North West-based edtech company Gaia Learning has expanded following a £400k equity investment round from GC Angels, NESTA and a syndicate of angel investors.
Founded in 2019, Gaia Learning was created to address a growing challenge in education. The online platform is dedicated to ensuring neurodivergent children have access to learning environments that understand and support their individual needs.
What began as a mission to improve outcomes for learners who often struggle in traditional educational settings has evolved into a specialist online alternative provision, supporting children and young people across the UK who may be unable to access mainstream education due to autism, ADHD, anxiety, school avoidance, mental health challenges, or other additional needs.
The business first secured £550k in 2024, led by NESTA Impact Investments alongside GC Angels. The company has since expanded its team to 24 people across full-time and part-time roles and has developed strategic partnerships, including collaborating with Pearson Edexcel.
A key focus of the funding has been the development of Bloom, a SEND infrastructure platform designed to help schools and education providers deliver, track and evidence support for children with additional needs. Bloom has been built on the expertise and insights gained through years of working directly with neurodivergent learners and the professionals who support them.
Now, Gaia Learning is focused on enabling more neurodivergent learners to access education in a way that works for them. The company is currently rolling out Bloom, with pilot activity already underway across Northern Ireland and additional school pilots scheduled to begin in September.
The long-term ambition for Bloom is to become the central infrastructure that helps schools coordinate, deliver, track and evidence SEND provision, making it easier to support children with additional needs while improving outcomes and accountability.
Kate Heath, CEO of Gaia Learning (pictured), said: “Gaia Learning was born out of a passion for ensuring neurodivergent children can access education that is best suited to their unique needs. Our first funding round really helped us to get this idea off the ground, allowing us to grow our team and accelerate the development of Bloom. Most importantly, it has enabled us to support more neurodivergent learners and help more schools deliver effective support for children with additional needs.
“This latest funding round will help us to build on this success. By once again partnering with the teams at GC Angels and NESTA, we’re proud to be partnering with funders who share our commitment to improving educational outcomes for young people. This will all play an important role in helping us accelerate our plans and expand our reach.”
talent we have here in the North of England, harnessing cutting-edge technology to create more
Marc Shirman, head of equity investment at GC Angels, added: “Gaia Learning’s growth over the past few years has been remarkable. Kate and the team exemplify the innovation and accessible and inclusive educational opportunities for neurodivergent learners.
“It has been a pleasure to work with Gaia Learning throughout their growth journey, and we are incredibly excited to see the impact of Bloom as it rolls out to schools and education providers. We look forward to supporting the team as they continue to develop innovative solutions that improve outcomes for children and young people with additional needs.”
