Amsterdam-based LearnWise, an AI-driven platform enhancing the student experience, has secured €2M in a seed round of funding led by London-based VC firm Emerge.

The platform, which has reduced support queries by 50 per cent for over 720,000 students worldwide, aims to use the funding to enhance its product and expand its team. The move comes as universities face growing support needs with limited resources.

Nic Newman, General Partner at Emerge, says, “LearnWise perfectly aligns with our mission to democratise education. As universities face mounting pressure to scale support with limited resources, their ethical AI platform ensures every student can access the help they need, whenever they need it.”

Helping universities transform student support

LearnWise is an AI-powered platform that improves student support in universities. It works across systems like learning platforms, student portals, and websites to provide a consistent experience.

With integrations for tools like Canvas, Moodle, and Blackboard, it can be set up in 30 minutes and expanded easily across departments.

Greg Marschall, CEO of LearnWise, says, “Students don’t need another chatbot – they need a personal concierge who understands their complete university journey and fully integrates into the EdTech ecosystem of an institution.”

“We’re building responsible AI that makes support truly accessible, regardless of time, platform, or language.”

The platform improves student support by integrating with education and help desk systems, using AI to identify and fill content gaps. 

It provides real-time analytics for insights into support trends, offers 24/7 multilingual support across digital channels, and can be quickly implemented with flexible options to fit different digital transformation stages.

LearnWise enhances university support by providing AI-driven solutions that go beyond answering queries. The platform analyses support patterns to help institutions identify systemic issues and improve processes. It also flags content gaps to strengthen the knowledge base over time.

Founded in 2023, LearnWise is led by a team of education technology experts, including Greg Marschall, Michel Visser, Pietro Vigilanza, Ian Haugh, Toshiro Polak, and Luca Dorigo. They have worked with companies like Instructure, EesySoft, Explorance, and FeedbackFruits, using their expertise to create innovative solutions for higher education.

Earlier this month, Michel Visser joined LearnWise as Chairman of the Board and interim Chief Growth Officer. With 12 years of experience scaling EesySoft, Visser brings knowledge and insights to help LearnWise grow.

CEO Marschall says, “Michel’s addition to LearnWise is a game-changer. His expertise in EdTech and passion for higher education will guide our growth and strategic product direction. I’m excited for this chance to work together again!”

Brief about Emerge

Emerge, founded in 2014, claims to be Europe’s only edtech specialist fund. It invests in startups that help people grow, supporting over 80 companies valued at $2B and impacting 31 million learners and 8,000 institutions globally.

The firm invests in startups across sectors like education, workforce development, and lifelong learning. With backing from over 100 experts, Emerge provides financial support, guidance, and access to a network of experienced professionals. 

Emerge invests between $250K and $2.5M in early-stage startups and welcomes direct applications.

London-based Perlego, an edtech company, announced on Monday that it has secured $20M (approximately €18.1M) in funding led by former Tesco CEO, Sir Terry Leahy.

Sir Terry Leahy says, “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 to transform access to education and I am incredibly proud to play a part in the journey that aligns so closely with my own values,” adds Sir Terry Leahy.

ITHAKA, the company behind JSTOR, the digital library of academic journals and books, 

MediaHuis, Raine, KPN Ventures, and the founders of Kahoot, also participated in the round.

The latest round brings the company’s total funding raised to $75M (approximately €68M).

The latest raise will allow the company to expand its footprint, serve more learners and institutions internationally and utilise AI to power new products designed to improve access to academic content.

Announced AI-powered research assistant

Besides funding, the company also announced the launch of Dialogo, an AI-powered research assistant designed to enhance the research process.

According to the company, it enables students to easily locate relevant sources in its library, provides an overview of the results, and directs students to the full text of every cited title.

Gauthier Van Malderen, Founder and CEO of Perlego, says, “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.”

Birth of Perlego

The idea for Perlego was born when its founders, Gauthier Van Malderen and Matthew Davis, encountered the high cost of textbooks as students.

Textbook prices are continuously rising, making it difficult for students to afford the necessary resources.

Some students turn to piracy and second-hand books, while many others are completely priced out of the education system.

This not only restricts students’ access to knowledge, but also affects researchers, authors, and the publishing industry.

Consequently, Perlego was founded to offer an affordable (and sustainable) textbook solution for learners globally by collaborating with publishers and eliminating the expenses associated with print, distribution, and retail markup.

Perlego: Making education accessible

Founded in 2017, Perlego is a subscription-based digital library that aims to make learning more accessible by offering unlimited access to over one million educational titles. 

The company does this by partnering with thousands of international publisher brands, offering an unparalleled catalogue of academic, professional, and non-fiction 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. 

Amsterdam-based Winc Academy, an online education platform, announced recently that it will become a part of the Complementair Groep (DCG) family from September 2, 2024.

Noor Gerrits, CEO of Winc Academy, says, “My goal is to strengthen Winc Academy as a leading educator in the tech sector by continuing to search for the best innovative learning solutions without losing sight of the student experience. Ultimately, it is all about happy students.”

Winc Academy: Offers online courses

Founded in 2018 by Marijn Pijnenborg, Carla Snepvangers, and Joran van Aart, Winc Academy offers online courses for anyone to learn in-demand digital skills regardless of location, time, or prior knowledge (anytime, anywhere).

Emma Haagen, COO of Winc Academy, says, “Our collaboration with De Complementair Groep is crucial to train even more students for their dream jobs. Together, we are stronger and we can share our unique and flexible teaching method more widely.”

According to the company, the self-paced courses with personal mentoring are designed to be combined with work or private life and prepare learners for a career as a developer, data analyst, and other in-demand tech jobs. 

Students benefit from personal guidance through 1-on-1 consultations, live events, feedback videos, and an active online community of peers and mentors.

Winc Academy was one of the nine Dutch scaleups to join batch #8 of Techleap.nl’s Rise programme.

Winc Academy’s statistics

As per the company’s claims, 43 per cent of the students are women.

With a 70 per cent pass rate and an average rating of 4.5/5.0 stars, Winc Academy outperforms its competitors.

In addition, 60 per cent of alumni experience a direct positive impact on their careers after completing their studies.

20 per cent of alumni even get promoted or find a new job as a direct result of their studies at Winc Academy.

The Dutch company will remain an independent part of the group and will keep growing its programs in IT, Data, and Online Marketing.

The acquisition allows DCG to integrate the learning paths of Vijfhart IT-Opleidingen and AT Computing with Winc Academy’s courses, creating high-quality blended learning opportunities.

DCG: What you need to know

The Complementair Group is the parent company of the Netherlands’ leading trainers in the field of IT, data management and architecture, open source, AI, data centres, vitality, personal development, and safe working.

DCG brands include —  Vijfhart, Cibit, AT Computing, Coach+Result, Sonnevelt, Vijfhart ARBO-opleidingen, EPI Europe and Winc Academy.

Bastiaan Janssen, CEO of DCG says, “Winc Academy is a young and innovative company that fits perfectly into our strategy of broadening. The multi-deployable platform of Winc Academy offers enormous opportunities for our other brands.”

Stockholm-based learning platform Learnster has announced that it has secured SEK 31M (approximately €2.69M) in a new share issue to enhance its position in the edtech sector and broaden its global reach.

The investment was led by Tom Nyman Holding, with additional backing from Söderberg & Partners and Subvenio Invest. As part of the deal, Tom Nyman has been appointed as chairman, marking a strategic move to bolster the company’s leadership.

Tom Nyman says, “I am delighted to be able to lead this funding round and really want to be involved in changing the way knowledge is acquired. I am convinced that individuals and organisations that use AI and new technology to constantly learn new things will be the winners of the future.”

Gustaf Rentzhog, CEO of Söderberg & Partners, says, “We look forward to continuing to support Learnster in their impressive growth journey and innovation work. Their commitment to improving learning experiences fits perfectly with our own values ​​and future visions.”

Capital utilisation

The funds will be directed towards the continued development of Learnster’s Learning Management System (LMS) products, focusing on integrating AI capabilities. 

Additionally, the proceeds will support the company’s plans for accelerated growth through international expansion.

Learnster’s CEO, Thomas Kraft, says, “This investment is proof of the confidence in our vision and strategy, says Thomas Kraft. My focus is always the customer’s best interest and with the help of this financing we will be able to deliver even greater value to customers and partners.”

“Financially, we have had a steady ARR growth over the past few years (55 per cent average annual growth) and is today at about SEK 40M in ARR. The next goal is SEK 100M in ARR, which we can very well achieve already in 2025 with continued strong organic growth and complementary acquisitions, concludes Kraft.”

Building a learning culture & decentralise training

Founded in 2017 Learnster is a provider of modern learning platforms, offering advanced solutions like Learnster LMS and Learnster AI. 

Learnster LMS enhances communication and information sharing across organisations, while Learnster AI provides a constantly available and updated tool for individual learning. 

With a Net Promoter Score (NPS) of 76, Learnster serves over 300,000 users across 30 countries and supports 13 languages, helping both individuals and organisations streamline learning and knowledge sharing.

Zurich-based Taskbase, an edtech company, announced on Monday that it has secured $3.9M (approximately €3.6M) in a fresh funding round from Acrobator Ventures (Acrobator.vc), Mediahuis Ventures, Bloomhaus Ventures AG, and other existing investors.

The Swiss company will use the money to accelerate its growth and expansion into other European markets. Additionally, it is planning to increase its headcount, preferably in Engineering, AI, Delivery, and Sales and Marketing.

AI models may struggle to assess student responses that don’t match learning goals, impacting progress tracking. Taskbase addresses this with specific features.

Taskbase: Making learning engaging, and effective

Founded by Samuel Portman, Daniel Niederberger, and Patrick Trümpi as a spin-off of ETH Zurich in 2015, Taskbase aims to help digital learning providers offer personalised educational experiences, tailored to each learner’s need. 

The company does this by enabling the integration of AI features specifically designed for educational purposes, ensuring learning concepts remain consistent across all areas.

This approach allows digital learning platforms to maintain control over learning goals while incorporating advanced features.

The company provides various AI features, including personalised feedback, adaptive testing, and intelligent tutoring. 

The company has partnered with Switzerland’s leading research centres for machine learning and learning science.

Taskbase aims to make learning more efficient, personalised, and pedagogically sound, avoiding unnecessary complexity and ensuring transparency in our technology and business practices.

If you are a student at Erasmus University Rotterdam (EUR) then your access to Studocu, a student-to-student knowledge-sharing platform used by over 50 million students worldwide, could soon be in jeopardy.

The EUR has filed a lawsuit against Studeersnel B.V., which also operates under the name Studocu outside of the Netherlands, for copyright infringement. The lawsuit is related to a dedicated website called Studeersnel.nl operated by Studeersnel B.V., on which the startup makes educational materials accessible to students, which is used by over 80 percent of the Dutch student population.

The university named after Desiderius Erasmus Roterodamus, a 15th-century humanist and theologian, alleges the website hosts syllabi, assignments, practice or past exams and other educational materials created by employees of EUR in which the university owns the copyright.

While Studocu dismisses the claim, the lawsuit could have serious implications not only for the students of Erasmus University Rotterdam but also for students at other universities around the world. As a platform used by over 50 million students worldwide, how the court decides on copyright infringement could change how study materials are accessed and distributed online by students.

Studocu: what you need to know

Studocu was founded by four students during their studies at the Delft University of Technology in 2013. They found there was an inequitable distribution of study materials, which they argue correlated to the “social status” of students. The co-founders say that students who were members of good associations and lived in associated students’ houses had access to practice materials where other students did not.

While they found this to be the case with Delft, they also found the problem to be global where some students had access to better practice or study materials than others. Their solution became Studocu, a platform that offers access to the best tools to study more efficiently with student note-sharing.

“From all the millions of study materials on Studocu, roughly 85 percent is freely accessible to anyone,” says Reynald Fasciaux, Chief Executive Officer at Studocu. He adds, “The other 15 percent is labelled as premium, but can be accessed for free as well, by simply uploading a document to the community. Students who don’t want to upload can pay a small fee to access the 15 percent. Studocu does this to cover the costs of hosting the content for students”

In simpler terms, Studocu is a platform that allows students at the University of Leiden to access study materials from the University of Amsterdam. While the idea is for students to share their study materials and notes, the type of material uploaded to the platform has evolved greatly since it was first founded.

Even professors at reputed universities have now come to use the platform to share their lecture notes. However, not every academic is on board with the idea of a platform like Studocu that is home to study materials. One of the biggest grievances against Studocu has been those from academics who have found their teaching materials on the platform without their consent.

Fasciaux cites Article 9 of its Terms of Service where the platform discourages students and users from uploading content that is in breach of copyright, infringes on IP, is discriminating or offensive, or does not support the goal of the platform.

“In emails to users, we explain that we do not allow for past exams or infringing content to be uploaded to the website,” Fasciaux tells me.

Platform versus the university

In its lawsuit, Erasmus University Rotterdam argues that it owns the copyright of materials generated by its professors and that the content should not be hosted on the Studocu website. By materials, the university is referring to certain syllabi, practice or past exams, assignments, and workbooks.

“EUR asks the court to determine whether Studeersnel B.V. infringes the copyright of EUR and asks for Studeersnel B.V. to take certain specific and proportional measures to prevent and discourage copyright infringements regarding educational materials created by employees of EUR taking place on its website,” a spokesperson for the university said in an email statement.

“As it is customary in The Netherlands not to comment on or share legal documents of a pending court case, EUR has no further comments or information to share at this time,” the spokesperson added.

The lawsuit by EUR against Studocu is reminiscent of the ones filed by news media against Facebook. It is a typical case of a legacy organisation taking on a new-age technology platform.

While the lawsuit might have its merits, Studocu claims that Erasmus is not only asking the platform to take down infringing materials but also going above and beyond what is legally required of it as a hosting provider under the Digital Services Act.

“We take down infringing material after receiving a notice of infringement,” says Fasciaux. “This Notice-and-Takedown is what all platform providers are required to do according to the DSA.”

He says EUR is asking Studocu to proactively monitor the platform and argues that the outcome would effectively mean that Studocu “has to filter and block all materials uploaded by students at Erasmus.”

“To date, we acted on all of their notice and takedown requests from Erasmus promptly and removed from the platform the allegedly infringing content that surfaced to us,” Fasciaux says, before adding, “We were quite surprised when we received the official legal case.”

As a hosting provider, Studocu also claims to do its best to protect the IP of copyright holders and does not agree with the claim of Erasmus University Rotterdam. The startup argues that they takedown content via their NTD process within 24 hours and claims to have indemnity under the Digital Services Act, an EU-wide legislation that governs hosting providers like Studocu or YouTube.

Larger implication

In its lawsuit, Erasmus claims that it has a copyright to the study materials created by its professors. With the professors being paid by tax dollars, that claim could come into contention. Fasciaux calls the whole situation convoluted but reiterates that summaries and lecture notes created by students from professors’ lectures are legal.

“We also have many professors who voluntarily upload their materials to the platform, and if the materials are their copyright, they would have the right to do this and blocking this would be in violation of their copyright,” he notes.

The case is currently not public and the students don’t seem to be aware of the lawsuit. The University Council, which represents the students and staff members of EUR on a central level, did not respond to a request for comment.

Erasmus wants Studocu to proactively monitor its platform and take down any documents that may originate from Erasmus professors. Fasciaux tells me the only way they can do this is by stopping Studocu for students at Erasmus University. “Students from Erasmus would be the only students in the Netherlands not able to use materials from fellow students through Studocu,” he adds.

When this case comes before a judge, there are implications not only for a platform and one of the greatest universities in the Netherlands but also for millions of students who rely on Studocu for quality study materials. Studocu’s legal defence will hinge on indemnity offered as part of DSA while EUR will argue its copyright to materials produced by professors on its payroll. Many students, I believe, will be watching nervously since their access to study materials is on the line.

Sweden-based education technology firm Humly announced that it has raised funding from Alfvén & Didrikson and Viking Venture. While the precise funding amount remains undisclosed, this financial backing is expected to drive Humly’s rapid growth in its current markets.

“Humly is in the business of empowering educators, affording them the liberty to choose their work hours, locations, and load. Our digital platform is making this autonomy a reality,” says Gustav Bild-Tofftin, CEO of Humly.

Humly is actively addressing the teacher shortage issue in Sweden and the UK, covering areas such as Fareham, Milton Keynes, Bristol, Birmingham, Sheffield, Nottingham, Liverpool, Manchester, and Newcastle.

“We are impressed with Humly’s efficient marketplace and how closely they work with their customers to create a long-lasting and healthy business. It is a dedicated and humble team that we look forward to working with,” says Maria Åhr, partner at Alfvén & Didrikson.

Addressing teacher shortages

Humly operates as a marketplace for substitute teachers, serving both private and public educational sectors. The platform’s user-friendly and efficient matching system connects teachers and educational institutions seamlessly, facilitating the quick fulfilment of short or long-term staffing needs.

“By 2030, the void of a teacher may haunt as many as 69 million classrooms and nurseries. Yet, a single push of a button on our platform can pave the way for educators to find and seize jobs that echo their calling. This investment is the fuel propelling us on this ambitious journey,” says Bild-Tofftin.

According to Humly’s website, the company’s focus will be on expanding further within the UK market through mergers and acquisitions, enhancing network effects, and fortifying the marketplace. Continuous innovation and an enhanced user experience will remain central to its strategy.

“The opportunities are huge, and Alfvén & Didrikson’s experience from scaling growth companies internationally with existing investor Viking Ventures’ long software expertise is a good match with the Company’s needs going forward,” says Åhr.

Commitment to educational transformation

Alfvén & Didrikson is an active and long-term backer of passionate entrepreneurs and teams aiming for international expansion in the long run. Since 2010, it has been investing in fast-growing companies in Northern Europe, such as Trustly, Quinyx, and Mentimeter.

Meanwhile, Viking Venture, the main investor in Humly, specialises in helping B2B software companies grow. The company has a community of over 20 companies that share knowledge, ideas, and experiences.

The investment from Alfvén & Didrikson and Viking Venture underscores their commitment to driving innovation and positive transformation within the educational industry. 

“It’s been a great pleasure to work closely with founders Gustav Bild-Tofftin and Kristoffer Persson and the rest of the great Humly team and follow their growth journey so far,” says Eivind Bergsmyr, partner at Viking Venture and chairman of the board of Humly.

“The introduction of A&D as co-investor strengthens the team and proves that Humly is on the right path forward,” adds Bergsmyr.

The Dutch High Tech Campus Eindhoven has launched 3EALITY, its newest and Benelux-first innovation hub that focuses on spatial computing and the metaverse, on October 6.

3EALITY aims to cultivate an ecosystem of innovators focused on spatial computing and Metaverse-driven applications and business models in Benelux. It will also support partners and residents in demonstrating their solutions and educating the market through events and educational programmes in collaboration with universities.

Spatial computing is a technology that blends the digital and physical worlds, allowing users to interact with digital objects in their real-world environment. It uses technologies such as AR and VR to create immersive experiences.

“High Tech Campus Eindhoven has the ambition to be amongst the leading tech hubs worldwide in 2030,” says Otto van den Boogaard, CEO of HTCE.  

“To realise this, we take a proactive role in driving innovation by starting physical hubs emerging from technology trends,” Van den Boogaard adds.

Getting to know 3EALITY

The name “3EALITY” is a reminder that technology is a tool to enhance reality, not replace it. The “3” signifies the three-dimensional evolution of the Internet, connecting the digital to the physical. In a world where virtual realms can feel distant, 3EALITY creates a balance by harmonising with nature.

The physical infrastructure, including office spaces and technical facilities, will be strategically located in two locations: the ground floor and the underground level of HTC 37, the former building of Philips Research. 

The design of the space will focus on promoting inspiration and collaboration within a vibrant community area and co-working spaces.

Construction of the Hub will begin in the coming months, with an official opening scheduled for mid-February. The first tenants are expected to move in at that time.

“Currently, we are finalising collaboration agreements with companies that will provide us with the necessary infrastructure and know-how on the topic,” says Philipp Werle, business developer of emerging tech at HTCE.

“Furthermore, we expect the first innovative companies to be located in the hub as soon as we open. This will be the start of a new cluster of emerging tech companies on HTCE,” adds Werle. 

More about the launch of 3ALITY 

3EALITY was announced during the Immersive Tech Day. At the event,  Werle announced Epic Games as the first partner of the innovative hub.

The event also saw eleven demo partners, including industry giants like Epic Games, NVIDIA, and Philips, present their innovative business solutions to an audience of 150 business professionals. Event attendees got an exclusive preview of 3EALITY’s ambitious vision.

The launch comes after Apple CEO Tim Cook’s recent visit to NXP Semiconductors and HTCE. Earlier this year, Cook brought Apple to enter the “era of spatial computing” with the Vision Pro. With the new hub launch, HTCE is embracing this emerging technology trend.

3EALITY is the fifth innovation hub of HTCE. Previously, the Campus established the 5G Hub, the AI Innovation Center, HighechXL, and the Urban Air Mobility Hub.

HTCE has also established Fe+male Tech Heroes, an initiative that strives for more gender equality and diversity in the tech industry. It now has over 4,000 female, male, and non-binary members.

Germany is traditionally a country known for its automotive and technological advancements. But now,  EdTech startups out of the country are making waves. 

Startups in this sector cover a wide spectrum of educational needs, from early childhood education to lifelong learning and upskilling. 

Whether you are an individual interested in learning new languages, personalised experiences, an aspiring lawyer looking to sharpen skills, or a company in need of corporate training solutions, there is an edtech startup in Germany tailored to your needs.

Besides their innovative contributions to education, some of the startups are also actively expanding their teams. 

These German startups are looking to team up with individuals who are passionate about education and technology, and these startups are keen to tap into this talent to fuel their growth. 

If you are a job seeker, educator, and investor, keep a close eye on these promising companies that are not only shaping the future of education but also creating job opportunities in the process.

Speexx

Founder/s: Jörg Koberling, Freddy Ertl, Armin Hopp, 

Hiring status: Yes | Apply here

Speexx is a digital on-the-job professional development platform that helps large organisations bring out the best in their people with digital language training, business coaching, and skills assessment for everyone. 

The German company does this by leveraging AI and a global network of certified top coaches. More than 1,500 organisations worldwide use Speexx for language skills training and business coaching services.

Jurafuchs

Founder/s: Christian Leupold-Wendling, Steffen Schebesta, Dr. Wendelin Neubert

Hiring Status: No

Jurafuchs aims to enhance accessibility to legal education for everyone, as well as facilitate exam preparation for aspiring lawyers by operating learning apps on both iOS and Android platforms. 

Jurafuchs provides legal microlearning content on textbook cases and current case law, incorporating gamification and interaction. Users can ask comprehension questions in the in-app forum and expect a response within 48 hours.

CoachHub

Founder/s: Matti Niebelschuetz, Yannis Niebelsch

Hiring status: Yes | Apply here

CoachHub is a digital coaching platform established to help organisations create personalised, measurable, and scalable coaching programmes for the entire workforce, regardless of department and seniority level. 

The German platform’s global pool of coaches includes more than 3,500 certified business coaches in 90 countries across six continents with coaching sessions available in over 60 languages.

Serving more than 1,000 clients worldwide, CoachHub’s coaching programmes are based on proprietary scientific research and development from the company’s Innovation Lab. 

StudySmarter

Founder/s: Christian Felgenhauer, Maurice Khudhir, Till Söhlemann, and Simon Hohentanne

Hiring status: Yes | Apply here

StudySmarter is a spin-off of TU Munich and LMU Munich. The German platform turns any kind of text or content into an interactive course generated in part through the use of natural language processing. 

It helps learners, professionals, and content publishers create their content, such as lecture notes and summaries, automatically. It generates flashcards, creates a plan, prioritises areas where there are learning gaps, and schedules calendars based on exam dates, among other things.

Beelinguapp

Founder/s: David Montiel

Hiring status: No

Beelinguapp is a language learning tool that functions like a Karaoke Audiobook. It displays the text in two different languages side by side while playing audio to read it aloud. It also shows a karaoke animation on both sides. 

Users can read along in the language they are learning while having the text in their native language as a reference. The German company’s split-screen approach combines language learning and content, allowing users to learn any language through their favourite stories, news articles, music, and more. 

Likeminded

Founder/s: Kimberly Breuer, Maximilian Heberger, Stefan Anca.

Hiring status: Yes | Apply here

Likeminded’s digital platform aims to offer personalised support for corporate employees and combat overwork and burnout. 

According to the German company, it offers employees fast, easy, and secure access to various, high-quality mental health care formats such as individual sessions with psychotherapists, coaches, and psychologists, webinars, group sessions, on-demand content, and more.

The platform is on a mission to address the growing concerns about employee well-being and mental health, which have become significant challenges in today’s corporate world.

Owwn

Founder/s: Bastian Krautwald

Hiring status: No

Owwn is the first social banking app in Europe that combines banking, community, and education in one app. The team aims to make the young generation the “OWWNers” of their financial development. 

Budel-based Prowise, a Dutch IT and education company, announced that it has secured a contract to provide large screens to classrooms in several German federal states. The initiative aims to enhance digitalisation in schools across Germany. 

The contract, valued at nearly €45M, was granted through a European tender by ProVitako, a German cooperative of public IT service providers. Prowise’s project will involve installing interactive whiteboards in nearly 15,000 classrooms over the next four years. 

The screens will be distributed through partnerships with ARKTIS IT solutions in Berlin and Brandenburg, and directly by Prowise in North Rhine-Westphalia, Lower Saxony, Bavaria, Saxony, and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania.

Data security

Prowise says it was awarded the contract based on a compelling price-performance ratio, reliability, and strict adherence to data security and protection standards. They hold the “IT-Grundschutz” seal of approval from the Federal Office for Information Security (BSI) for their commitment to data security. 

Liesbeth Ahrens, CSO of Prowise, says, “Hardly a week goes by that we don’t win a tender. The fact that such a progressive and large cooperative as ProVitako has placed its trust in us, proves that our philosophy is right when it comes to price, quality, sustainability and user-friendliness.”

Managing Director Michael Ahrens adds, “In today’s world, data security is one of the most important quality requirements for an IT product. We see that our vision of data protection and security is accepted by the German education system.”

“There is no other touchscreen supplier in the education market that can show the same independent certifications for data protection and security as Prowise. The certified products and services are fully developed, monitored and maintained by our own staff,” adds Ahrens.

Brief about Prowise

Prowise offers digital learning solutions for schools, and prioritises innovation, quality, and reliability. The company’s offerings include touchscreens, devices, and user-friendly software that improves learning accessibility and effectiveness. 

The Dutch company has served over 20,000 schools, 500,000 teachers, and businesses across 26 countries. Operating in Germany since 2011, Prowise employs 240 professionals in the Benelux and Germany.

Ahrens says, “Prowise continues to grow and will continue to do so. The 26 countries we do business with all have the digitisation of education high on their agenda. If you look at our growth since our founding in 2009, you see a constant strong rising line.”

“The number of screens sold increased by 25 per cent in 2022 compared to 2021. In 2023, we could see a constant growth of at least 20 per cent, and that’s still without the order from ProVitako. The forecast for next year is even better,” adds Ahrens.

About ProVitako

ProVitako is a German cooperative named “ProVitako Marketing- und Dienstleistungsgesellschaft der Kommunalen IT-Dienstleister eG”. 

With 42 members, the company focuses on achieving economic benefits for public municipal IT service providers through collective procurement and a unified product and service offering. 

This cooperative effort enhances the efficiency of public IT services by jointly acquiring hardware, software, and services. Members utilise framework agreements to serve their own needs or provide support to public administration entities like municipalities and related institutions.

“ProVitako has been pooling the procurement needs of its members for many years, achieving greater reach with each new award. Especially in the school sector, the demand is still very high, as shown by the procurement project “Modulbaukasten Schul-IT” just launched by ProVitako,” says the board of the cooperative.

“Here, our members discuss the framework conditions necessary for procurement in dialogue with each other and formulate uniform performance specifications for the equipment features.”

“With Prowise, we have gained a partner in the “presentation technology” module who has a great deal of experience in the education segment and provides a reliable digital infrastructure for teachers and pupils.”

“Data protection and IT security, as well as a cost-effective offer of the requested features, are success factors for a cooperation with ProVitako,” adds the board of the cooperative.