Data Dive
More job changers are having to settle for lower pay (Daniel Zhao, Glassdoor): More workers have accepted a smaller paycheck when changing jobs — and the trend predates the pandemic.
This week’s featured startup
English from A to Z (Benjamin Weinberg, Founder): A highly adaptable and student-centered language learning service for all ages. Combining comprehensive resources, personalized instruction, and a commitment to student engagement, we create a supportive and effective learning experience for a global audience.
Investment
Techstars-backed Lingawa has secured $1M in funding (Afrotech): A startup dedicated to preserving African languages, Lingawa enables individuals age 5+ to learn these languages into adulthood — made possible through online lessons, expert tutors, flexible schedules, and tech-enabled interactive learning.
Apoia raises $800K to expand in Brazil (LatamList): Apoia’s platform uses artificial intelligence to create personalized learning experiences, helping students tailor their education to their specific needs and professional challenges.
Teachy Raises $7M in Series A to Empower Schools in LATAM and Asia with AI (Business Wire): Designed for schools in Latin America and Asia, Teachy addresses challenges like local curriculum alignment and digital connectivity, enabling schools to digitalize and thrive in the age of AI.
Ladder Secures $105M in Funding (FinSMEs): Ladder provides a training app for people who are serious about fitness, planning and maintaining a consistent training routine. Members can follow progressive workout plans in a variety of modalities including Pilates, HIIT, bodybuilding, yoga, prenatal and more.
Nurau raises 1.5 million CAD in seed funding to take AI-powered HR coach to the US (BetaKit): Nurau’s natural-language-processing AI tool supports HR workers dealing with sensitive workplace situations. It offers step-by-step guidance by providing managers with phrases to use and predictions of potential employee responses.
Warsaw-based Coding Giants secures €8.5 million to expand digital education globally (EU-Startups): The platform blends live sessions with digital learning materials, for a flexible and high-quality experience focused on hybrid coding education for students aged 6–19, to prepare them for a future increasingly shaped by technology.
Workplace mental health provider Kyan raises $16.7M, expands to U.S. (BH Business): Their mission: become the go-to partner for multinational enterprises seeking to transform employee mental health and well-being into measurable business outcomes.
Vinter Raises $1.1M in Seed Funding (FinSMEs): Vinter helps businesses save time and reduce costs by providing candidate evaluations, using AI technology and asynchronous process management to modernise recruitment workflows.
Advantage Club AI raises $4M funding for growth and expansion (EdTech Review): With over 5M users and 1000+ clients, AdvantageClub.ai leverages AI, data mining, and analytics to revolutionize employee engagement.
Resources
Growing Up: Navigating Generative AI’s Early Years – AI Adoption Report (Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania): As newness and amazement temper and more companies adopt Gen AI, the dialog has shifted to experimentation and proving ROI.
In the news
PDF to brainrot: study tools are a strange iteration on a TikTok trend (TechCrunch): For some students, PDF to brainrot tools might actually be helpful. But are they nothing more than thinly veiled advertisements for AI tools?
Expert Predictions: What Will EdTech Look Like in 2025 (TechRound): Get ready for more emphasis on mental health and wellbeing, the rise of immersive and personalized learning, and a lot more AI.
Microsoft is the mystery AI company licensing HarperCollins books (The Verge): Not much is known about the model it will train, but the deal will include “select nonfiction backlist titles.” A source says Microsoft doesn’t intend to generate AI-written books with the material.
What Does the Department of Education Do? (USA Facts): The vasy majority of its budget is overseeing federal aid — offering more generous loan terms than students would receive in the private loan market.
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