Early-stage VC firm Emerge has successfully closed its second fund at $73 million, exceeding its initial target due to strong interest. The new fund, which draws support from over 100 renowned operators in the future of work and education, takes Emerge’s total assets under management to $100 million.
Emerge’s partners share diverse backgrounds, many of them having benefited from education as a means of social mobility. Their focus is on democratising opportunity by supporting pre-seed and seed companies that are breaking barriers in access to education, career navigation, and AI-enabled workplace solutions.
Investors in this fund include KfW Capital, Laerdal Invest, Jacobs Foundation and Southern New Hampshire University. Over the last decade, Emerge has invested in more than 80 startups, which are now collectively valued at over $2 billion and have reached more than 31 million people worldwide. Emerge’s portfolio has seen several successful exits and includes ventures such as Solvely, Colossyan and Popp, which are transforming how individuals work, learn, and develop their careers.
Emerge distinguishes itself as a thesis-driven, community-focused investor. Unlike many VCs, Emerge is supported by over 100 Venture Partners, including co-founders and CEOs from influential companies like Udemy, Degreed, Trilogy, Beamery, Coursera, and Kahoot, as well as senior executives from Fortune 500 firms such as Kraft Heinz, IBM, and McDonald’s.
These Venture Partners play a vital role in Emerge’s portfolio, helping companies navigate their path from inception to Series A. They contribute to market research, help source new deals, assist with due diligence, co-invest, advise companies, and sometimes join boards or become clients. With over half of its Venture Partners based in the US, Emerge is positioned to support leading European founders in expanding to the American and global markets.
The closing of Fund II follows multiple successful exits for Emerge, including Zavvy’s acquisition by Deel earlier this year, as well as numerous portfolio companies seeing significant up-rounds from leading investment firms. Examples include Yoto ($22M Series B led by the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative); Edurino (€10.5M Series A led by DN Capital); Mattilda ($19M Series A led by GSV); and Unibuddy ($20M Series B led by Highland Europe).
Investments already out of Fund II include Colossyan, the AI video platform for workplace learning that enables users to create videos from text with AI avatars. In June this year, Colossyan announced a $22M Series A with new investors including Lakestar (known for their collaborations with leading companies such as Revolut and Spotify).
“AI is reshaping how we learn, find and do our jobs, and the companies that harness this shift will define the future. With the expertise of our Venture Partners – who’ve built some of the world’s leading future of work and learning companies – we’re equipping founders with the strategic insights they need to seize this unprecedented opportunity.”
– Jan Lynn-Matern, founder and GP
“The choices we make now about how to move forward as a society – whether we take everyone with us or not – will determine whether AI ultimately exacerbates or reduces inequalities. Working with Emerge to solve these challenges is one of the most rewarding experiences of my life: I get to do what I do best, coaching world-class entrepreneurs who are building companies that will define the future of work and learning. And it’s a pleasure to do so alongside a team that cares deeply about its mission and has access to the best entrepreneurs on the planet.”
– Christina Sass, CEO, International Youth Foundation; founder, Andela; Emerge VP
“Emerge has unrivalled dealflow and insights in this space, not to mention lived experience, which they bring together with a unique approach to investing: a world-leading Venture Partner community, gathered to support companies that help every individual adapt and thrive in an AI-powered world. It’s inspiring to be part of this community enabling me to empower the next generation of entrepreneurs to solve the biggest problems of our time.”
– Abakar Saidov, CEO, Beamery
“Emerge has been a great partner – their excellent reputation, deep understanding of the future of work and learning sector, ability to move quickly and the immense value added by their Venture Partners network were the main reasons we chose them over other funds at our Seed round.”
– Sean Hirons and Kharis Yanakidis, co-founders, MyEdSpa
