Press release: April 2026
Third Space Learning, a leading AI tutoring and education technology company, has secured £4.4 million in equity investment from new investors British Business Bank’s South West Investment Fund (managed by Maven Capital Partners) and Blackfinch Ventures, with the ongoing support of Foresight Group and Nesta. The funding will accelerate product development of Third Space Learning’s spoken AI tutor, Skye, supporting the company’s growth in the UK and US schools market, and enabling expansion of AI tutoring into new subjects and languages.
The investment round follows Third Space Learning’s $1.9 million Gates Foundation-funded research partnership with Stanford University and Cornell University to advance effective, evidence-based AI maths tutoring in US public schools, announced last month.
Building on a decade of evidence
Third Space Learning brings more than a decade of experience delivering high-impact tutoring, having supported over 196,000 students across more than 4,200 schools and delivered millions of hours of one-to-one maths tutoring. This experience, and the evidence, data and distribution that comes with it, has enabled Third Space Learning to quickly establish itself as a leader in the high-growth AI tutoring market in the UK and US.
Skye: AI tutoring built on evidence
Skye, Third Space Learning’s spoken AI tutor, is built upon Third Space Learning’s deep domain experience, and to reflect the design principles and evidence for high-impact human tutoring – replicating the dialogue, pacing, questioning, and assessment strategies that drive established learning gains in effective human tutoring.
Investing in product, people, and international growth
The investment will enable Third Space Learning to deepen its technical and academic investment in Skye, driving product improvements that enhance learning outcomes for students, expand its AI tutor subject and language range, and further its mission to support millions of students and close the achievement gap. Funding will also support the build-out of a dedicated US function as the company accelerates its international growth strategy.
“This investment is a significant milestone in Third Space Learning’s journey,” said Tom Hooper, Founder and CEO of Third Space Learning. “There is enormous momentum behind AI in education right now, but real impact only comes when AI tutoring is built on the same evidence and rigour as high-impact human tutoring. This funding allows us to move with greater speed and ambition – deepening Skye’s capabilities, expanding into new markets, and reaching more of the students who need it most. Closing the maths achievement gap at scale is what drives everything we do, and the support of Maven, Blackfinch, Foresight Group, and Nesta brings us a meaningful step closer to that goal.”
“Third Space Learning has built an impressive business, establishing the only evidence-backed, high-impact AI tutoring offering at scale, validated by partnerships with leading research institutions,” said Rafi Khan, Investment Manager at Maven. “Tom and his team are highly innovative with strong operational expertise in school-based tutoring. We’re delighted to back the business at this point in its growth journey, and we look forward to supporting the platform as it scales.”
“Third Space Learning is at the forefront of a new wave of education technology, using AI to enhance how tailored tutoring can be delivered at scale. Through the South West Investment Fund, we’re pleased to support the company’s growth as it expands its platform and reaches more learners in the UK and overseas,” said Lizzy Upton, Senior Investment Manager at British Business Bank.
“Third Space Learning has a strong track record in delivering high‑impact, evidence‑led tutoring, underpinned by deep domain expertise,” said Richard Lewis, Managing Director at Foresight Group. “We are pleased to continue supporting the team as they build on this foundation and scale their AI tutoring platform across the UK and the US.”
Kimberley Hay, Ventures Director at Blackfinch Ventures said: “We’re delighted to be backing Third Space Learning, a business that brings together an exciting product with deep experience in pupil support. The offering is thoughtfully designed for younger learners and gives schools a practical, accessible way to deliver help where it’s needed. Behind that is a team with many years of tutoring experience and a clear understanding of what schools need from effective learning support. That blend of product strength and proven expertise makes Third Space Learning a very exciting company to work with.”
The investment marks a further step in Third Space Learning’s mission to close the maths achievement gap, combining the reach of AI with the evidence base of high-impact tutoring to improve outcomes for students across the UK and beyond.