Byju’s acquires Indian tutor Aakash for nearly $1 billion Why did Byju’s raise over $1 billion last year and is already inching closer to securing another half a billion dollars? We are getting some answers today. Byju’s said on Monday it has acquired Aakash Educational Services, a 33-year-old chain of physical coaching centres, as the Indian online learning giant looks to further consolidate its leadership position in the world’s second largest internet market and accelerate its offline growth. The Indian startup, which is currently valued at $13 billion, paid “close to $1 billion” in cash and equity for the acquisition (about $600 million in cash and rest in stock), which is one of the largest in the edtech space, three people familiar with the matter told TechCrunch. (EY advised the firms on the transaction; Bloomberg first reported about the two firms talking in January.)