workera.ai Raises $16M to Bridge the Enterprise Skills Gap

The Challenge of Upskilling in Today's Tech Landscape

Identifying the appropriate learning platform presents a significant challenge for organizations, particularly those focused on enhancing and evolving their workforce to address the growing demand for specialized technological expertise. This is especially true in fields such as data science, machine learning, and artificial intelligence.

Workera.ai's Personalized Learning Approach

Workera.ai distinguishes itself by creating individualized learning pathways, providing targeted resources for both technical and non-technical roles. This personalization is based on a thorough evaluation of an individual’s existing skill level, effectively addressing skills deficiencies.

Recent Funding and Key Investors

The company, headquartered in Palo Alto, California, has recently secured $16 million in Series A funding. This investment round was spearheaded by New Enterprise Associates, with participation from existing investors including Owl Ventures and AI Fund. Furthermore, prominent figures in the AI community, such as Richard Socher, Pieter Abbeel, Lake Dai, and Mehran Sahami, also contributed as individual investors.

Connecting Skills to Career Goals

According to Kian Katanforoosh, Workera’s co-founder and CEO, many teams lack the necessary structure and support for effective learning. Workera tackles this issue through a multi-faceted approach, beginning with an assessment of current technical skills. The platform then considers an employee’s career aspirations and the skills required to achieve them, bridging the gap between present capabilities and future goals.

A Comprehensive Micro-Skills Library

Workera’s extensive library comprises over 3,000 distinct micro-skills, enabling the creation of highly personalized learning plans. This allows for a focused and efficient upskilling process.

“We refer to this as precision upskilling,” Katanforoosh explained to TechCrunch. “The resulting skills data can also be utilized by organizations to identify individuals who collaborate most effectively and possess complementary skill sets.”

Founding and Early Development

Workera was established in 2020 by Katanforoosh and James Lee, the company’s COO, following collaborative work with Andrew Ng, co-founder of Coursera and Workera’s current chairman. James Lee recognized the company’s potential to resolve challenges related to content and the foundational elements of upskilling upon his initial connection with Katanforoosh.

Growth and Customer Acquisition

A $5 million seed funding round last October brought the company’s total funding to $21 million. This latest round was fueled by the success of Workera’s market entry strategy and significant customer acquisition, exceeding 30 customers across 12 countries.

Expanding Client Base and Market Demand

In recent quarters, Workera has begun collaborating with Fortune 500 companies, including Siemens Energy, spanning industries such as professional services, medical devices, and energy. With projected spending on AI skills anticipated to surpass $79 billion by 2022, Lee believes Workera is well-positioned to address the widening skills gap.

“There is a growing imperative to accurately measure skills,” he stated. “The scale of current engagements, coupled with the increasing interest from both technical and non-technical teams in developing AI literacy, underscores this pressing need.”

Investing in Future Growth

Consequently, Katanforoosh indicated a need to expand the engineering and science teams. The new funding will be allocated to attracting additional talent in these areas and developing innovative products. Furthermore, the company aims to enhance its understanding of the complex natural language processes that underpin its assessment capabilities, enabling more precise skill evaluations.

Investor Confidence and Strategic Vision

Carmen Chang, general partner and head of Asia at NEA, is a limited partner in both Ng’s AI fund and Coursera, and has closely observed his ventures. She expressed strong enthusiasm for leading the funding round and praised Workera’s core concept.

“The company demonstrates a deep understanding of employee skill sets, and its tailored learning program will facilitate growth in alignment with evolving company needs,” Chang added.

“Investing in your existing workforce, through education and training, provides a comprehensive view of your employees’ capabilities. You can always recruit externally, but understanding what skills you already possess is invaluable, particularly in the current environment.” Workera’s AI and machine learning capabilities enable companies to map internal skill sets, providing critical insights.