HomeFundingUK-based Gemba secures €16.5 million to expand its VR-based workforce training tool

UK-based Gemba secures €16.5 million to expand its VR-based workforce training tool

Sitting at the intersection between edtech and the metaverse, Gemba has just secured €16.5 million to scale its VR training experience tool. The London-based company is now planning to expand, pushing forward the Virtual Reality-as-a-Service market. 

When it comes to workplace training and learning, there has been a growing demand for something new, for a fresh approach that ensures quality learning experiences for both employees and employers. Gemba, which is founded upon 10 years’ of expertise in executive education by Nathan Robinson (CEO) and Victor Lewis (Chairman), is taking workplace training to the meta era – coupling new developments in edtech with the power of virtual reality. 

The company has just raised new funding to scale

Gemba CEO, Nathan Robinson: “In the digital age, Gemba is an impactful solution to the biggest challenge faced by transformational leaders—the roll-out of powerful and effective training at scale, in a compelling and cost-efficient way.”

Funding details

  • About €16.5 million ($18 million) was raised in a Series A funding round
  • The company’s valuation sits at $60 million
  • The funding was led by Parkway Venture Capital

Jesse Coors-Blankenship, Co-founder and General Partner, Parkway Venture Capital: “We are excited to welcome Gemba to our growing portfolio of pioneering technologies of the future – at the intersection of AI, VR and simulation.”

Based in London, Gemba offers collaborative VR-based training experiences. Through its proprietary Virtual Reality (VR) offering combining software, content, and service, Gemba helps global enterprises seeking to train distributed workforces across multiple sites through immersive learning programs, simulated factory walks, and live training events. 

The programmes and courses are accessible via a VR headset from any location at any time – which enhances the learning process, especially for globally distributed teams. 

Nathan Robinson: “Gemba is at the forefront of a new enterprise metaverse. It’s virtual, hands-on, cost-efficient and the VR learning experience is incredible, but it’s the real-world ROI that’s been beyond expectations for our customers. Gemba is the right solution at the right time, and we are thrilled to welcome Parkway VC as partners in our joint mission to help people and organizations thrive in the next era of work.”

With changes in the way we work changing approaches to teamwork and collaboration on a global scale, there is a growing need for training solutions that keep teams closely connected, aligned and developing the skills they need. Gemba aims to help address this, giving teams the chance to collaborate and learn together without having to spend on travel costs by giving access to training, coaching and events from any location. The result is more agile team collaboration and training, reduced costs, a lower carbon footprint as a result of less travelling, and, more streamlined management. 

The London-based firm grew out of the executive training company The Leadership Network, founded in 2013 by CEO Nathan Robinson and Chairman Victor Lewis. Currently, Gemba is used by over 4,000 executives from more than 675 companies, including Philips, Pfizer, Nike and Dell. Through its collaboration with global giants like Toyota, Tesla, Google, BMW and Amazon, senior executives from non-competing companies have been able to visit their state-of-the-art factories and facilities to see best practices in action as part of an executive Gemba masterclass.

Gregg Hill, Co-founder and General Partner, Parkway Venture Capital: “Gemba is set to change the way global organizations train their workforces across all critical learning and development areas – from interactive, on-the-job skills training and safety all the way to leadership training. With its immersive platform and deep expertise in workforce training, Gemba is primed to scale and expand into multiple markets, emerging as the future-of-work training leaders for the 21st-century enterprise.”

With this new investment, the company plans to push forward the development of the platform, enabling people and companies to access Gemba on a subscription basis.  Users will also benefit from an ever-expanding virtual world of training simulations, tools and learning experiences. 

Frankie Cavanagh, Gemba’s Chief Technology Officer: “As an educator, we know that 90% of learning is about engagement. Gemba allows users to learn and train in a whole new way. With higher engagement levels than traditional teaching and the combination of unprecedented levels of realism and a customized learning experience, it’s a revolutionary teaching tool.”

Laura Flanagan, Manager, Leadership Development, Johnson & Johnson: “Gemba has been a great partner to date, and we are excited at Johnson & Johnson to integrate Gemba’s unique virtual reality training into our global leadership programs in 2023 and beyond.”

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Patricia Allen
Patricia Allen
is the Head of Content at EU-Startups. With a background in politics, Patricia has a real passion for how shared ideas across communities and cultures can bring new initiatives and innovations for the future. She spends her time bringing you the latest news and updates of startups across Europe, and curating our social media.
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