Data Masters, a tech academy active in AI training and continuous learning, announces that it has closed a EUR 1.15 million seed round.
Primo Ventures, through its Primo Digital, Primo Digital Parallel Italia and Primo Digital Parallel Sud Italia funds, leads the round joined by investors such as Zanichelli Venture, angel investors, international tech entrepreneurs and other venture capital funds.
For the AI academy that trains talents and experienced professionals in artificial intelligence, data science and machine learning, the round marks a crucial milestone that allows the company to consolidate its position in the industry and expand in Europe.
Founded in July 2022 by Luigi Congedo, together with Francesco Cipriani and Vincenzo Maritati, Data Masters recorded a 300% year-on-year increase in turnover in the first half of 2024. With more than 12,000 students enrolled and an upskilling and reskilling platform used by corporations to enhance their corporate academies, the company continues to enrich its training catalogue with innovative technical courses, selling out weeks before launch.
The funds raised will be used to support the growth of the team, which has grown from 5 to 20 employees in just 18 months (team pictured), to accelerate the development of advanced AI technologies for measuring competencies, and to foster educational continuity and continuous skills upgrading.
“This collection will allow us to give a boost to our technology roadmap, expanding our impact on companies and professionals wishing to exploit the full potential of AI,” says Luigi Congedo, co-founder and president of Data Masters, in a note.
The capital injection will enable Data Masters to explore new international markets, with strategic projects to be unveiled in the coming months.
“We are thrilled to lead the seed round of Data Masters, having participated in the pre-seed. This renewed commitment underlines our strong belief in the company’s vision and exceptional founding team. In today’s rapidly evolving digital landscape, AI is not just a buzzword, but an essential tool for everyone. We firmly believe that AI is here to stay and will soon be as ubiquitous as smartphones or social media. The ability to effectively harness AI will be critical to individual and business success. Data Masters is at the forefront of this paradigm shift, providing valuable AI and data-science training. By providing people with these fundamental skills, the start-up is not just fulfilling a market need, but preparing society for a future in which AI literacy will be a fundamental requirement,’ says Niccolò Sanarico, general partner of Primo Digital.
The tech academy aims to become the partner of choice for companies and professionals, developing customisable and innovative solutions that meet the growing needs of the AI market.
“Our goal is to support professionals and companies in using AI,” adds Congedo, “We seek to be the partner of choice for increasing skills and productivity. This goal is supported by our value proposition: to create and train more and more talents in the field of AI, data science and machine learning, to multiply employment opportunities and, consequently, to foster participation in the labour market. We continue to move closer to one of our most coveted goals: to train one million people in Italy in the use of AI-based tools and technologies’.
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