SAN FRANCISCO — Jan. 29, 2021 — Learn To Win raised $4M in seed funding to bring its mobile-first, active learning platform to high-performance teams. Norwest Venture Partners led the round with participation from Pear VC and the 20|20 Fund. Funding will be used to broaden product awareness, expand platform capabilities, and extend into new industry categories, starting with first responders and healthcare companies.
From locker rooms to Air Force bases, and hospitals to fire departments, whiteboards, videos and binders have long dominated training for some of the most intense learning with the highest stakes. Learn to Win makes it simple to transform dense manuals, long videos and other classroom-oriented training materials into quick and easy-to-learn lessons – which leave trainers and those on the job confident that everyone is prepared for duty. Stanford GSB graduates Andrew Powell (CEO) and Sasha Seymore (COO) lead a team of former professional athletes, veterans, and education experts.
“As a Division I college basketball player and U.S. Naval Reserve officer, I saw an opportunity to reimagine training geared towards professionals whose work takes place in the field rather than behind a screen. With Learn to Win, we’ve created active methods for today’s digital-first learner. Our approach empowers students and instructors alike, streamlining the training process so that team members can learn faster, smarter, and better,” says Seymore.
Learn to Win’s platform offers:
- Agile lessons: Interactive, three- to five-minute video and photo-driven lessons are available on mobile for flexible, user-friendly learning.
- Instructor Input: Intuitive web templates empower instructors to design interactive lessons as easily as creating a PowerPoint.
- Fast Feedback: Dynamic analytics dashboards provide crucial insight into learners’ performance, allowing instructors to pivot or double-down as needed to ensure preparedness.
“Learn to Win offers next gen, mobile-first training that reflects how people live and work today,” said Jeff Crowe, Managing Partner at Norwest Venture Partners. “We’re impressed with the team’s demonstrated success with athletics and defense organizations and the platform’s ability to enable learners to preempt mistakes before they happen in or on the field. Learn to Win is on a mission to redefine training, and we’re thrilled to partner with them as they expand high performance enterprises in other vertical markets.”
A flexible, template-based platform, Learn to Win is adaptable across industries and a crucial training tool for those who do not spend their days at desks. Since launch, Learn to Win has partnered with leading collegiate and professional athletics programs, including the Carolina Panthers, the Pittsburgh Penguins and many more; the U.S. Department of Defense; first responders; and leading enterprise partners such as a top three pharmaceutical company.
“Players learn differently and have much shorter attention spans as a result of technology. Gone are the days of lengthy whiteboard, lectures, or film presentations,” said Chris Partridge, defensive coordinator and safeties coach for Ole Miss, one of the first NCAA Division I football programs to adopt the platform. “Learn to Win’s versatility of quizzes — true or false, multiple choice, or video — keep players engaged in a way that they seem to really enjoy. Learn to Win has definitely given us an advantage by saving valuable time, enabling us to teach remotely, and giving us insight into players’ thought processes.”
“Sasha and Andrew validated the military use case for mobile training that fits servicemembers’ busy schedules through Stanford University’s Hacking for Defense Course, one of the toughest academic programs available for Entrepreneurs, then significantly improved their ability to deliver a product during their time in BMNT’s H4XLabs,” said Pete Newell, CEO of BMNT and co-founder of the Hacking for Defense program. “Their transition from students to seasoned business leaders who could deliver a solution to a growing military problem has been nothing short of inspiring.”
Learn to Win is an active learning platform that streamlines training for high-performance teams. Already a proven resource for athletic teams, businesses, and the U.S. Department of Defense, Learn to Win’s platform results in stronger and more effective teams through targeted sessions, well-designed lesson plans, and rapid feedback.
