Hyderabad, Telangana, 13th of March, 2026 : Vaave, a Hyderabad-based alumni platform founded in 2011, today has announced its rebrand as Hoopstr, reflecting its evolution from an alumni management platform into a broader ecosystem that activates alumni networks to support lifelong learning and career advancement Used by over 1200+ institutions worldwide, Hoopstr enables educational institutions to engage alumni through mentorship, networking, and collaborative learning. Hoopstr will empower educational institutions to bridge the gap between classroom learning and real-world experience.
The company raised their first major external funding 6.6 Cr from Aditya Vuchi VCMint & Raj Narayanam, Founder & Executive Chairman of Zaggle via RAN Ventures. The company is also looking to raise Pre-Series A investment in future to build the ecosystem offerings. The company is expecting 80-100% growth year on year.
With a Current Team size of 80 People the company has onboarded 1200+ institutions, with 4.9 Million Alumni across 28 Countries. Hoopstr is looking forward to expanding and capturing 2500 top institutions in India in the next 18 months. The company, Hoopstr, endeavours to activate the alumni networks of institutions to generate 10000 internships and leverage these networks to provide scholarships worth Rs. 100 Crores for students over the next 3 years, working closely with 30 select institutions.
In today’s fast-changing world, careers are fluid, and industries evolve rapidly—yet real-world insights often fail to enrich ongoing education. Hoopstr changes that by positioning alumni as active contributors. These professionals, drawing from their lived experiences in careers, entrepreneurship, and leadership, share knowledge that keeps learning relevant, dynamic, and connected to everyday realities. What emerges is a powerful cycle: alumni fuel education, while institutions nurture lifelong growth.
Hoopstr brings together over 4.9 million alumni from partner institutions across 28 countries, creating one of the largest active alumni ecosystems focused on career growth, mentorship, and knowledge exchange. Through networking, mentorship, events, and career opportunities, the platform enables institutions to transform alumni communities into powerful engines of guidance, opportunity, and lifelong connection.
Institutions can implement Hoopstr’s three pillars—Awakening Motion, Reinforcing the System, and Sustaining Progression—through targeted strategies that leverage digital tools, events, and feedback loops to activate alumni ecosystems.
According to Mr Paresh Masade, Founder & CEO of Vaave, “Education shouldn’t end at graduation, nor should alumni ties fade to occasional events. We built Hoopstr to create a living loop where real-world experiences flow back into learning communities. When alumni share their journeys, we all grow together—stronger, more relevant, and ready for what’s next. Hoopstr is looking forward to expanding and capturing 2500 top institutions in India (from the current 1200) in the next 18 months. We are targeting an 80-100% growth year on year.”
Awakening Motion: Start by auditing dormant alumni databases and launching AI-powered profile automation to revive engagement, similar to platforms that connect over 4.9 million alumni via quick onboarding. It will host virtual reunions, nostalgia-driven newsletters, and alumni spotlights to convert passive members into active participants, aiming for 2-3x higher engagement as seen in mentorship programs. Hoopstr will partner with apps for searchable directories by location, industry, and company to facilitate initial reconnections.
Reinforcing the System: Create feedback channels like annual industry surveys and alumni advisory boards to channel professional insights into curriculum reviews, ensuring alignment with real-world needs. Organise guest lectures, hackathons, and joint projects where alumni contribute to course updates, as in student-alumni outreach models that boosted giving and retention. Use data from engagement metrics to iteratively refine programs, prioritising high-impact inputs from engaged cohorts.
Sustaining Progression: The platform will build ongoing development via mentorship matching, job boards, webinars, and certification tracks tailored to alumni career stages. Foster lifelong ties through affinity groups, regional chapters, volunteer opportunities, and recognition displays that generate continuous touchpoints. Track progression with KPIs like event attendance, referral rates, and retention (target 90% as in successful programs), scaling via iterative optimisation.
Hoopstr invites institutional leaders, alumni groups, and education stakeholders to partner in building future-ready learning environments.
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