HYDERABAD: For many students — and even quite a few adults — math isn’t just a subject; it’s a lifelong nemesis. Some, well into their 30s, still wake up in a cold sweat, haunted by the ghosts of equations past — negative and complex numbers lurking in the dark, mysterious x’s and y’s plotting against them and cryptic symbols like ∫ sending shivers down their spine. This deep-seated fear of math has prevented countless people from careers in STEM and limiting their potential. But Hyderabad-based Bhanzu, a math education platform, is on a mission to change that.
Founded by Neelakantha Bhanu Prakash, Devulapalli Lakshmi Prachotan, Alluru Uday Kiran and Jonnalagadda Sai Krishnakanth in 2020, Bhanzu is on a mission to eradicate math phobia — an issue that affects three out of four students worldwide, leading to anxiety, poor academic performance and limit career opportunities in STEM fields.
Bhanzu’s CEO Bhanu, who is often referred to as the world’s fastest human calculator, tells TNIE, “Math anxiety can start as early as primary school and persist into adulthood, creating a significant barrier to learning. At Bhanzu, our mission is to make math fun and accessible through engaging, innovative and personalised learning experiences, helping students build lifelong confidence in the subject.”
The firm has earned a spot in the prestigious Forbes India 30 Under 30 list for 2025 under the education category. This marks the second time Bhanu has been recognised by Forbes — he was previously featured in the 2022 Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia list. The Forbes India 30 Under 30 list highlights a diverse group of innovators across technology, healthcare, finance and other sectors.
Reflecting on his inclusion in the coveted list again, Bhanu says: “It’s an incredible honour. Math phobia holds back millions, preventing them from reaching their full potential. We are committed to changing that by creating intuitive and engaging learning experiences that foster confidence in math from an early age. We’re building in Bharat for the world, with aspirations of becoming a household name in global math education. This recognition motivates us to keep transforming math learning for millions worldwide.”
In November 2024, Bhanzu secured $16.5 million in Series B funding, which it plans to use for expansion, particularly in the US. “Our idea is to plan an expansion into the US markets and increase our customer base to 2 lakh active students by the year ending 2026,” says Bhanu. “We did a lot of research to understand the US education market, including existing education platforms and their offerings. We’ve developed our own USP. Product adaptation and curriculum alignment with US education standards are what we have focused upon.”