Leap Raises $3.1M Seed Round to Empower Social Learning for Over 55s

Leap Secures $3.1 Million Seed Funding

Leap, a learning platform designed for individuals aged 55 and above, has successfully completed a $3.1 million seed funding round. The investment was spearheaded by Creandum, a European venture capital firm specializing in early-stage investments, and South Park Commons, based in San Francisco.

Additional participation in the round came from Learn Start/Learn Capital, as well as angel investors including Michelle Kennedy, founder of Peanut, Sahil Lavingia, and Tim Tuttle.

Fostering Connection Through Social Learning

Leap’s core concept centers around enabling members to learn, connect, and grow through social interaction. The platform facilitates this by organizing users into small, online groups centered around common interests.

These groups, ranging in size from five to ten participants, utilize both audio and video communication. Currently, the beta version of Leap offers conversations and classes led by carefully selected members.

Founding Team and Inspiration

The company was established by Caroline Ingeborn, a Swedish entrepreneur and former CEO of Toca Boca, a developer of educational apps for children, and Vishal Kapur, previously the CTO and co-founder of Screenhero, which was acquired by Slack in 2015.

Ingeborn and Kapur initially connected through South Park Commons, a learning community that actively implements principles now utilized within the Leap platform.

Addressing a Gap in the Market

Caroline Ingeborn stated that existing online options for this demographic often lacked the ability to foster genuine connections. She observed that groups marketed as “small” were frequently overcrowded, and experiences often felt superficial and lacking direction.

She felt a need to develop a more personalized and intimate learning environment, moving away from the feeling of isolated participation common in many online platforms.

Investment Rationale

Fredrik Cassel, general partner at Creandum, highlighted Leap’s focus on a significant and often underserved market segment: retirees. He noted this demographic represents a wealthy and rapidly expanding group with increasing technological proficiency.

Cassel emphasized the considerable time, energy, and disposable income available to this generation, coupled with their widespread smartphone adoption. He expressed confidence in the founding team’s ability to create a genuinely engaging product based on their combined experience and dedication.

Key Features of Leap

• Focuses on social learning for individuals over 55.
• Facilitates small group interactions via audio and video.
• Offers conversations and classes hosted by selected members.
• Aims to create meaningful connections and a tailored learning experience.