Edtech startup raises £13.5m as demand for math learning surges

Knowledgehook, the comprehensive mathematics learning platform, has raised £13.5m Series A equity funding, led by a UK-based EdTech investment fund with participation from Mesoamerica’s Alexandria Corp., Nelson Education, Ideal Ventures, and Nicoya Ventures.

This latest round of financing follows Knowledgehook’s 2016 seed round that included John Abele’s North Point Ventures.

Knowledgehook’s proprietary technology, used by over 100,000 schools around the world, harnesses the power of data to track where each student is on their math journey. Their programmes connect a child’s at-home learning with in-school education, providing real time insights on learning gaps. This empowers teachers to develop a child’s understanding of the math concepts related to their challenges, enabling them to adjust instruction and monitor progress.

“Knowledgehook was inspired by my own struggle with math as a child. Having the right, personalised guidance makes all the difference and every student deserves to have a teacher who has access to the best pedagogical tools, and parents who have insights into their learning challenges.

"Our platform is not a game, it will pull together a 360 view on a child’s learning journey enabling people around them to improve their experience and outcomes,” explained Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Knowledgehook, Travis Ratnam.

Created and launched from Canada, Knowledgehook’s AI-enabled platform has grown to support schools across the US, Mexico, and the UK. It is designed to scale across multiple countries and languages delivering teacher capacity while engaging students and providing actionable insights for parents.

Over the years, Knowledgehook’s research-based solution has garnered industry leading partnerships and investments from the most recognised global education bodies, notably from the University College of London (UCL), the global leader in education research.

Knowledgehook actively collaborates with governments around the world while also working directly with schools and their suppliers, to offer curriculum-aligned solutions. The company currently empowers teachers in more than 100,000 schools. In 2021, its leadership aims to extend its solution’s reach to 50,000,000 students globally.

“We have received growing interest for our technology and expertise to be applied to other subjects and we look forward to expanding our solution to empower more educators and support the learning of students to become the problem-solvers of tomorrow,” stated Travis Ratnam.

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to impact the world. There is a spotlight on student learning as education systems around the world are presented with a new set of challenges with the new hybrid educational context.

“The pandemic is more an accelerant to the digital transformation of education; these changes were already underway,” commented Knowledgehook’s Chief Financial Officer, Qamar Qureshi.

Knowledgehook, which offers school licenses, as well as Netflix-like home subscriptions, has delivered consistent growth since entering the market, eclipsing a 4,300% growth in user base with a 100% client retention, ahead of the current pandemic-led increase in demand.

“As EdTech demand and investment surges, we have been selective in bringing in strategic investors that further accelerate our vision outside of simply adding capital to our balance sheet,” Qamar Qureshi added.

“Now, more than ever, we know that teachers and parents both play an essential role in helping children learn. The pandemic has heightened the need for digital solutions that focus on building teacher capacity to deliver high quality math instruction both in classrooms and in remote learning environments. Knowledgehook, designed to empower educators, is this next generation of EdTech,” said Travis Ratnam.

Startup Details

Startup Details

TOTAL FUNDING AMOUNT $22.5M
CB RANK (COMPANY) 866

Knowledgehook

Knowledgehook combines deep domain expertise with data science to create a technology platform that helps school boards and teachers assess gaps in math education, and apply predictive insights.

Knowledgehook’s insights have led to major partnerships with leading universities, research institutes, and leading educational companies.

Knowledgehook is utilising its access into the classroom to enable at-home tutoring and additional support and insights for parents being the first in class to create this vertically integrated educational ecosystem.

  • Headquarters Regions
    Ontario, Canada
  • Founded Date
    Sep 1, 2014
  • Founders
    Arthur Lui, James Francis, Lambo Jayapalan, Travis Ratnam
  • Operating Status
    Active
  • Number of Employees
    51-100