AI tutoring startup SigIQ.ai has emerged from stealth with $9.5 million in seed funding to expand access to high-quality education through personalized AI tutoring. Based in Berkeley, California, the company was founded in July 2023 by Dr. Karttikeya Mangalam, an AI PhD from UC Berkeley, and Professor Kurt Keutzer of the Berkeley AI Research Lab.
The startup’s AI tutoring system gained national attention in India after solving the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) civil service prelims exam—widely regarded as one of the world’s most challenging tests—in under seven minutes. In a public demonstration on June 16, 2024, the system scored 175 out of 200, the highest ever recorded on the exam.
SigIQ.ai’s mission is to address the longstanding challenge identified in “Bloom’s Two-Sigma Problem,” which found that one-on-one tutoring leads to dramatically better learning outcomes than traditional classrooms. The company aims to replicate those outcomes at scale by replacing the cost of human tutoring with scalable AI computation, significantly lowering the cost of personalized instruction.
The $9.5 million seed round was co-led by The House Fund and GSV Ventures, with support from investors including Duolingo, General Catalyst India (Venture Highway), Peak XV Partners, Calibrate Ventures, and individual backers such as Andy Konwinski (Perplexity), Christian Storm (Turnitin), and professors from Berkeley, MIT, and Princeton.
SigIQ.ai has developed two initial products. The first, PadhAI, is focused on UPSC preparation and has reached over 200,000 learners in six months. The second, EverTutor.ai, targets GRE test preparation in the U.S. and has gained over 10,000 users since launching three months ago.
According to CEO Dr. Mangalam, SigIQ.ai’s systems are designed not just to deliver scripted responses but to act as responsive, interactive tutors capable of handling follow-up questions and providing tailored explanations. Early user data shows a 30-40% increase in effective study time and an 18% improvement in academic performance within the first month of use, with over 75% of users reporting improved confidence in difficult subjects.
The company plans to expand EverTutor.ai’s reach in upcoming GRE testing cycles and showcase product developments at ASU+GSV. SigIQ.ai ultimately aims to broaden access to top-tier education globally, with a long-term vision of making elite academic support universally available, regardless of a student’s location or economic background.
