Headquartered in Singapore with operations in India and the US, Fermi.ai emerged from the Meraki Labs ecosystem with Mukesh Bansal as a partner.
Former executive at Google, Airbnb, and Flipkart, Peeyush Ranjan, has launched an AI-first edtech startup, Fermi.ai, aimed at transforming high-school Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) education. Beginning with Math, Physics, and Chemistry, the platform seeks to counter shortcut-driven AI learning by emphasising conceptual understanding and reasoning over instant answers.
Global footprint
Headquartered in Singapore, Fermi.ai has been rolled out through subsidiaries in India and the US. The initiative has emerged from the Meraki Labs ecosystem, where Ranjan partners with entrepreneur Mukesh Bansal, co-founder of Walmart-owned Myntra. Unlike conventional AI tools that prioritise speed, Fermi.ai is designed to preserve what the company calls “productive struggle” — a learning process that enables detailed insights for educators and encourages students to build strong fundamentals.
“Educators across India and the US are telling us that students are getting answers faster than ever, but their understanding is getting weaker,” Ranjan, CEO of Fermi.ai, said. The platform aims to support thinking rather than replace it, helping safeguard productive struggle and concept mastery, he added.
Tutoring approach
A step-by-step tutoring instead of direct solutions, a stylus-first digital canvas to support handwritten problem-solving, and diagnostic insights help teachers identify where a student’s reasoning breaks down.
Mukesh Bansal said the startup addresses a critical gap in AI-enabled education. “Fermi.ai does not just give answers—it shows students how they think, giving teachers the visibility to guide them back to mastery,” he noted.
Pilot results
Before its public launch, Fermi.ai ran a three-month pilot with 79 students and over 15,000 concept tests. The results showed improved conceptual mastery, with initially struggling students making steady progress and relying less on hints, according to the company.
The cloud-based platform is currently available for free to students, with educators and schools invited to join the 2026 pilot programme.
(Report filed by BL Intern Tejaswini S)
Published on January 23, 2026