June 28, 2021
Big news! We have raised our first investment round from external investors.
Admittedly, there has been a small period of radio silence from our side. While a classic case of the shoemaker going barefoot, this quiet period has not been in vain. Since the launch of the first version of Degreechoices.com in late December 2020, we have had our heads down, working hard at creating new products that we are proud of.
So, let’s start with the latest events, we recently announced our first l funding round by external investors, raising 2 million EUR which is ~ 2.4 million US Dollars from Lighthouse Ventures and a group of private equity investors. I personally participated in the round as well.
The vote of confidence by experienced investors reinforces our belief in our vision.
The funds will be used to continue developing our websites, improve our data aggregation platform, grow our team, and increase our visibility. Our first website, Degreechoices.com was launched in December 2020 and is growing consistently.
During the first 6 months of 2021 we focused on understanding what drives career and education choices, what are the pain points in the process, and how can we help.
We realized that similar services on the current market leave much to be desired. Most are either very limited in scope of data or feature a very specific set of schools. Users need more than just “here is where your highest chance of acceptance is” or “here is your cheapest degree option”.
We believe people can benefit from understanding if their intuitive or emotion driven choice is optimal. We also believe that people should have access to a wide set of data points, including data that they may not have considered. Even more than before, I’m convinced that education needs comparison models and that our founding teams experience is extremely relevant.
From a people perspective, we have grown slowly but consistently— internally and with the addition of external providers. Our team is located globally, although most of our contributors and experts are based in the US. We are always on the lookout for topical experts to join us.
Looking ahead we have a very full pipeline of product launches in the next 12 months, as well more sites coming. The focus will be making sense of the massive amount of education, employment and financial aid data, and presenting it in an easy-to-use way.
Finally, I thank our “Odeon’ers” (not sure if that works😊) for their hard work, tireless dedication and real desire to have a positive impact.
Let’s keep doing what we are doing.
Ory