Business Remedies | Rajshree Upadhyaya | Sunil Raina has made a name for himself by founding an online chess academy for children. What began as a small classroom ambition gradually evolved into a nationwide online academy. Founded in 2019, Kabil Kids started by transforming the teaching abilities of a neighborhood chess coach into a structured curriculum designed for children aged five to fifteen. Today, it presents itself as a comprehensive online chess academy based on structured learning pathways.
What makes Kabil Kids unique is its child-friendly approach to serious learning. The curriculum, credited to Grandmaster Tejas Bakre, is implemented by a team of FIDE-rated instructors. This helped the founders position chess not just as a game, but as a medium for young learners to develop critical thinking, patience, and problem-solving skills. Their website lists modular offerings and enrollment options ranging from single lessons to year-long programs, highlighting interactive formats ideal for busy families. In practice, this means online chess coaching, foundational and advanced courses, one-on-one classes, and other learning products – including an official FIDE-rating program.
From a coaching setup to a stable edtech service
Kabil Kids gained wider recognition when the founders appeared on Shark Tank India Season 3. Sunil Raina, co-founder, Kitty Mahapatra, and Grandmaster Tejas Bakre clearly pitched for funding with a vision to expand the platform across India and abroad. The on-air discussion concluded with an investor duo offering a hybrid deal of equity and debt. Sharks Aman Gupta and Namita Thapar agreed to invest Rs. 50 lakh for a 2.5% equity stake, along with a structured debt of Rs. 20 lakh at a 12% annual interest rate over two years – valuing the business at approximately Rs. 20 crore under the show’s terms.
After Shark Tank, the brand emphasized credibility and enrollment, leveraging its television exposure to widen its reach while continuing both live and recorded sessions. The company’s public presence – an active website with class offerings, a listed Noida office address, and a regular Instagram account – reflects that the venture remains operational and continues enrolling students as per the latest available updates. Parents seeking demos can still book trial sessions on the platform, showing that Kabil Kids has successfully transitioned from an experimental local coaching setup into a stable edtech service.
A fusion of play- based learning and edtech innovation
Kabil Kids represents a fusion of play-based education and edtech innovation. It sells structured online coaching packages and positions chess as a life skill that parents can measure through progress tracking and graded coursework. The combination of founders’ grassroots coaching experience and Grandmaster-level curriculum design lends the brand both credibility and teaching depth – a mix that attracted investor interest on national television and helped sustain the academy’s momentum afterward.
The future of Kabil Kids will depend on how effectively it converts television-driven visibility into consistent learner engagement and partnerships with schools and tournaments. For now, the company’s journey – from a district-level coach’s vision to a funded online academy – showcases how a focused product, credible mentors, and the right experience can transform a small coaching venture into an education startup with national ambitions.
Written & Edited By:
Rajshree Upadhyaya
