Edtech business is hard to crack and this is evident from the balance sheets of most of the companies in the space which have shown astounding losses. Seven-year-old PlanetSpark is no exception as the firm’s losses were more than twice its revenue in the fiscal year ending March 2023.
FITT-JEE-backed PlanetSpark’s revenue from operations increased 41%to Rs 42 crore in the last fiscal year (FY23) from Rs 30 crore in FY22, as per its filings with the Registrar of Companies (RoC).
Founded in 2017 by Kunal Malik and Manish Dhooper, PlanetSpark offers live 1:1 classes in public speaking, creative writing, storytelling, debate, podcasting et al for the K8 generation.
The sale of educational services was the only source of revenue for the company while it also made Rs 1.1 crore from interest on deposits. In the end, tPlanetSpark’s total income stood at 43.5 crore during the last fiscal year.
PlanetSpark spent Rs 63.17 crore towards employee benefits which includes Rs 5.5 crore as ESOP cost (non-cash component).
Similar to other ed-tech startups, it spent a significant 90 crore on marketing and teachers’ salaries. Its legal/professional, rent, information technology, and other overheads led its total cost to Rs 133 crore in FY23 from Rs 139.5 crore in FY22.
Head to TheKredible for a complete expense breakdown and its YoY financial health.
Expense Breakdown
https://thekredible.com/company/planetspark/financials
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https://thekredible.com/company/planetspark/financials
View Full Data
- Employee Benefit
- Teachers Pay
- Marketing and Branding expense
- Software and Server Charges
- Payment Gateway charges
- Other Expenses
With over 40% scale and controlled expenses, PlanetSpark managed to trim its losses by 18% to Rs 90 crore in FY23. Its ROCE and EBITDA margin also improved to -197.1% and 226% respectively. On a unit level, PlanetSpark spent Rs 3.14 to earn a rupee of operating revenue in FY23.
FY22-FY23
| FY22 | FY23 |
| EBITDA Margin | -362% | -197.1% |
| Expense/₹ of Op Revenue | ₹4.65 | ₹3.14 |
| ROCE | -1065% | 226% |
According to the startup data intelligence platform TheKredible, PlanetSpark has mopped up over $34 million to date including a $17 million round this year. Prime Venture Partners is the largest stakeholder with 32.6% followed by FIIT- JEE. Its co-founder Kunal Malik and Maneesh Dhopper cumulatively command 29.6%.
