South African investment firms Kalon Venture Partners and Caleo Private Equity have announced a $2.5m Series A co-investment into iXperience (iX), an educational-tech company that partners with high schools, universities and corporates to provide progressive education programs and services that equip students with industry-focused skills.

Clive Butkow, Kalon Venture Partners CEO, said: “Kalon’s decision to invest was strongly motivated by the exceptional quality of the entrepreneurs and innovative technology platform surpassing what’s currently in the market.”

“We are excited for the investment, not only for its potential financial returns, but also for the positive social impact that the company will have in contributing to and driving the digital educational sector.”

iX was founded in 2013 by two Yale University graduates – CEO Aaron Fuchs (from South Africa) and CPO Rafi Khan (from the United States). The Cape Town-based company started as a coding bootcamp and has since become an industry leader in career-focused skills training.

To date, they have over 2500 alumni and partner with institutions and consumers alike to bridge the gap between traditional education and the skills companies require in today’s rapidly evolving workforce.

The company uses its proprietary technology platform to ensure students' success through the learning experience.

iX’s key successes have been in the quality of the instructors they source as well as the calibre of students they attract, who come from the likes of Harvard, Princeton, Stanford, Oxford, and other top international universities.

In addition to their successful direct-to-consumer programs, iX partners with institutions to enable them to remain relevant in a changing educational and professional landscape.

Most recently, iXperience has built successful partnerships with the likes of the University of Virginia, WorldStrides, and Bar Ilan University.

iXperience will use the investment to grow its team, continue to invest in its innovative tech platform, launch programs across different markets, and build out its global strategic partnerships division that is focused on working with corporations, governments, and institutions on building career-readiness programs for the future of work.

“We are changing the way we think about work,” Fuchs said. “We push ourselves and our employees to think big, embark on a personal journey of growth and tackle a global challenge at the same time.”

“iXperience is a perfect example of the entrepreneur-led, high-growth businesses that Caleo Private Equity loves to support,” said Selwyn Blieden, Joint-CEO of Caleo Private Equity.

“The company has the leadership and market position to transform its sector and positively influence the lives of thousands of students and other educational stakeholders.’’