Prosus pegs Byju’s valuation at $6 billion

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Editor's note: Prosus, the Netherlands-listed international internet assets arm of South African group Naspers, on Wednesday said the fair value of its 9.67% stake in Byju’s is $578 million. It would mean that the investment company believes the fair value of India’s largest edtech firm is $5.97 billion. That is 73% below the $22 billion valuation at which the Bengaluru-based company says it raised funds in October. Prosus’s measure, however, is not the last word on Byju’s valuation. Different investors value private companies differently in their accounts and it is possible that a larger shareholder values their shares in the edtech company differently.  Moreover, the Dutch firm’s statement of fair value in its consolidated interim financial statements for the six months ended 30 September is a matter of accounting. “Macroeconomic conditions have changed in the several months preceding our half-yearly financials, generally resulting in significant declines in company valuations across the technology sector. The fair value of the group’s BYJU’s investment was determined by a third-party firm,” Prosus told Moneycontrol today. "Prosus changed the accounting treatment for Byju's and in subsequent reporting …