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Airblack is an online educational platform based in Gurugram, India, that provides live vocational training and certification courses for the beauty and creator economy. The company operates a direct-to-consumer subscription model offering interactive workshops in makeup, hairstyling, and nail art to help women and micro-entrepreneurs launch independent freelance careers and home-salon businesses. The platform has enrolled over 35,000 students across more than 500 cities, delivering approximately 45,000 hours of live classes monthly while maintaining a corporate workforce of 151 to 250 employees. Airblack has raised $10.7 million in total funding, including a $3.8 million pre-Series B round in October 2023, backed by institutional investors such as Elevation Capital, Info Edge Ventures, and The Michael and Susan Dell Foundation. The vocational education company was originally founded in 2019 by Videt Jaiswal and Pulkit Pujara.
Airblack has raised $9.0M across 2 funding rounds.
Airblack has raised $9.0M in total across 2 funding rounds.
Airblack has raised $9.0M in total across 2 funding rounds.
Airblack's investors include Michael & Susan Dell Foundation, Dr Ritesh Malik, Mekin Maheshwari, Rahul Chaudhary, Rajendra Singh Pawar, Sairee Chahal, Vijay Thadani, Blume Ventures, Elevation Capital, InfoEdge Ventures, Mars Shot Ventures, Srinivas Bhaskar.
Airblack is India's leading skilling academy focused on beauty and culinary fields, offering live interactive "Do-It-Together" (DIT) courses in makeup, hairstyling, nail art, baking, and more to empower aspiring professionals, particularly women, in turning passions into livelihoods.[1][2][3] Headquartered in Gurugram, Haryana, it serves thousands of learners across India and the UAE through a community-driven platform connecting students with top industry experts for hands-on, collaborative workshops.[1][2][4] With $10.7M in total funding, including a recent Series A-II round, Airblack has empowered over 35,000 women and achieved recognitions like Forbes Asia 100 To Watch 2024, demonstrating strong growth in the edtech-skilling sector.[2][3]
The platform solves the challenge of accessible, outcome-led vocational training in creative industries by providing real-world skills from experienced instructors, fostering micro-entrepreneurship amid rising demand for beauty and culinary professionals.[1][2][3]
Airblack was founded in 2019 by Videt Jaiswal (ex-Founder at Elevation Capital, BCG, NSIT) and Vaibhav Sisinty (ex-Goldman Sachs, IIT Roorkee CS), who identified a gap in structured skilling for beauty and culinary enthusiasts seeking sustainable careers.[3][4][5] The idea emerged from their entrepreneurial backgrounds, aiming to create an interactive learning model beyond traditional online courses, leveraging live DIT workshops to build community and practical expertise.[2][4]
Early traction came through rapid adoption in India's beauty sector, leading to $5.2M in initial funding co-led by Info Edge Ventures and Elevation Capital, followed by additional rounds including INR 33 Crores from The Michael & Susan Dell Foundation in 2023, totaling $10.7M.[1][2][3] Pivotal moments include hosting India's largest beauty graduation ceremony with over 800 graduates in 2024 and Forbes recognitions, solidifying its position.[2]
Airblack stands out in the edtech-skilling space through these key strengths:
Airblack rides the edtech-skilling wave in India's booming creative economy, where vocational training demand surges amid gig/micro-entrepreneurship growth in beauty (projected multi-billion market) and culinary sectors.[1][2][3] Timing aligns with post-pandemic shifts to online learning and women's workforce participation, amplified by government skilling initiatives like Skill India.[2][4]
Market forces favoring Airblack include rising e-commerce for beauty services, UAE expansion for cross-border talent, and investor focus on impact-driven edtech (e.g., Dell Foundation backing).[2][3] It influences the ecosystem by democratizing access to expert-led training, fostering a new generation of independent creators and reducing urban-rural skill gaps in high-touch industries.[2][4]
Airblack is poised for hypergrowth by expanding DIT courses into adjacent creative fields like wellness and advanced culinary, leveraging its 35,000+ community for monetization via certifications and job placements.[2][3] Trends like AI-personalized learning and global skilling platforms will shape its path, potentially pushing toward unicorn status with Series B funding amid India's $10B+ edtech boom.
As skilling evolves into lifelong career tools, Airblack's mission to convert passions into livelihoods positions it as a transformative force, empowering millions in the creative workforce just as it began with interactive workshops for beauty pioneers.[2][4]
Airblack has raised $9.0M across 2 funding rounds. Most recently, it raised $4.0M Other Equity in December 2023.
| Date | Round | Lead Investors | Other Investors | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 8, 2023 | $4M Venture Round | Michael & Susan Dell Foundation | DR Ritesh Malik, Mekin Maheshwari, Rahul Chaudhary, Rajendra Singh Pawar, Sairee Chahal, Vijay Thadani, Blume Ventures, Elevation Capital, InfoEdge Ventures, Mars Shot Ventures | Announced |
| Jun 1, 2021 | $5M Series A | Srinivas Bhaskar, InfoEdge Ventures | AngelList, Browder Capital, Davidovs VC, FJ Labs, LGF, Otherwise Fund, Seguin Ventures, Solana Ventures, Stellar Capital, Vera Equity, Vibe Capital, Bartek Pucek, Karim Atiyeh, RON Pragides, Sahil Lavingia, Scott Belsky, Tikhon Bernstam, Youcef ES Skouri, Ankur Nagpal, Ashish Gupta, Brendan Rogers, Hershel Mehta, Kunal Shah, Sanjeev Barnwal, Sujeet Kumar, Utsav Somani, Vidit Aatrey, Atelier Ventures, Better Capital | Announced |
