Edtech unicorn Upgrad doubles valuation with $225-mn funding round

An education technology unicorn built by a cable TV-era entrepreneur almost doubled its valuation after raising $225 million in fresh funding, balking a frosty global venture capital environment.

India’s UpGrad Education Pvt, founded by Ronnie Screwvala, increased its valuation to $2.25 billion in the round that included billionaire James Murdoch’s Lupa Systems LLC and US testing and assessment provider Educational Testing Service, according to a person familiar with the deal. ETS develops and administers standardized tests including the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) and Graduate Record Examination (GRE).

The family offices of Indian billionaires Lakshmi Mittal of steelmaker ArcelorMittal