WhiteHat Jr founder Karan Bajaj quits

Karan Bajaj, founder of WhiteHat Jr, on Wednesday announced his exit from the company, a year after the coding platform was acquired by edtech giant Byju's.

Trupti Mukker, who was the head of customer experience and delivery, will now lead the organisation.

In a post on LinkedIn, Bajaj shared the announcement of his departure from a company he founded in 2018.

"As I move on to new paths, my deep gratitude to over 17,000 employees and teachers who weren't a part of my life just two years ago.

"Thank you for trusting me through thick and thin, I know almost each one of you and will always remember you very, very warmly!" he said.

Bajaj also thanked Byju's founder Byju Raveendran, saying he has deep respect for the educator "who'll change the nature of education to active, creative learning the world over".

In August 2020, Byju's had acquired WhiteHat Jr for $300 million (about Rs 2,240 crore).

The company had started as a coding training platform for children and has since added mathematics and music curriculum as well.

It has also expanded to Brazil, Mexico, Australia and the UK beyond India and the US.

"A warm welcome to Trupti Mukker, my classmate from IIM and a leader I've admired from far for two decades.

"I know her competent, compassionate leadership will enable thousands of women to enter the mainstream workforce as WhiteHat Jr/Byju's FutureSchool expands into new countries and courses," Bajaj said.

While he did not disclose his next destination, Bajaj said he will "carve out a career in public service next".

"I've never had a more stretching, challenging, intense but ultimately satisfying few years in my life.

"And I hope I can replicate it in some form as I look ahead to try to carve out a career in public service next, after transitioning deeply and taking a small sabbatical," he said.

In an email to employees, Byju Raveendran said Bajaj and team have "exceeded all expectations by bringing his original vision of kids being builders and creators to more countries, courses and formats than we'd set out in our plan".

"Having more than exceeded all our mutually outlined goals for the 1st year, Karan is now ready, as we had mutually decided at the time of acquisition, to progress to the next chapter of his life," he said in the email, a copy of which was seen by PTI.

Raveendran said WhiteHat Jr and Byju's FutureSchool will continue to operate independently under Mukker, "drawing synergies from the core as needed, and be the center of our global expansion plans".