BPP Funds xUnlocked for Sustainable Learning
BPP Education Group announced a £5 million Series A investment in and partnership with the UK-based education technology firm, xUnlocked, the operator of Sustainability Unlocked.
With BPP's investment, xUnlocked plans to accelerate its growth, focusing on increasing its portfolio of sustainability and ESG courses, which currently boasts the world's most extensive collection for professionals. The objective is to create an exhaustive range of educational materials to enable professionals across various sectors to drive sustainable practices within their organisations.
This financial boost is expected to enhance the company's ability to engage more preeminent sustainability experts to develop and conduct courses on Sustainability Unlocked, augmenting the roster of existing authorities such as Nobel laureates, scientists, and industry pioneers.
xUnlocked, established in 2017 by Henry White and Robert Ellison, launched Sustainability Unlocked in November 2021 to meet the burgeoning demand for corporate sustainability training, consistent with its B Corp certification. The platform has served over 100,000 learners globally, catering to a clientele that includes Santander, The London Stock Exchange, Airbus, GSK, Oxford Said Business School, and the Royal Bank of Canada. Additionally, xUnlocked operates Finance Unlocked, an educational platform for finance professionals, and anticipates the introduction of new learning brands soon.
Sustainability Unlocked stands as the inaugural video education platform dedicated to sustainability and ESG for business professionals, offering over 80 interactive courses and 400 video modules. The content spans various subjects, including climate change, governance, biodiversity, and ESG regulation, featuring experts like Nobel Prize laureate Kevin Trenberth, Liz Bentley, Chief Executive at the Royal Meteorological Society, and Mark Carney, the former Governor of the Bank of England and UN Special Envoy on Climate Action and Finance.
Graham Gaddes, CEO of BPP, remarked: "The investment and partnership with xUnlocked marks the addition of a new vertical of programmes to the BPP portfolio. We are responding to a growing client demand for skills in ESG and Sustainability. Through this partnership, our customers will have access to leading-edge programmes that offer contemporary insights via high-quality video content and a state-of-the-art learning platform. xUnlocked's seasoned team is a perfect cultural match for BPP, and we are eager to integrate them into the BPP Education Group."
Henry White, CEO of xUnlocked, stated: "Our mission is to inspire education and enable change. This partnership and investment will empower us to address the critical deficit in sustainability knowledge among global businesses, equipping them to confront the significant challenges our planet faces." White, alongside Rob Ellison, leads the xUnlocked executive team, which includes Prasad Gollakota as Chief Content Officer, Ciaran Rooney as Chief Technology Officer, and Daisy Meakin as Chief Operating Officer.