InOpen Technologies ties up with Japanese firm

Bangalore: Education content maker InOpen Technologies is partnering with a Japanese firm to deliver game-based computer science lessons to students in Silicon Valley schools. The IIT-Bombay incubated company has entered into a partnership with education company Benesse Holdings, to take its product, Computer Masti, to global markets.

"We will pilot the programme in seven Silicon Valley schools in the coming academic year," said Rupesh Shah, co-founder and CEO of Inopen. "We hope to later take the programme to other schools in the US, to the UK and Europe."

Masahiro Yachi, a researcher at Benesse Corporation where he coordinates business-academia collaboration, said it was InOpen's extensive curriculum that led to the partnership. "Computer Masti already has a year-long curriculum for 1 to 8 graders. Even in the US, we see few textbooks that cover that range," said Yachi.

The increasing thrust on online and technology-based education, say industry analysts, is opening up markets for Indian ventures. "The gamification of education and other innovations are still nascent, so quality solutions will find a market," said Chandramouli CS, a director at advisory firm Zinnov.

A few other Indian startups are taking the mobile application route to target global markets. June Software, which was incubated in Silicon Valley's Y Combinator, has created game-based apps for geography, maths and vocabulary under the brand name TapToLearn. The apps are being used in 1000 schools in the US, India and other countries.

InOpen, which is targetting 11 crore in revenue in FY14, is running this programme in 200 private schools in India and 30 gover ment-aided schools in Maharashtra. The company is also providing this training to around 4 lakh government school students in Assam.