Technology innovation in Education, or “EdTech,” is a hot industry sector right now. In the 1st quarter of 2015 alone, $1.12 billion was invested in learning technology companies around the world, the largest single investment of which was Linkedin’s $186 m acquisition of Lynda.com.
Within EdTech, online language learning startups have been one of the more active categories, generating more than $320m in external investment over the past three years. The learning of English, in particular, is moving from a primarily B2B business in developed markets to a B2C business with the strongest growth coming from emerging markets, where people recognize English as the international language of opportunity.
Entertainment Learning, publisher of the English Attack! online language learning service, announced today that it has completed a €900k funding round with Cap Decisif Management, manager of the Fonds Régional de Co-Investissement Ile-de-France (FRCI), in co-investment with French business angel networks Investessor, Val’Angels, Femmes Business Angels, Paris Business Angels, and WeLikeStartup.
The total investment includes an Innovation Loan from Bpifrance.
English Attack! – created by Paul Maglione and Frédéric Tibout, two experienced executives in digital entertainment and video games – brings true innovation to the global market for English language learning thanks to a unique pedagogical approach based on clips from current films, and a range of learning games. The service has experienced rapid growth in its user base, which recently passed the 400,000 registered user mark.
This first round of external financing for the company, complemented by an Innovation Loan by Bpifrance, will allow English Attack! to accelerate its growth in its key markets, and to further develop its service features and platform, including mobile applications.
Said Paul Maglione : ”Our unique content approach, designed for today’s “digital native” generation of learners, achieves true learner engagement and actual frequent service usage. This investment will allow us to further enrich that approach, and bring it to an ever wider global audience with the mission of making English Attack! the leading digital brand for learning English.”
“The dedication of the management team, and the early successes of its international business in a very demanding market of users looking for an alternative approach to the traditional learning of English, were the key factors in our investment decision.” added
Yvan-Michel Ehkirch, Partner at CapDecisif Management.
About Entertainment Learning and English Attack !
Entertainment Learning was founded by experienced digital entertainment executives Paul Maglione and Frederic Tibout. It is the publisher of English Attack!, which launched commercially in 2012, creating true innovation in the $35 billion market for English language learning via a 100% entertainment-driven approach to helping learners increase and enhance their exposure to, and use of, the language. It achieves this via interactive lessons based on clips from blockbuster movies, hit TV series, and television news reports; chart-topping music videos; professionally produced casual games; visual dictionaries; and a global social network of learners of English. The site’s user interface is available in 27 languages, and it is fully compatible with PC, Mac, Android and iOS.
