Employee learning and training are now becoming a standard part of company practice. From startups to corporates, more and more businesses are beginning to offer teams the chance to continuously learn and develop their skills, and as a result, the workplace edtech sector is growing.
Based in Paris, and operating across Europe, Rise Up has just raised a €30 million funding round for its education solution with Connected Capital taking the lead alongside MAIF Avenir and Impact Partners.
While learning in the workplace is growing in popularity, it’s presenting some challenges and it’s now at the forefront of both CEOs and employees’ minds. It’s reported by Rise Up that 79% of CEOs worldwide identify the lack of essential skills in their workforce as a threat to future growth, and the inability to learn and grow is the #1 reason for employees to look for a new job.
Founded in 2014, Rise Up has the vision to tackle this and provide genuine solutions to business – addressing the skills shortage.
Rise Up’s one-stop-shop learning solution, combining LMS, LXP, LRS, LCMS, mobile and multimodal services, today serves over 400 customers and 1 million active learners in 60 countries. It’s a solution famed for its ease-of-use, both for learners and admins, its easy product configuration, innovative tech that harnesses both AI and ML, simple integration and high levels of customer support.
The human-first, AI-driven software solution offers each individual a personalized, adaptive approach to learning. Unique features, including an intuitive blended learning environment, a motivational chatbot and a Microsoft Teams integration, render the overall learning experience both positive and engaging. In addition, Rise Up creates a positive social impact in local communities, expanding access to training by offering its platform to beneficiary associations and developing youth employment through both apprenticeships and professional immersions.
With the global learning and development industry expected to climb to over €380 billion by 2022, this is a massive market that Rise Up is ready to skyrocket into. With offices in Paris, London, Brussels, Amsterdam, Lisbon and Munich, Rise Up has begun to build a solid network across Europe, and the tech scale-up is targeting high growth in these markets.
Rise Up Co-Founder & CEO Arnaud Blachon said: “As we continue to navigate the COVID-19 pandemic, hybrid learning is fundamental; Rise Up offers an inclusive learning platform that transforms this crucial business challenge into an opportunity for our customers. Our partnership with Connected Capital, with its focus on B2B SaaS, and their experience with HR tech companies in particular, will allow us to further strengthen our position in local European markets.”
Sander Pennings of Connected Capital added: “Learning software solutions are increasingly relevant for organizations and Rise Up’s ability to serve customers with complex learning requirements – different user groups, (blended) learning formats, multiple entities and countries within one organization – differentiates them as the one learning solution easily accessible across the full organization. Rise Up’s rich product suite combining LMS, LXP and content authoring is already adding crucial value to companies ranging from SMEs to large corporations such as Axa, Schneider Electric and Domino’s. We are impressed with Rise Up’s efficient growth over the last years in its current markets and are excited to contribute to the company’s accelerated international expansion.”
