Blume Ventures, a Bengaluru-based venture capital firm, has made its largest maiden investment of $10 million into Upward & Onward, the parent company of Interview Kickstart, a prominent player in the realm of software and artificial intelligence-driven upskilling for tech professionals. Interview Kickstart, headquartered in the US, stands out as a premier platform catering to tech enthusiasts striving to secure coveted positions at leading tech giants.
Established in 2014 by Soham Mehta and Ryan Valles, Interview Kickstart offers exhaustive programs covering AI, Machine Learning, Data Science, and various advanced engineering and product domains. The startup boasts of having guided over 20,000 individuals through its meticulously crafted programs, delivered by a cadre of more than 550 experts hailing from renowned tech behemoths such as Meta, Amazon, Apple, Netflix, and Google. Highlighting its efficacy, Interview Kickstart asserts that its students, dubbed as working learners, have garnered job offers averaging an impressive $250,000 annually.
Ryan Valles, Co-founder at Interview Kickstart, emphasized the allure of top-tier tech companies, which not only offer substantially higher remuneration but also present lucrative wealth-building prospects through Employee Stock Ownership Plans (ESOPs). He underscored Interview Kickstart’s commitment, in collaboration with its instructors and partners, to prepare tech professionals for these enticing opportunities.
The infusion of capital from Blume Ventures is poised to fortify Interview Kickstart’s dominance in the US market and pave the way for its global expansion, with India earmarked as the initial testbed beyond its native shores. Despite being bootstrapped and maintaining positive cash flow since its inception, the startup intends to harness the injected funds to broaden its footprint and influence on a global scale. This strategic move comes amidst a backdrop of rapid innovation in the tech industry, heightening the imperative for continuous upskilling among tech professionals.