New Zealand-founded AI startup Teacher’s Buddy has raised $2.3 million in trans-Tasman seed funding to help it expand its reach globally.
Founded 18 months ago, Teacher’s Buddy is an AI platform designed to address a global burnout crisis for educators and has been adopted by over 12,000 teachers in 130 countries, the company said.
The new funding, led by Auckland-based impact investment firm Soul Capital and Giant Leap in Australia, supported Teacher’s Buddy’s aim to grow to more than 30,000 teachers and 200 school partners over the next 12 months across New Zealand, Australia and the UK, said co-founder Matt Abraham.
In addition, Teacher’s Buddy intended to build its New Zealand presence through new partnerships, product developments and expanded support for local schools.
Abraham and fellow entrepreneur Ben Sze created Teacher’s Buddy to reduce teacher workloads, which were contributing to burnout across the profession, Abraham said.
The platform uses AI to help teachers create differentiated lesson plans, assessments, reports, planning documents and personalised learning material, including customised content for neurodiverse students, English language learners and students at all ends of the learning spectrum.
Data showed teachers using the platform could save an average of two hours a day, giving them more time for face-to-face interaction with students, Abraham said.
“While improving time efficiency is a core feature of the platform, the technology enhances the work teachers already do and allows them to move away from the one-size-fits-all approach to learning and toward a more customised approach that adapts to the needs of each student, while also staying aligned to the curriculum,” he added.
