One Key Element Driving Growth in the U.K.’s Booming Edtech Sector

Online learning was important for years, but the pandemic has accelerated the need for dependable virtual learning resources more than ever.

The U.K. is at the forefront of the edtech revolution. According to a report by global recruiter Robert Walters and data provider Vacancysoft, the sector grew by 72% in 2020, and the Digital Economy Council projected it to be worth more than £3.4 billion by mid-2021. As edtech companies rapidly scale their workforces, team building — and doing it sustainably and with high-quality recruitment — has been vital for startups across the sector.

The Org spoke to three thriving British edtech startups about how they are building up their teams to flourish in the developing industry and why it’s important to the future of the sector.

Perlego

Perlego aims to address a seemingly universal struggle in higher education: the high prices of textbooks, which many students aren’t able to afford despite their necessity.

A subscription-based digital library founded in 2017, Perlego offers unlimited access to textbooks and partners with publishers, removing the costs of print, distribution and retail markup.

Perlego’s team growth, according to the company’s VP People & Operations Ashleigh Otter, isn’t about prioritizing the right technical skills but about knowing the right attributes a team needs to be dependable and reliable.

Perlego is transparent about its interview process, and Otter even wrote an extensive article about everything candidates can expect earlier this year.

She told The Org: “First things first, the edtech hiring process does not differ much from other tech companies. However, what we quickly realized is that it was far more important to find candidates with the right characteristics and attributes over the specific technical skills needed for the role.”

Perlego collaborated with its hiring managers and sifted through all key characteristics the company would like to see in teammates, and from that created a chart of the 4 key attributes that it looks for in new hires.

Otter added: “Those 4 core attributes are: having a team-oriented mindset; taking ownership and accountability for given tasks; being adaptable and flexible — having the skills to easily adapt to new situations; and last but not least, having the skills to think critically and creatively in order to solve a task.”

“What we aim to look for when hiring new members is to look for people with these 4 behavioural characteristics, as we can train and teach new members the necessary technological skills required for our business. We believe that with these 4 core attributes we can build a strong and reliable team.”

According to EU Startups, Perlego “saw a 1500% increase in subscribers following a global shift to online learning in response to COVID-19” and last year it was reported that the company was close to finalising £20 million of funding from increased post-pandemic demand.

Multiverse

This innovative company has gone from strength to strength since its founding in 2016.

Multiverse was founded by U.K’s former Prime Minister Tony Blair’s son Euan Blair, and provides “high-quality apprenticeship programmes that combine work, training and community.”

Its platform matches young people with upskilling opportunities and is focused on providing opportunities for those who lack representation in the field.

More than half of apprentices hired by Multiverse are from underrepresented backgrounds; 53% are women and a third come from the U.K.’s most impoverished postcodes.

Its president Jeremy Duggan told The Org that Multiverse’s growth comes from the fact that edtech startups more than ever are needed to address skills gaps and shortages in an increasingly tech-first world, filling gaps left in traditional education systems

Metaverse is also currently recruiting.

He said: "The digital transformation companies are going through has created two huge pressure points: a shortage of digital skills, and a burning platform to share the opportunities these jobs create to a more diverse and representative section of society.

"Using the power of technology to address this throughout education and careers is the future, and one rapidly accelerated by COVID-19. Edtech companies are now growing fast, with incredible innovations attracting a wealth of investment.

"Multiverse is building an outstanding alternative to university and corporate training through apprenticeships. We're addressing a critical skills gap by training more than 5000 apprentices in areas like data analytics, project management and software engineering. All the while, we're laser focused on supporting diverse candidates from all walks of life.”

The company is growing fast and closed a $130 million Series C round in September, the largest round for any U.K. edtech company.

now>press>play

An immersive audio learning tool, now>press>play provides primary school children with headphones which engage them in immersive adventures which enhance their learning process.

Founded in 2012, the company boasts a number of successful case studies from various schools.

Chief Operating Officer Tilly Brooke told The Org that when building up its team and the company, the company’s mission can only be fulfilled if the employees are allowed to thrive in their individual strengths within the group as well.

“At now>press>play our mission is to help every primary school child fulfil their potential by bringing the curriculum to life with our award-winning immersive audio adventures. We can only achieve this by helping each of our employees fulfil their potential,” she said.

Brooke added: “That's why we empower them to lead their own path to success in their role by supporting key values that help teams thrive. This is especially important in an industry that is all about learning and increasingly adapting in a digital age.”

Brooke also said that the company culture is built up by valuing individuals’ “experience, imagination, creativity, and inclusivity” and takes time to celebrate each member’s uniqueness.