Oxford-based education technology company Learning with Experts has raised £800k from an impressive group of High Net Worth (HNW) Angels.
The new investors joining this funding round via Oxford Investment Opportunity Network (OION) include Rupert Pennant-Rea, Learning with Expert’s new Chairman, Former Editor of The Economist, and Deputy Governor of The Bank of England.
Founded by Elspeth Briscoe, Learning with Experts is an acclaimed company in the vocational online consumer learning space, partnering with established educators to develop accredited online learning programs such as gardening, food & drink, jewellery, photography, floristry and antiques. It aims to create global classroom communities through ‘learning what you love, with experts you trust’. The company has a unique community based online learning offering.
The unique combination of ‘tribal community classrooms’, combined with broadcast style curriculum content, and trusted world experts gives Learning with Experts a disruptive player in the field. The company believes in using human interaction to eliminate the isolation of distance learning through unique online classrooms.
Speaking on the latest development and its future plans, Founder and CEO Elspeth Briscoe said,
“The raise is enabling us to execute on our hiring plan, to scale our B2B, tech development and marketing teams and to hire new A list tutors for our consumer product. We intend to drive the next education revolution beyond the MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses), with our unique approach to community based, trusted, high quality, global interactive online learning. MOOCs have 80% dropout rates. Learning with Experts has 80% course completion rates.”
“We’re seeing rapid growth both in the B2C and B2B sectors. We already have 55 experts teaching consumers, including Shane Connolly, Florist and Royal Warrant holder, BBC Good Food and BBC Gardener’s World Magazine, Paula Pryke OBE, Antiques Roadshow Experts, World Class Landscape Designers, with many other household names in the pipeline. Business clients are also partnering at a pace, enabling us to offer serious accredited vocational qualifications, including The Royal Horticulture Society Level 2 training, and courses from The Goldsmith Center, part of The Goldsmiths Company.”
Lauding the company, Learning with Experts’s new Chairman, Rupert Pennant-Rea, commented saying,
“I love the education space, and I’m a great believer in life-long learning, having just completed a GCSE in Science aged 71. I believe Learning with Experts has the right combination of people and product, and will be capable of disrupting online adult vocational learning. I’m excited to have joined at this stage.”
Congratulating the company, Jens Tholstrup, Managing Director, OION, said,
“Congratulations to Learning with Experts on completing its current fund raising. This follows a very impressive pitch by Elspeth Briscoe at the OION Investor Showcase event held at Rathbone’s Head Office in May. We are delighted that Rupert Pennant-Rea has been appointed Chairman following our introduction.”
According to reports, Learning with Experts has 33k registered learners, 7.5k paying students, 80% completed rates, and students in 58 countries. It has taught over 10,000 lessons. The company is said to have won several awards for edtech and innovation, including Best Website (Garden Media Awards), Best Education Site (Good Web Guide), and Finalist for Barclays Award for Innovation, Oxford Trust Enterprise Awards 2019.
