Hippocampus Learning Centres (HLC) announced on Tuesday that it has secured $600,000 (INR3.5 crore) in a bridge round from its existing institutional investors, according to The Economic Times.

HLC will use the most recent equity investment to expand its network in the upcoming financial year. Based on a press release, the rural education services provider operates over 100 learning facilities across Karnataka with about 3,000 students, the report detailed.

Risk capital investors of HLC include Unitus Seed Fund, Acumen Fund, and Lok Capital, the report added.

In 2012, HLC closed $1.5 million (INR9.2 crore) from Acumen Fund and Lok Capital. In 2013, a senior company executive said the education firm was raising a new round of funding which was estimated to be around $5 million (INR30.8 crore), the report said.

Hippocampus Learning Centres was founded by Umesh Malhotra of Infosys Technologies and ITT Madras alumni in 2011. The company provides quality education to kids in rural India through its pre-school learning centres. The press release said HLC expects to expand its student network to 7,500 in the coming year, The Economic Times reported.