Neelakantha Bhanu Prakash Jonnalagadda, renowned as the world’s fastest human calculator, has revolutionized mathematical excellence. His journey from solving puzzles at eight to clinching national and international championships by 13 is marked by extraordinary milestones. Holding four world records and 50 Limca Book records, Bhanu has surpassed legends like Shakuntala Devi and Scott Flansburg. Between 2017 and 2020, he performed in 500 stage shows across 23 countries, gaining invaluable insights into global math education. His innovative approach has made math accessible and inspiring for students worldwide. In this interview, Bhanu shares his experiences and vision for transforming math education globally.
Q: Can you introduce yourself and tell us a bit about Bhanzu?
A: I’m Bhanu, and my journey with mathematics began at a very young age. I’ve always been fascinated by numbers and puzzles, which eventually led me to compete in math championships and break several world records. Along the way, I realized that traditional math education was often uninspiring and intimidating for many students. This realization, coupled with my passion for teaching, inspired me to start Bhanzu. Our vision is to make math accessible, engaging, and empowering for students of all ages and backgrounds. We believe that everyone has the potential to excel in math with the right guidance and approach. Through Bhanzu, we aim to instil a love for math in students and equip them with the skills they need to succeed in school and beyond.
Q: What inspired you to focus on public and government schools?
A: I started working with public and private schools and realized that maximum impact could be driven by working within the public school ecosystem. In 2019, my co-founders and I began exploring initiatives to teach children basic foundational math and help them overcome math phobia, which is particularly prevalent in Indian government schools.
Q: Can you share details about the scale of your initial project?
A: We built a project that ran for 60-70 schools in the first year and then scaled to cover the entire states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. We became the official math education partner to the governor of Telangana and worked on a significant project with the Pratham Education Foundation.
Q: How did you manage to teach during the pandemic?
A: During the pandemic, over 2 million children participated in our classes, which were streamed live on television in multiple languages, such as Telugu, Hindi, Marathi, Urdu, and Tamil. This approach helped us reach a wide audience despite the challenges posed by the pandemic.
Q: What led you to start Bhanzu as a commercial entity?
A: While working heavily in the public sector, I encountered a lot of bureaucratic red tape. This experience prompted me to start Bhanzu with the goal of teaching mathematics better than other tech companies and tuition centres. We aim to make math learning less intimidating and more engaging.
Q: What has been Bhanzu’s journey so far in terms of growth and funding?
A: We spent a year developing our product and then raised capital from Lightpeat Ventures. We have since raised additional funds from 8 Road and B Capital, allowing us to scale in the Middle East, Southeast Asia, and the US. Today, Bhanzu is the biggest math education company in India.
Q: What makes Bhanzu’s approach to math education unique?
A: Our pedagogy-first approach involves teaching students through fun, gamified story narratives and well-trained teachers. We emphasize understanding the ‘why’ behind mathematical concepts before the ‘what’ and ‘how.’ We focus on building confidence and applying math to real-world situations.
Q: How do you address the issue of math phobia among students?
A: Math phobia often stems from a lack of relatability and enthusiasm. We tackle this by making learning more engaging and showing students their progress. Our AI bot, Bhanzu Buddy, helps make learning interactive and personalized.
Q: What role does AI play in Bhanzu’s math learning ecosystem?
A: AI plays a crucial role in Bhanzu’s math learning ecosystem, particularly in providing personalized learning experiences for students. Our AI-driven system includes a student dashboard where students can access unlimited quizzes, participate in competitions, and track their progress. This approach not only makes math learning more interactive but also allows us to tailor our curriculum to meet the individual needs of each student.
Q: Are all Bhanzu’s classes conducted online?
A: Yes, currently, all our classes are online. While we may consider offline classes in the future, there are no immediate plans for that.
Q: What challenges did you face in establishing Bhanzu, and how did you overcome them?
A: One of the main challenges we faced in establishing Bhanzu was transitioning from public sector projects to a commercial enterprise. This required us to educate individuals about our brand and the benefits of our approach to math education. However, through perseverance and dedication, we were able to overcome these challenges and establish Bhanzu as a leading math education company in India.
Q: How does Bhanzu’s curriculum differ from conventional maths education?
A: Bhanzu’s curriculum differs from conventional maths education in several ways. Traditional curricula often teach a set number of topics each year, whereas we use a more targeted approach called blitzkrieg learning. This approach allows us to dive deep into topics like geometry, covering everything needed for multiple grades in a more comprehensive manner. Our curriculum is also continuously evolving based on ongoing research and feedback, ensuring that it remains relevant and effective for students.
Q: Can you share some success stories from Bhanzu?
A: We’ve seen six-year-olds progress to high-degree algebra within two years and students who initially hated math develop a love for it. Children who were failing in math have become top scorers, and we’ve had students win Olympiads. This success spans across India, the Middle East, the US, and the UK.
Q: Why do you focus on speed math and real-life applications?
A: Speed math is an essential aspect of our approach because it helps unlock cognitive abilities and build confidence in students. We believe that mental math is a crucial skill to develop, even in an age where calculators are readily available. Additionally, we focus on real-life applications of math because it makes learning more relevant and engaging for students, helping them see the practical value of what they are learning.
Q: What are Bhanzu’s future plans in terms of expansion and curriculum development?
A: We are continuously researching and improving our curriculum to cater to different geographies and student needs. We are expanding further in the US and plan to grow our presence within India as well. Ultimately, our goal is to develop a universal math curriculum that can be adapted to suit the needs of children from diverse backgrounds, ensuring that every child has access to quality math education.
Neelakantha Bhanu Prakash Jonnalagadda’s journey and vision are reshaping the landscape of math education. Through Bhanzu, he is not only breaking records but also breaking barriers in how math is perceived and learned worldwide.
https://bhanzu.com/
