Funding · Financial Services

Skillsvest raises ₹5.5 crore in pre-seed round

By Startup Enthusiast · 2 April 2026

What they do

Skillsvest is a fintech platform that offers education loans with a 'pay only if you earn' model

It raised ₹5.5 crore in a pre-seed round led by Plug and Play Ventures, with angel investor Sascha Mornell

The startup has already deployed over ₹1.2 crore in student financing and has a waitlist of over 3,000 students

Skillsvest raised ₹5.5 crore in a pre-seed round that included both equity and debt.
The round was led by Plug and Play Ventures, a global venture capital firm.
Angel investor Sascha Mornell, a serial entrepreneur with over $2 billion in exits, also participated.
A debt syndicate of multiple smaller angel contributors provided additional funding.
The startup is backed by global accelerators UC Berkeley SkyDeck and Launch Accelerator.
The funds will be used to scale student financing, prepare for regulatory compliance, and expand go-to-market and partnerships.
Skillsvest aims to support 50–100 students over the next 12–18 months.

Skillsvest addresses the gap in education financing for Indian students from middle-income backgrounds who lack collateral or a co-signer.
Its 'pay only if you earn' model reduces the financial risk for students by linking repayments to income.
The startup has already deployed over ₹1.2 crore in student financing, showing early traction.
A waitlist of over 3,000 students indicates strong demand for its product.

Skillsvest is a fintech platform that provides education financing for Indian students pursuing master's degrees abroad.
It uses a 'pay only if you earn' model: repayments start only after the student's income crosses a defined threshold.
No collateral or co-signer is required, making it accessible to middle-income families.
The platform covers both tuition and living expenses, with ticket sizes ranging from $5,000 to $20,000.
Target students are from middle-income backgrounds pursuing master's in STEM and finance fields in the US, UK, and Europe.
Skillsvest has partnerships with over 4,500 college counsellors across India.
Early funded students have been admitted to institutions like INSEAD, University of Cambridge, and University of St. Gallen.
These students have backgrounds at companies such as Amazon, EY, BNP Paribas, and Klépierre.

Scale student financing to support 50–100 students over the next 12–18 months.
Prepare for regulatory and compliance readiness.
Expand go-to-market efforts and partnerships with college counsellors.
Build deeper relationships with recruiters and mentors to improve post-education career outcomes.

Plug and Play Ventures (lead) — Global venture capital firm that leads early-stage investments.
Sascha Mornell (angel) — Serial entrepreneur with over $2 billion in exits.

Product: Pay-only-if-you-earn financing platform for international student tuition and living expenses
Customers: Indian students pursuing master's programs in UK, US, and Europe
How it makes money: Income-share agreement fintech enabling education financing without collateral
What sets it apart: No collateral, no co-signers, with income-linked repayments after salary threshold