Perlego, a subscription-based digital library providing unlimited access to academic titles, has recently raised $20 million in the fresh funding round led by former Tesco CEO Sir Terry Leahy. ITHAKA, the company behind JSTOR’s digital library of academic journals and books, has also supported Perlego’s mission to provide accessible learning materials. The round also witnessed participation from MediaHuis, Raine, KPN Ventures, and the founders of Kahoot, raising the total to $75 million.
Founded in 2017, Perlego aims to make learning more accessible by offering unlimited access to over one million educational titles. The platform uniquely partners with thousands of international publisher brands, offering an unparalleled catalogue of academic, professional, and nonfiction content in six languages from the likes of Cengage, Routledge, Cambridge University Press, Elsevier, and Harvard University Press. It is used in over 250 educational institutions worldwide.
Speaking about the investment, Gauthier Van Malderen, Founder and CEO of Perlego, said:
This investment represents a vital opportunity to drive meaningful change in education and AI more broadly. We’re passionate about providing accessible yet game-changing solutions to education. With the support of Sir Terry Leahy and our strong team of investors, we are excited to accelerate our growth and continue to empower learners worldwide.
Former Tesco CEO Sir Terry Leahy also commented on the latest development:
Perlego is addressing one of the most pressing challenges in modern education – access to essential learning materials. This investment is a vote of confidence in Perlego’s innovative approach to learning and the platform’s potential to reshape the educational landscape. Investing in the futures of young people has always been a passion of mine, and I am particularly committed to funding research in areas of regional disparity. I look forward to seeing how the business continues transforming access to education. I am incredibly proud to participate in the journey that aligns closely with my values.
With this round of funding, Perlego plans to expand its footprint, serve more learners and institutions internationally and leverage AI to power new products designed to improve access to academic content. The company has also announced the launch of Dialogo, the new AI-powered Research Assistant.
Dialogo, the Research Assistant, will allow students to find the most relevant sources within Perlego’s library of academic titles, provide an overview of the results and point students toward the full text of every title cited, building a bridge between students and the information.
