Project Clay: Simplifying College Counselling for Indian Students

Sharks on the Show: Anupam Mittal, Vineeta Singh, Aman Gupta, Namita Thapar, Peyush Bansal

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The Visionaries Behind Project Clay

Two 19-year-old schoolmates, Shivom Sood and Dyumna Madan, founded Project Clay, a platform designed to transform the college counselling experience for Indian students aspiring to study abroad.

The platform bridges the gap between school students in India and mentors who are current students at their dream universities. This near-peer mentorship ensures authentic guidance tailored to the students' aspirations.

Key Features of Project Clay

• 300+ vetted mentors from 10+ popular study-abroad locations.
• Focused on connecting students with relevant, real-world guidance.
• Unit Economics:
  • Average Selling Price: ₹1980 per session
  • Mentor Payment: ₹1079 (54.5%)
  • Gross Profit: ₹901 (45.5%)

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Growth and Performance

Over the past 5 months, Project Clay has achieved an impressive 65% average growth rate.

Sales Performance (Last 4 Months)

• June 2024: ₹22,900
• July 2024: ₹41,800
• August 2024: ₹90,600
• September 2024: ₹1,05,000
• October 2024 (Till Date): ₹1,37,000

Projections

• FY24-25: ₹37 Lakhs
• FY25-26: ₹3.7 Crores (10x growth)

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Market Insights

• Approximately 13 lakh Indian students study abroad every year.
• The platform aims to tap into this growing demand for quality, personalized counselling services.

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Shark Tank Journey

While the platform impressed the sharks with its vision, some raised concerns about scalability and the copyable nature of the idea.

Shark Decisions

• Anupam Mittal, Aman Gupta, Peyush Bansal, Vineeta Singh: Opted out, citing scalability and uniqueness concerns.
• Namita Thapar: Offered ₹15 Lakhs for 10% equity, matching the founders' ask.

The founders accepted Namita’s offer, marking a significant milestone in their entrepreneurial journey.

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Conclusion

Project Clay is redefining the college counselling landscape for Indian students, leveraging mentorship and authentic guidance. With Namita Thapar’s support, the platform is set to expand its reach and achieve its ambitious growth targets.