Indian cricket team captain Rohit Sharma has made a strategic investment in LEO1, an edu-fintech startup previously known as Financepeer. This investment marks a significant milestone for LEO1, which aims to address long-standing cash-flow issues in educational institutions and provide innovative financial solutions for students across India.
Founded in 2018, LEO1 plans to use the investment to further its efforts in innovation, technology, and expansion. The company’s mission is to revolutionize the educational sector by making quality education more accessible and financially manageable for students and their families.
Rohit Sharma expressed his excitement about supporting LEO1, stating, “I am thrilled to support LEO1 in its mission to revolutionize learning and make quality education accessible to everyone. Their approach, unwavering commitment, and entrepreneurial spirit are truly inspiring as they work to positively impact the lives of aspiring students and their parents. This partnership presents an incredible opportunity for me to back initiatives that can make a significant difference for an entire generation,” as quoted by Livemint.
LEO1’s founder and CEO, Rohit Gajbhiye, highlighted the chronic issue of irregular cash flow in educational institutions. He explained that schools and colleges often focus heavily on fee recovery, which can detract from other important developments. Education also takes up a significant portion of household earnings, around 15-20%, leading to difficulties in timely payments by parents and students.
“We aim to instil a crucial discipline within the education sector. Irregular cash flow often leads to excessive efforts focused solely on fee recovery over other important developments. This is an ancient problem for institutes across the country. Parallelly, given that education constitutes a significant portion — 15-20 per cent — of household earnings, parents and students lack sufficient motivation to make timely payments. LEO1 addresses these challenges through our ‘Financial SAAS’ model that motivates responsible financial behaviour in them,” he said.
Gajbhiye noted that Rohit Sharma’s endorsement has greatly motivated the LEO1 team. He emphasized that Sharma’s qualities and support as a brand ambassador and investor have infused the team with enthusiasm to deliver outstanding results. Gajbhiye expressed confidence in LEO1’s promising future and extended gratitude to all investors, welcoming Rohit Sharma to the LEO1 community.
