South African ed-tech startup, Valenture Institute, has secured a USD 7 million investment from GSV Ventures. Valemture Institute was founded in January 2019, by Robert Paddock. The institute aims to be the most impactful school by 2028, by providing a rigorous and diverse curriculum recognized by the top universities worldwide. Chief Marketing and Innovation Officer of Valenture, Bradley Elliott, spoke of the investment, “The investment will be used for further global expansion, enhancing the learning experience, and building out additional offerings such as new subjects and exclusive bootcamps like Coding, Design Thinking, Data Science, and more.” Valenture will also channel the funds towards rolling out the institution's tech-enabled boutique campuses. These are a unique combination of online learning, in-person guidance by Learning Coaches, and socializing with peers, and additional features of physical spaces. Founder, Paddock, remarked about the investment, “The global demand for high-quality online schooling is skyrocketing in the current climate. We are thrilled to be partnering with the GSV team, who have already added immense value to our business through their knowledge, connections, and strategic guidance. We’re scaling up rapidly, and look forward to working with the GSV team to achieve our goal of becoming the largest and most impactful school on the planet.” The startup currently has three boutique campuses ready to accept learners in January 2021. The campuses are located in Johanessburg and Cape Town. Valenture is looking to expand globally into cities such as London, Boston, and New York with the aim of transforming learning into a student-centered educational system. GSV is a global venture capital fund focused on early-stage entrepreneurial partnerships with global ed-tech firms such as; Coursera, Photomath, ClassDojo, and Masterclass.
