Fast-growing education technology firm pi-top, whose senior management team includes former Apple, Microsoft and Thomas Cook executives, has secured $16 million for global expansion.
The start-up’s investment round was led by Hambro Perks and Committed Capital, and brings its total funding to $22.5 million.
The London-headquartered company was founded in 2014 to give every learner the opportunity to be inspired by making.
Its pi-top Learning System combines all the hardware, software, curriculum content, training and support needed to provide students around the world with valuable STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics) knowledge, while building skills such as problem-solving, teamwork, creativity and critical-thinking.
“This latest round of funding reflects the value of the company’s vision and strategic direction as we strive to transform education through learning by making,” said co-founder and CEO Jesse Lozano.
“We will use the investment to continue to expand our capabilities in manufacturing, marketing, sales and operations to drive our global growth.”
Since pi-top’s last funding round in 2016, the firm has grown its team to 80 people across offices in London, Texas and China. Its products are now available at over 2,000 schools around the world, having manufactured more than 100,000 devices.
The funding announcement comes just weeks after Lozano was named as London Entrepreneur of the Year by Ernst and Young.
He is joined on the senior management team by the likes of chief education and product officer Graham Brown-Martin, a well-known education thought leader and best-selling author; director of learning and research Dr William Rankin, former director of learning for Apple; and global chief marketing officer Tim Bush, former education marketing lead at Microsoft in the UK.
Meanwhile, chief commercial officer Mark Stewart is a former Microsoft strategic education partner lead and chief operating officer Paul Callaghan was previously head of transformation at Thomas Cook.
“I am excited to be working alongside so many talented people to bring pi-top into the hands of our customers,” Lozano added.
“The company has progressed a long way since it was just my co-founder Ryan and I working in my living room in London.
“We’ve grown quickly and added fantastic talent because of our continued focus on education and learning outcomes in the classroom. We continue to stay true to our mission to deliver inspirational learning by making outcomes to students.”