📈 Q1 Trends: AI, skills, and what’s scaling globally. Join us at London EdTech Week 🇬🇧 Partner with us in New York 🇺🇸
HolonIQ’s latest outlook on how educational organizations, institutions and governments are doubling down on workforce-aligned, tech-enabled learning and the trends driving these changes.
Hello 👋
AI is shifting from shiny objects to system infrastructure and support—and in Q1, global education markets moved past pilots into widespread experimentation and implementation, embedding AI across K12, higher ed, and workforce training. National investments in cybersecurity and semiconductor talent signal where strategic priorities are headed, while universities ramp up digital credentials and employer partnerships to stay relevant in the skills economy. EdTechs are scaling up recruitment, training, and immersive learning, particularly in emerging markets. But even as momentum builds, scale and measurable outcomes remain elusive, especially for STEM-focused AI tools still stuck in the early adoption phase, despite high skills demand from industry.
Skills In Perspective: Global Up-skilling Investment Grows, with Digital at the Forefront
Over $500B in up-skilling and re-skilling initiatives were announced globally in the past year, with $470B focused on Digital & AI skills—highlighting a clear global pivot toward tech-driven economies. North America and Europe lead investments, though contributions span all regions. Sectors like Health, Green, and Advanced Manufacturing saw relatively modest funding, signalling an urgent global priority on digital capabilities over other emerging skill areas.
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💪 Power Moves
🤖 China introduces new AI policy guidelines
💡 upGrad collaborated with Seed Group to deliver AI-driven upskilling programs in MENA
🤝 Saudi Arabia launched a National Skills Platform and partnered with Oracle to train 50K individuals
💰 Education Funding
HolonIQ actively monitors and tracks capital flow in the education market, spanning all regions and transaction categories.
🏫 Noto, a US-based school management solution, has raised $3.8M to improve its AI capabilities, such as automated progress tracking, smart scheduling, and student performance insights.
💡 Wooskill, a French platform for skill sharing, has raised $2.2M and is already looking towards international expansion.
🖥️ Kai's Education, a company providing screen-free coding tools for neurodiverse learners, has raised $1.5M to expand its offerings in US schools.
💬 Vista Higher Learning, a K-12 language learning platform, has acquired MyConversationTrainer, an AI-powered Spanish conversation practice tool provider, to increase its offerings for language learners and educators.
📢 Seesaw, a student engagement platform, has acquired Little Thinking Minds to expand its operations into the MENA region and enhance its Arabic-English educational content offerings for PreK-12 students.
Thank you for reading. Have a great week ahead!
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