A Sharp Rise in Home Education Sparks Concern
👋 Hi and welcome to Brighteye Bulletin - your fortnightly take on all things Edtech, Startups and Venture Capital.
Articles and Resources of the week
Revised Federal Edtech Plan Calls for Closing Digital Divides
Last month, the US federal government released the National Educational Technology Plan, containing a vision for how technology could transform learning for schools This is expected to serve as a roadmap for schools, in terms of thinking about how their tech systems work, and what this should look like. Many hope this will push discussions closer toward how effective tech actually is in learning, looking at improving outcomes and reducing learning inequalities.
Sharp rise in home education sparks concern
Across England, there has been a sharp rise in children being removed from schools for home education, in some councils it has more than doubled since 2019. A growing number of parents feel that the current school systems cannot meet the needs of their children - especially those with special educational needs.
With Pandemic Money Gone, Child Care Is an Industry on the Brink
During the pandemic, childcare businesses experienced temporary relief from the many challenges of running a business in the space. However, we are now seeing that childcare businesses are even more precarious than ever before. Rising wages in alternative careers have made it even harder to recruit childcare workers, one of the lowest-paid jobs in the US, with a similar trend in many other global nations. The industry is in trouble.
Investment news
KIT-AR, an augmented worker platform for the manufacturing industry has raised a €3.3mn round co-led by 3XP and Blue Crow Capital, along with follow-on investment from Sintef Venture V, Criteria Venture Tech and Armilar Venture Partners.
UK based Graide, an AI and machine learning platform for teachers has raised £1.6m with participation from XTX Ventures alongside existing investors Mercia Ventures, the MEIF Proof of Concept & Early Stage Fund, which is managed by Mercia and part of the Midlands Engine Investment Fund (MEIF), SFC Capital and private investors.
CareerOS have raised a $1.2m pre-seed round to support students and professionals in finding their dream career.
French Avatar Medical, a 3D Medical Imaging solution, has raised a €5m Seed round led by GO Capital, with support from US-based Acorn Pacific Ventures and Plug and Play as well as Rives Croissance and Cenitz.Â
MeVitae, a UK-based DE&I recruiting solution, has raised $1.8m led by Apex Black.
VR training solution Moonhub has raised $1.4m from Unconventional Ventures, with participation from Pi Labs and Ada Ventures for their VR training solution.
Heat Geek (previously Skoon) has raised a £3.7m round led by Transition, with Triple Point Ventures also participating alongside angels to expand its network of heat pump installers.
Jobs in Edtech
Uphill are looking for a Lead AI Engineer (Lisbon).
TeachFX is hiring a Sales Development representative (Remote).
Komi is looking for a Social Media & Community Lead (London/Hybrid).
MyEdSpace is looking for an Intern to work in the Founder’s Team (London).
Thank you for reading. If you enjoyed it, share it with your friends, colleagues and everyone interested in the European Edtech ecosystem.
Stay curious,
Izzy