A ‘knowledge marketplace’ that aims to encourage lifelong learning has secured an additional £3.1 million in equity investment to advance its use of open banking data and drive international growth.
Established in 2020, Knoma helps people find and finance the courses they need to get ahead in their careers or to kickstart new ones.
Providing an ethical finance solution that enables learners to spread course fees over a 12-month period with zero added costs or interest, Knoma says it makes professional development both accessible and affordable.
Described as the ‘ethical Klarna for education’, Knoma is already working with over 100 education partners, including Emeritus, upGrad and Ironhack, who benefit from its ‘buy now, pay later’ financing scheme.
Having already funded over 1,000 individuals, Knoma is now focused on leveraging the power of LinkedIn and open banking data to ensure users see the best ROI on their time and money, whilst expanding its reach globally with sights set firmly on Australia.
The funding was issued by The Venture Collective, Fasanara Capital, Rocket Internet and Global Founders Capital. It follows a $27m raise in debt funding from Fasanara Capital, together with previous equity rounds led by Rocket Internet and Global Founders Capital.
Headquartered in London, Knoma employs a growing team of 15 people.
“I am extremely passionate about the importance of lifelong learning for both individual and economic development, yet affordability and accessibility serve as continuous blockers to professional growth,” said Brett Shanley, CEO of Knoma.
“The main purpose of Knoma is to overcome these challenges through our unique finance solution, where in a short amount of time we have established partnerships with over 100 education providers and have funded over 1,000 individuals, which is just amazing.
“We have strong ambitions to advance our tech stack and use of open banking data, whilst ensuring we can positively impact the lives of individuals worldwide.
“I am, therefore, incredibly excited to have secured this next stage in equity investment and am very grateful to be working with such credible investors, not to mention the entire Knoma team.”