Zinc Secures $25.5 Million for Education Solutions

Zinc, an edu-wealth startup focused on facilitating overseas education for Indian families, has raised $25.5 million in seed funding led by Nexus Venture Partners, with contributions from various investors including Quona Capital and Credit Saison. The funds will be utilized to enhance product offerings, particularly its AI-powered counseling tool, Ada, and to develop global investment solutions that mitigate currency risks associated with overseas education costs. Zinc aims to help families save and invest in foreign currencies to protect against rupee depreciation, reflecting the increasing demand for international education, with projections of 2 million Indian students studying abroad by 2025. Founder Prashanth Ranganathan emphasizes the importance of preventing families from falling into debt traps due to inadequate planning. The startup also plans to expand into lending and remittance services, creating a comprehensive financial ecosystem for education planning. Zinc's flagship product, Zinc Honors, integrates financial management with personalized university counseling to support families in making informed decisions about overseas education.