Ludenso, a Norwegian augmented reality educational platform, has raised $1 million in seed funding to support its creation of the world’s first augmented reality universe designed for educational publishers.
The round was led by FERD, who joins the likes of Kahoot! founders Johan Brand and Jamie Brooker, Atomico Angel Fund, and various angels, including Anne Lise Waal, CTO of VR-platform Attensi, as investors.
The Oslo-based company said it will use the funds to expand throughout Europe and the United Kingdom to further establish its position as the leading AR platform for educational publishers.
Launched in 2021 by Eirik Wahlstrøm, Harald Manheim, and Ingrid Skrede, Ludenso enables publishers to easily enrich their textbooks with AR in order to provide seamless links between book content and digital content. It bridges the gap between physical books and digital content that is necessary for learning in today’s world. Ludenso app allows students to scan their textbook pages and see their learning resources come to life.
Speaking about the platform and how the new funding will help the company, Ludenso’s Co-founder & CEO Eirik Wahlstrøm said,
“One of the things that motivates me the most is seeing the “a-ha” moment from students accompanied by a big smile. 3D and AR is an amazing tool to explore and learn about concepts that are hard to visualize, such as how the heart is pumping or how the earth’s geomagnetic fields are working. This funding will enable us to impact millions of students with more engaging and active learning experiences in the years to come!”
Ludenso has partnered with major publishers like SAGE and Aschehoug to revolutionize the student experience of textbooks. It also works with various leading academic researchers to develop its platform, which is now used by every 6 to 16-year-old studying the science curriculum in Norway through the company’s partnership with leading academic publisher Aschehoug.
FERD’s CEO Morten Borge said,
“We are excited to challenge the status quo on how students learn alongside the impact-driven team at Ludenso and follow their journey on equalizing learning opportunities through catering to the different learning needs with Augmented Reality.”
Johan Brand, founder of Kahoot! and investor, added,
“For too long, educational content has been stale and lacking excitement. In spite of incredible innovations elsewhere, the world of academia has often felt like an afterthought. When I was introduced to Ludenso, I knew I had to be involved. The team is on to something very special, creating real pedagogical value for educators and learners.”
Ludenso’s core focus is to enable people with subject knowledge – such as editors and authors – to utilize the full potential of their textbooks and digital resources, without the need for technological experience. Via the Ludenso Studio, publishers can easily and quickly enrich their existing or new textbook titles and create more engaging, inclusive, and interactive learning experiences with 3D models, embedded videos, audio clips, and links.
