Valenture Institute, a South African -based edtech startup which provides world-class online classes for high school students, has secured a $7 million investment from Coursera investor, GSV Ventures.
The investment will go into building hybrid, tech-enabled luxury campuses for the school to incorporate online learning, in-person coaching, peer socialization, and additional physical space features.
“The investment will be used for further global expansion, enhancing the learning experience, and building out additional offerings such as new subjects and exclusive bootcamps like Coding, Design Thinking, Data Science, and more,” Valenture Institute’s Chief Marketing and Innovation Officer, Bradley Elliott commented on the new funding.
The edtech startup currently has three South African campuses opening its doors in January 2021 in Dunkeld, Joburg, and in the southern suburbs of Newlands and Constantia in Cape Town. Alongside this, it will soon spread to global destinations such as London, Boston, and New York.
Valenture Institute was founded by Robert Paddock in January 2019 and has grown to provide a curriculum accepted by many of the world’s leading universities. The institute aims to be the most impactful school by 2028, changing the educational environment and transforming learning to focus on student-centered education.
On the $7 million funding from GSV, Paddock said: “The global demand for high-quality online schooling is skyrocketing in the current climate. We are thrilled to be partnering with the GSV team, who have already added immense value to our business through their knowledge, connections, and strategic guidance.
“We’re scaling up rapidly, and look forward to working with the GSV team to achieve our goal of becoming the largest and most impactful school on the planet.”
Deborah Quazzo, the managing partner at GSV Ventures, said: “It’s not about their online experience or blended-learning boutique campuses, it’s about evolving education in a way never seen before.
“We back companies we know have the potential to change the narrative of education. In this case, the Valenture team has the grit, know-how and innovative spirit to change the way we educate all learners around the globe in future – be that primary, secondary or at tertiary level.”
