Skillsvest, a fintech platform focused on education financing, has raised ₹5.5 crore in a pre-seed funding round, comprising a mix of equity and debt. The round was led by Plug and Play Ventures and saw participation from angel investors including Sascha Mornell. The startup is also backed by global accelerators UC Berkeley SkyDeck and Launch Accelerator, founded by Jason Calacanis.
Founded by Sreemaan Thiruppathiraja and Deborah Schermann, Skillsvest offers a “pay only if you earn” financing model for students pursuing international master’s programs. The platform provides funding without the need for collateral or co-signers, with repayments triggered only after students cross a defined income threshold.
Currently, Skillsvest primarily serves Indian students seeking higher education in the UK, US, and Europe, supporting both tuition fees and living expenses. To date, the startup has deployed over ₹1.2 crore and built a waitlist of more than 3,000 students, while partnering with over 4,500 college counsellors across India to reach prospective applicants.
The new funding will be used to scale student financing operations, strengthen regulatory readiness, and expand partnerships. Over the next 12–18 months, Skillsvest aims to support between 50 and 100 students while building a broader ecosystem focused on career outcomes and alternative education financing solutions.
With this capital infusion, Skillsvest is positioned to accelerate its mission of treating students as an asset class and providing an alternative to traditional education loans, making higher education more accessible and income-aligned.
