Former Google General Manager and Vice President Peeyush Ranjan has launched a new AI-first edtech startup, Fermi.ai, aimed at reshaping how high-school students learn STEM subjects.

The platform has been rolled out in the United States and India through local subsidiaries, with its global headquarters based in Singapore. Fermi.ai is currently available for free on the cloud and begins with Math, Physics, and Chemistry.

Unlike many AI-driven learning tools that focus on delivering quick answers, Fermi.ai is designed to emphasise reasoning, conceptual clarity, and what educators often call “productive struggle.” The platform seeks to discourage shortcut-based learning and instead guide students through the steps of problem-solving, helping them understand where their thinking may have gone wrong.

“Educators across India and the US are telling us the same thing: students are getting answers faster than ever, but their understanding is getting weaker,” said Peeyush Ranjan, CEO of Fermi.ai and Partner at Meraki Labs. “We built Fermi.ai to support thinking, not replace it, to protect the ‘productive struggle’ that leads to actual mastery.”

Fermi.ai is built around four core pillars. Its adaptive real-time tutor offers step-by-step guidance instead of final answers, encouraging students to work through difficulties independently. A handwriting-first, stylus-based smart canvas allows learners to solve equations, draw diagrams, and work through problems in a way that mirrors traditional classroom thinking. The platform also includes a concept graph-driven question bank aligned with exams such as AP, IB, and JEE, and a diagnostics layer that highlights specific gaps in reasoning for both students and teachers.

Mukesh Bansal, Partner at Meraki Labs, said, “We have entered an era where AI can solve any equation, but it can’t yet explain why a student’s logic faltered at step three. Fermi.ai isn’t here to give answers; it’s here to provide the map and the mirror.”

For students, the platform offers features such as Homework Assist, personalised practice, and targeted revision, shifting learning from guesswork to concept ownership. For educators, Fermi.ai provides classroom-level insights that surface misconceptions and highlight areas of “silent struggle” that often go unnoticed.

Ahead of its public launch, Fermi.ai ran a three-month pilot involving 79 students and over 15,000 concept tests. According to the company, students who initially scored poorly showed significant improvement over time, with overall mastery scores rising consistently and reliance on hints dropping by 21 percent.

As AI continues to enter classrooms worldwide, Fermi.ai positions itself as a mastery-first alternative, focused on strengthening fundamentals rather than accelerating shortcuts.