Data Literacy Academy, an online learning platform which transforms organisations through data literacy upskilling of all employees, has recently raised over USD $500,000 (£440,000) in its pre-seed round led by Haatch Ventures, with participation from Ufi Ventures and private investors including Jason Foster, Founder and CEO of data and analytics strategy consultancy Cynozure who has also been named a non-executive director at Data Literacy Academy.
With this investment, the company plans to accelerate go to market across Europe, North America and the Middle East, as well as grow the international network of educators.
Founded by former VP Revenue at Kleene, Greg Freeman, Data Literacy Academy offers educational courses for people at every stage of the data literacy journey. Working directly with data leaders in a business, it supports them to roll out a data literacy programme at scale across all teams. By providing clients and their employees with access to live and on-demand data literacy training the platform supports employees at all levels to engage with and benefit from the data their organisation holds, breaking down traditional barriers to understanding analysis, reporting and data-driven decision-making and ultimately bridging the gap between data experts and business teams.
Commenting on the fundraising, Founder & CEO of Data Literacy Academy, Greg Freeman, said:
Pre-seed funding is a hugely exciting stage for any start-up – it’s the launchpad from which the future can develop. Having the backing of industry heavyweights gives me even more conviction in our mission to become the go to educator for data literacy amongst business users. Data-led, data-literate organisations are the future of business, and we are proud to be helping them and their employees get there.
Classes at the Data Literacy Academy are taught live by leading members of the data community, including data leaders from organisations including Gymshark, Huel, and Sky. Businesses including Monzo, Purplebricks, and Wesleyan, are among the 30+ companies taking part in the private beta programme, which included over 100 employees from the organisations involved.
Helen Gironi, Director of Ventures at Ufi Ventures, added:
There is a huge gap in data skills, which is holding both businesses and individuals back. We are really impressed with the targeted and successful approach that Data Literacy Academy is taking to help businesses develop a data-driven workforce.
Adding further about the investment, Co-founder & Partner of Haatch Ventures, Fred Soneya, said:
Addressing the global skills gap is a priority for governments and organisations around the world. Initiatives like Data Literacy Academy are critical to driving positive change in this area, by making learning about data interesting and relevant. We look forward to supporting the business through the next phase of growth.
The startup aims to help 10,000 businesses and their employees achieve data literacy by 2030, enabling improved decision making and increased productivity.
