In a bold move to reshape the global edtech landscape, Peeyush Ranjan, the former Chief Technology Officer of Flipkart and a veteran executive from Google and Airbnb, has officially launched his AI-first startup, Fermi.ai. Co-founded with Myntra’s Mukesh Bansal and incubated under their startup studio Meraki Labs, the Singapore-headquartered venture aims to solve a growing crisis in modern education: the decline of deep conceptual understanding in the age of instant AI answers.

Fermi.ai targets high-school STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) students across India and the United States. Unlike traditional AI chatbots that provide immediate solutions, Fermi.ai is built on the philosophy of “productive struggle.” The platform’s AI tutor acts as a guide, identifying exactly where a student’s logic falters—be it at step three of a physics problem or a chemical equation—and providing Socratic-style hints to lead them to the answer independently. “Students are getting answers faster than ever, but their understanding is getting weaker,” Ranjan stated during the launch on January 23, 2026.

The startup introduces a specialized technical stack designed for tactile, deep learning:

• Adaptive Real-Time Tutor: Provides step-by-step coaching instead of final answers.
• Stylus-First Smart Canvas: Prioritizes digital ink, allowing students to draw free-body diagrams and write equations naturally.
• Concept-Linked Question Bank: Aligned with elite global curricula including JEE, AP, and IB.
• Diagnostic Insights: Offers teachers a “map of the mind,” surfacing hidden misconceptions and “silent struggles” in the classroom.

Before its public debut, Fermi.ai conducted a rigorous three-month pilot with 79 students and over 15,000 concept tests. The data revealed a significant “mastery curve”:

• Students with initial scores of 2/10 improved to an average of 6.7/10.
• High-engagement users saw a 21% reduction in reliance on hints.
• Overall mastery scores rose by 2.6 points across all subjects.

Currently available for free on the cloud, Fermi.ai plans to finalize its competitive pricing model after further feedback. With India’s edtech market valued at $8 billion and the US at $5 billion, Ranjan and Bansal are positioning Fermi.ai as the premium “cognitive gym” for the next generation of thinkers.

Key Highlights:

• High-Profile Launch: Former Flipkart CTO Peeyush Ranjan and Mukesh Bansal launch Fermi.ai, focusing on high-school STEM mastery.
• Anti-Shortcut AI: The platform uses “stepwise coaching” to ensure students learn the reasoning behind answers rather than just receiving them.
• Pilot Success: Initial testing showed dramatic score improvements, with average student performance jumping from 2/10 to 6.7/10.
• Global Presence: Headquartered in Singapore, the startup is initially targeting the massive $13 billion combined market of India and the USA.