Hornbill Orchid in talks to lead PhysicsWallah's $150-million funding at $2.8 billion valuation

Physics Wallah is in the final stages of closing a $150-million funding round led by Asian hedge fund Hornbill Orchid that will value the Noida-headquartered edtech unicorn at $2.8 billion, over 150% higher than its previous valuation, said people briefed on the developments.

While Hornbill Orchid is likely to invest $70-80 million, a big chunk of the remaining amount is expected to come from venture capital firm Lightspeed that has previously backed edtech rival Byju’s, they said.

“The round is nearly done and Hornbill Orchid is leading it, putting the biggest amount of capital in the round,” one of the persons said. This will be the second funding round for Physics Wallah, started by Alakh Pandey, a popular teacher, in 2016 as a YouTube channel providing coaching for engineering and medical entrance tests. In 2022, the profitable edtech firm raised $102 million at a $1.1-billion valuation from West Bridge Capital and GSV Ventures in its maiden funding round.