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ABOUT US

Empowered by

Community,

Committed to

Giving Back

Our Vision

OpenGrad Foundation transforms access to higher education by using technology to actively guide students from government schools, from career decisions and entrance pathways to admissions and post-admission success.

Our Mission

To ensure students from government and underserved communities have equal access to quality higher education, enabling long-term socio-economic mobility, employment and inclusive national development.

THE FOUNDERS

Sahil Sameer (CEO)

IIM INDORE ALUMNUS, LED KERALARESCUE.IN, FOCUSES ON SOCIAL CHANGE THROUGH COMMUNITIES, EX- MANAGER AT SAMSUNG.

SEBBIN JOSHY (CSO)

MIT - MANIPAL, AI/ML AT BOSCH, PREVIOUS START-UP AT 100K ARR

Mohammed Shahid (COO)

IIM INDOREGRAD, CRAFTED A COMMUNITY- DRIVEN PLATFORM FOR IPMAT ENTRANCES, 'ALPHA IPMAT'. MARKETING ENTHUSIAST PREVIOUSLY WORKED WITH HUL.

Amith Tony Joseph

MBA- ESMT BERLIN, ENTREPRENEUR, PRODUCT MANAGER AT THRYVE, BERLIN

A Letter from Our
CEO

Read about our team's commitment and how we're building OpenGrad, with governments and communities to help every learner move ahead.

Our Journey

2018

During the Kerala floods, Sahil co-founded KeralaRescue.in, witnessing firsthand the power of communities coming together in times of crisis.

Around the same time, Shahid, an IPMAT student at IIM Indore built an edtech platform with fellow students to support IPMAT aspirants, driven by a shared desire to help peers navigate the journey.

2019

Sahil received the Larry K. Wilson Asia-Pacific Outstanding Volunteer Award, becoming a testament to the power of community coming together.

Shahid’s edtech platform achieved great success demonstrating the importance of relatable content and role models in entrance exam success.

2020

Sahil secured a seat at IIM Indore and began mentoring five students for CAT preparation, taking his first steps in giving back.

Amith volunteered with IEEE’s Promotion of Innovation and Entrepreneurship community, gaining hands-on experience in edtech.

2021

All students mentored by Sahil secured spots in the top 20 B-schools, reinforcing the impact of relatability in entrance coaching.

Shahid was featured by Humans of Bombay, sharing his journey from a government school in Kerala to IIM Indore and building a community- driven edtech platform for IPMAT aspirants.

2022

Sahil and shahid graduated from IIM Indore and started their corporate careers.

They open-sourced the edtech platform, blending Sahil’s mentoring experience with a community-first approach to reach aspirants at scale.

With the vision taking shape, Sahil brought Amith on board, mobilised a small team to build an LMS prototype, and secured the domain Opengrad.in.

2023

OpenGrad launched its first CAT pilot cohort with 80 students, bringing together mentors from top-tier colleges to offer first-hand guidance and lived exam expertise.

Soon after, OpenGrad was incubated by The/Nudge Institute and selected into the Impact Orbit cohort of NSRCEL, IIM Bangalore.

2024

The CAT pilot exceeded expectations, with 47 of 80 students securing admissions to top B- schools.

Building on this momentum, OpenGrad expanded to launch cohorts for CUET, CLAT, CAT, and IPMAT.

The journey continued with OpenGrad joining the Evolve Cohort 2024 and launching pilot projects in partnership with the governments of Tamil Nadu, Bihar, and Chhattisgarh.

2025

135 OpenGrad students from Tribal Welfare and Adi Dravidar Welfare schools were felicitated by Tamil Nadu CM M.K. Stalin. Building on the pilot’s success, the initiative scaled into a fullfledged partnership now spanning 130+ schools.

After a successful pilot in Chhattisgarh, signed an MoU with the Govt. in 2 districts.

In parallel, OpenGrad built and deployed a unified EdTech OS with AI career mapping, LMS, attendance, and more to support scale and impact.

OpenGrad’s journey is fueled by compassion and empowerment.

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