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Gaia Learning has raised £400,000 in an equity investment round from GC Angels, NESTA and a syndicate of angel investors, extending backing for the North West education technology company from existing investors.
The funding follows an earlier £550,000 round led by NESTA Impact Investments alongside GC Angels. The new capital will support the next stage of growth as Gaia Learning expands services for neurodivergent children and young people across the UK.
Founded in 2019, the business operates an online alternative provision for learners who cannot access mainstream education. Its pupils include children and young people affected by autism, ADHD, anxiety, school avoidance, mental health challenges and other additional needs.
Since its previous fundraising, Gaia Learning has grown its workforce to 24 full-time and part-time staff and formed partnerships, including a collaboration with Pearson Edexcel.
Platform rollout
A key use of the investment has been the development of Bloom, a SEND infrastructure platform for schools and education providers. The system is designed to help organisations deliver, track and evidence support for children with additional needs.
Bloom was developed from Gaia Learning's work with neurodivergent learners and the professionals who support them. Pilot activity is underway in Northern Ireland, with further school pilots scheduled to begin in September.
The latest round comes as schools and specialist providers face growing demand for support tailored to children whose needs are not well served by traditional classroom settings. Gaia Learning presents its online model as an alternative route for pupils who need a different approach to stay engaged in education.
Chief Executive Officer Kate Heath said the previous investment had helped turn the company's original concept into a larger operation with a broader product base.
"Gaia Learning was born out of a passion for ensuring neurodivergent children can access education that is best suited to their unique needs. Our first funding round really helped us to get this idea off the ground, allowing us to grow our team and accelerate the development of Bloom. Most importantly, it has enabled us to support more neurodivergent learners and help more schools deliver effective support for children with additional needs
"This latest funding round will help us to build on this success. By once again partnering with the teams at GC Angels and NESTA, we're proud to be partnering with funders who share our commitment to improving educational outcomes for young people. This will all play an important role in helping us accelerate our plans and expand our reach." said Heath.
Investor backing
GC Angels has backed Gaia Learning in both of its recent fundraising rounds. The investor supports smaller businesses seeking early-stage and growth capital across the North of England.
Marc Shirman, Head of Equity Investment at GC Angels, highlighted the company's expansion since launch and the planned rollout of Bloom in schools and other education settings.
"Gaia Learning's growth over the past few years has been remarkable. Kate and the team exemplify the innovation and talent we have here in the North of England, harnessing cutting-edge technology to create more accessible and inclusive educational opportunities for neurodivergent learners.
"It has been a pleasure to work with Gaia Learning throughout their growth journey, and we are incredibly excited to see the impact of Bloom as it rolls out to schools and education providers. We look forward to supporting the team as they continue to develop innovative solutions that improve outcomes for children and young people with additional needs," said Shirman.
The business's longer-term aim for Bloom is to give schools a single system for coordinating and recording SEND provision. That reflects a wider push across the education sector for clearer evidence of support for pupils with additional needs as schools face pressure to improve both accountability and outcomes.
For Gaia Learning, the latest investment marks another step beyond online teaching and into software for schools seeking to manage support for neurodivergent learners more systematically. The company now has backing from institutional and angel investors as it broadens its offer across the UK.