and supporting various education boards, the platform ensures consistent quality and compliance while scaling across diverse geographies.

Edtech Investments Are Tilting Toward Intelligent Infrastructure

illumine’s funding success fits into a broader trend in the Indian startup ecosystem. In 2024, the edtech sector attracted over $568 million in investment, indicating strong investor appetite for ventures blending deep tech with practical education outcomes.

Rather than focusing solely on student-facing apps, illumine is proving that backend transformation tools for educators, administrators, and preschool owners are equally vital. This infrastructure-first approach is fast becoming a priority in a sector ripe for digital disruption.

Bengaluru Continues to Fuel India’s Edtech Engine

As one of the fastest-growing startup hubs in the world, Bengaluru continues to nurture edtech innovation. illumine joins the ranks of Vedantu, Teachmint, and Leap Scholar as part of Karnataka’s thriving education technology corridor. With over 17,000 DPIIT-recognised startups, the state remains a magnet for capital, talent, and cross-border expansion.

This ecosystem gives illumine the perfect launchpad to experiment, iterate, and scale globally with speed and agility.

What’s Next for illumine

With this funding round, illumine is expected to launch new modules focused on advanced preschool analytics, curriculum mapping, and workforce enablement. The startup is also exploring deeper integrations with regulatory systems and new international partnerships. The goal is to build a comprehensive, AI-powered infrastructure for early childhood education, focused on measurable learning and seamless administration.

Why illumine’s Growth Signals a Bigger Shift

illumine is not just a promising startup, it represents a larger shift in how education infrastructure is being reimagined through automation and data intelligence. By solving for the operators — the educators and administrators, illumine is unlocking value at the foundation of the education chain.

Its global expansion, robust technology, and traction among institutional investors make it a key startup to watch in the AI-education convergence space.

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Want a breakdown of the AI stack powering illumine? Watch out for our upcoming deep-dive.