How Jaipur-based Altie Reality is transforming K-12 education with AR/VR solutions

ABSTRACT

Altie Reality offers a range of AR/VR solutions, including Metaverse as a Service and Digital Twin Creation

LearnXR, Altie Reality’s AI-powered platform, empowers educators to seamlessly incorporate XR into their classrooms

The startup offers monthly and annual LearnXR subscription plans priced at INR 99 and INR 699, respectively.

In an ever-changing educational environment, augmented and virtual reality (AR/VR) have transformed the way students engage with learning as these new technologies seamlessly integrate with the academic paradigm.

Through the magic of this technology, you can imagine students delving into biology lessons, learning the intricacies of human anatomy, or engaging in history lessons using augmented and virtual reality.

However, despite India’s impressive digital penetration, achieving 52% of active internet users nationwide, the gap between urban and rural areas is quite persistent. According to media reports, rural internet users are expected to grow from 399 million+ in 2022 to 506 million+ in 2025, at a CAGR of 26%. While this represents progress, the edtech revolution, particularly AR/VR applications in education, is still largely confined to urban pockets. Worse, it remains a futuristic concept far from widespread adoption.

Founded in 2020 by Gaurav Purbia and Vijay Purbia, augmented reality (XR) edtech startup Altie Reality offers a range of AR/VR solutions, including creating digital twins that digitally replicate physical assets in virtual environments. By integrating these technologies in K-12 classrooms across India, Altie Reality aims to increase student engagement and enhance learning experiences, reaching even the most remote areas.

LearnXR, Altie Reality’s AI-powered platform, empowers educators to seamlessly incorporate XR into their classrooms. This tool democratizes access to affordable learning experiences. The application can be installed directly from the Android Play Store.

LearnXR offers monthly and annual subscription plans priced at INR 99 and INR 699, respectively. Additionally, the startup’s LearnXR lab model works on a franchise basis for schools, in addition to offering volume licenses for 500 and 1,000 students.

This model enables Altie Reality to expand its presence across schools without directly managing each location, as franchisees (schools and educational institutions) handle day-to-day operations. The free version of the platform hosts targeted ads to generate ad revenue. It has reached INR 20 lakh crore in fiscal 2024 and is targeting INR 50 lakh crore in fiscal 25.

Altie Reality’s journey so far

Traditional methods of education often fail to deliver the power of experiential learning. Recognizing this gap, BTech graduates Gaurav and Vijay decided to fill it in Rajsamand district of Rajasthan. They used Google Cardboard VR (now discontinued) to offer immersive learning experiences to students.

With rapid adoption, the duo launched Altie Reality in September 2020. The initiative materialized in the form of LearnXR, a mobile app that can be easily downloaded from the Android app store.

LearnXR offers AR/VR learning modules in a variety of subjects, from history and geography to science and more. The app goes a step further, providing “immersive field trips” to iconic sites like the Taj Mahal and even “otherworldly” trips to space. Additionally, students can engage in AR games in bite-sized chunks through the app.

To ensure the smooth operation of the app, LearnXR partners with schools and educational technology companies. This collaboration enables seamless integration with popular learning management systems (LMS).

Despite the apparent ease, Gaurav admits that new AR/VR startups, especially those coming from a Tier II city, face challenges. Educating potential customers about the benefits of AR/VR in education required a significant effort.

To bridge this knowledge gap, the founders actively participated in educational workshops and conferences. This hands-on approach allowed them to present LearnXR’s value proposition to educators and decision-makers, ultimately leading to customer acquisition.

In addition, the startup adopted a classic SaaS strategy, offering potential customers free trials and demos, which allowed it to build long-term relationships.

Hardware pivot driving growth

While the startup initially focused solely on creating educational content for AR/VR through its LearnXR app, it gradually identified the need for more immersive learning tools. The shift from a service-focused platform to a holistic AR and VR service provider meant it had to develop comprehensive XR hardware.

To meet this need and create a more holistic AR and VR experience, iStart Rajasthan provided key incubation support at the idea and prototype development stages.

iStart Rajasthan’s support, along with idea and feasibility grants worth INR 6 lakh, has allowed the startup to develop its proprietary technologies. Moreover, iStart Rajasthan has also provided it with networking opportunities, Gaurav said.

“This change was prompted by feedback from educational institutions and market trends indicating the need for comprehensive XR tools that improve learning outcomes,” he added.

Altie Reality offers an educational app called LearnXR, which can be easily installed from the Android Play Store. It also develops AR/VR hardware, an advanced Extended Reality (XR) tool designed to facilitate intuitive and interactive use of AR/VR objects.

According to the founders, it has broad applications in education, healthcare, real estate, and manufacturing. For example, students can improve their understanding of complex concepts by interacting with 3D models in virtual classrooms, and surgeons can improve their skills and precision by simulating and practicing surgeries on virtual patients.

Gaurav informed that the XR hardware prototype is supported by Nidhi Prayas (an initiative of the Department of Science and Technology, Government of India) and the patent process has been initiated with the support of Sardar Patel Technology Business Incubator (SPTBI), Mumbai.

Does education in India have a bright future?

Global Augmented and Virtual Reality in Education market size was valued at USD 3.8 billion in 2023 and is forecasted to reach USD 14.2 billion by 2028, growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 29.6%.

It was announced that in connection with the ongoing implementation of the National Education Policy (2020) 50% Indian classrooms will adopt AR/VR in the next three years. VR hardware is also expected to become cheaper and more affordable during this period. Startups like Altie Reality, ClassVR, Umety are capitalizing on this growth.

However, the right infrastructure plays a key role here. High-quality AR and VR experiences often rely on a fast internet connection to stream content, access online resources, and enable real-time collaboration. Teachers and students may also need technical support to understand the functionality of AR and VR software, set up devices, and troubleshoot if problems arise.

Altie Reality currently has a 20% DAU/MAU ratio for its 56K LearnXR app. By improving the user experience and content, Altie Reality aims to increase average engagement from 9 minutes to 15 minutes. It also aims to achieve a 70% completion rate for user-initiated courses, indicating high engagement and relevance of the content.

In the short term, it is working on improving the LearnXR Meta Quest app. After signing an MoU with the Rajasthan Education Department, the startup is also considering implementing LearnXR Labs in government schools in Rajasthan.