When Byju Raveendran said in October 2024 that Byju’s was “worth zero,” he was describing the company’s effective value in his view—not announcing a sale, citing a public-market price, or reporting an independent appraisal of every asset. The distinction matters: Prosus had separately written down the value of its own Byju’s stake to zero in June 2024, while the company’s reported peak private valuation was about $22 billion in 2022.
What did Byju Raveendran mean by “worth zero”?
In October 2024, Byju’s founder Byju Raveendran told journalists, “It’s worth zero. What valuation are you talking about? It’s worth zero.” TechCrunch reported that he acknowledged mistakes, mistiming the market and overestimating the company’s growth potential. He also blamed expansion through more than two dozen startup acquisitions as financing conditions worsened in 2022. Those are his explanations, as reported at the time—not an independent finding about the company’s assets or liabilities. TechCrunch, October 2024.
No identified official company filing or court decision established that Byju’s total assets were literally worth nothing. “Worth zero” should therefore be read as Raveendran’s characterization of the company’s effective value, not a verified liquidation valuation.
How the founder’s statement differs from Prosus’s write-down
Prosus made a separate valuation decision several months earlier. In June 2024, the investor said its Byju’s stake had zero fair value because of the decrease in value for equity investors. These statements concern different objects and come from different speakers:
Recommended Free Tools
#1 Best Overall
- SAVE UP TO $70 — Bundle includes a full-featured tablet (not a toy) for kids ages 3-7, a 1-year Amazon Kids+ subscription, and a kid-proof case, versus items purchased separately.
- 2 YEAR WORRY-FREE GUARANTEE INCLUDED — If it breaks, return it and we’ll replace it for free for 2 years.
- AMAZON KIDS+ INCLUDED - Includes 1 year of Amazon Kids+, an award-winning digital subscription offering thousands of ad-free books, interactive games, videos, and apps. Kids can explore content from trusted brands like Disney, Nickelodeon, and PBS Kids including educational STEM activities, language learning, and entertainment they love - all in one place. After 1 year, your subscription will automatically renew every month starting at $7.99/month plus applicable tax. You may cancel any time by visiting the Amazon Kids Parent Dashboard or contacting Customer Service.
- NO-HASSLE PARENT CONTROLS — Easy-to-use Parent Dashboard allows you to filter content based on child's age, set educational goals and time limits, and grant access to additional content like Netflix and Disney+.
- UP to 10-HOUR BATTERY — Means the tablet is always ready when you need it.
| Statement | Speaker and date | What was valued | What it does not establish |
|---|---|---|---|
| “Worth zero” | Byju Raveendran, October 2024; quoted by TechCrunch | The company’s effective worth in the founder’s remarks | A completed sale, a court valuation or a verified value for every asset |
| Zero fair value | Prosus, June 2024; figures reported by TechCrunch | Prosus’s 9.6% investment stake | A sale of Byju’s or a valuation of all the company’s assets |
TechCrunch reported that Prosus’s stake had previously been valued at about $2.1 billion and that the write-down produced a $493 million fair-value loss for Prosus in its current financial year. Those amounts relate to Prosus’s investment—not the sale price or cash value of Byju’s as a whole. TechCrunch’s June 2024 report.
What the $22 billion figure represented
Byju’s reported peak valuation was about $22 billion in 2022, according to TechCrunch and Rest of World. It was a private-company funding valuation: a marker used in investment context, not money sitting in a company account, a guaranteed amount shareholders could receive, or proof that the company could later be sold for that sum.
Rank #2
- Develop math, reading, writing, coding, problem-solving and creativity skills with more than 20 educator-approved learning apps that grow with kids
- Find hundreds more games, videos, music and eBooks (sold separately) by going to the LeapFrog App Center and expand the learning experience
- Includes a three-month trial of LeapFrog Academy; subscribe to send kids on learning adventures filled with more than 2,000 engaging games, activities, eBooks, videos, songs and more
- Learning tablet includes a stylus, tough bumper with kickstand and a 7" shatter-safe screen; set time limits, manage apps and explore kid-friendly web content with parent controls
- Intended for ages 3-8 years; rechargeable lithium-ion battery included
What happened after the valuation collapse?
Insolvency proceedings began in 2024
In July 2024, India’s National Company Law Tribunal initiated insolvency proceedings against Think & Learn, Byju’s parent company. Rest of World reported that the petition concerned unpaid Indian cricket sponsorship dues. Rest of World’s account.
The Supreme Court acted on a creditors’ committee dispute in 2026
In May 2026, the Supreme Court of India declined to interfere with an NCLAT order restoring the original committee of creditors in Think & Learn’s insolvency proceedings and dismissed Raveendran’s appeal, according to Business Standard. That ruling does not, by itself, establish that the insolvency proceedings ended.
Rank #3
- 2-in-1 laptop toy for preschoolers features a screen that flips to convert from keyboard to tablet mode
- Learning laptop features a keyboard with letters A-Z and numbers 1-10, or swivel and transform it into a touch tablet
- Kids can pretend to be like mom and dad with role-play activities like e-mailing Scout; parents can customize to help their child spell their own name
- Five learning modes include ABCs, numbers, games, music and messages
- Intended for ages 2-5 years; requires 3 AA batteries; batteries included for demo purposes only; new batteries recommended for regular use
The exact procedural stage as of October 8, 2026 is not established by the available company-specific court information. The National Company Law Tribunal website provides access to case information and orders, but the reviewed result did not provide a later order resolving Think & Learn’s status.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Was Byju’s sold for zero?
No sale of the whole company for zero is described in these reports. The founder’s statement was his description of its effective worth; Prosus’s zero figure was a fair-value write-down of its own stake. Neither is a completed transaction price, and neither establishes that every Byju’s asset had no value.
Quick Recap
Best Value
- SAVE UP TO $70: Get a full-feature tablet (not a toy) made for big kids ages 6–12, 6-month subscription Amazon Kids+ and a slim Kid-Friendly Case, versus items purchased separately.
- 2 YEAR WORRY-FREE GUARANTEE INCLUDED: If it breaks, return it and we’ll replace it for free for 2 years.
- AMAZON KIDS+ INCLUDED - Includes 6-months of Amazon Kids+, a digital subscription that provides unlimited access to ad-free, age-appropriate books, videos, apps and games that kids love to play, create and learn. After 6-months, your subscription will automatically renew every month starting at just $7.99/month plus applicable tax. You may cancel any time by visiting the Amazon Kids Parent Dashboard or contacting Customer Service.
- EASY-TO-USE PARENTAL CONTROLS - Remotely review child activity to learn more about what your child is enjoying, approve (or deny) purchase and download requests, manage content, and more.
- FAST WITH LONG LASTING BATTERY - Features all-day up to 13-hour battery life, powerful hexa-core processor, with up to 4 GB RAM (2X more than 2022 release), 64 GB of internal storage for content, and up to 1 TB of expandable storage (sold separately) for even more. It’s great for downloading games, videos, books, and music for their on-the-go educational entertainment.
Rank #4
- 【Android 12 kids Tablet 】This Kids tablet android is equipped with Android 12.0 powerful quad-core processor. Run smoother when open apps and loading the pages. 4GB RAM(2+2 expansion) and 32GB ROM and Supports Micro SD card expand up to 512GB. so that you can storage more photos and videos. Tablet passed the GMS certification, You can download kids apps from Google play. This tablet support widevine L1, Netflix.
- 【4GB +32GB Performance Kids Tablet】Tablet adopt 4GB RAM, 32GB ROM, Android 12 system. Large capacity RAM and new System, ensures the fast speed when open apps and multi task. 1024x600 IPS display, Wifi, Bluetooth, front 2.0+ back 5.0MP HD Camera. Dual Speaker, 3.5mm headphone jack. Pre installed kids apps, Specially designed for different age kids. Different color for choice.
- 【Parental Control tablet for Kids】This kids tablet support parental control function, Parents can limit screen time, set password, set separate profiles for each kid, add or block apps, filter unsafe web pages. Ensure your kid online safety through the parental control mode.
- 【Eye Protection Screen】7 inch tablet for kids with quality 1024*600 IPS HD display screen. clear and bright screen provides outstanding visual experience when kids reading and watching the videos. automatic brightness adjustment can better protect your eyes, Reduce eye fatigue.
- 【Ideal Gift Choice】This Kids tablet with slim and compact body, with soft and lightweight protective case, more durable, it can protect your tablet when drops. And the adjustable plastic stand can stand tablet stable, you not need to hold the tablet all the time. This tablet PC can bring a lot of fun and knowledge for your kids. learning while playing. The toddler tablet is an ideal gift for birthday, Christmas, holiday season etc.
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
