AUGUST 19 2024

Published in Startup Daily

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Early childhood edtech LoveHeart AI has raised $2.3 million in a Seed round for its “super-intelligent aide for educators”.

The raise was backed OIF Ventures and Skalata.

Loveheart was founded in 2022 by Himal Randeniya, who used the proceeds from his first venture, Project Academy, to buy and run several early childhood education centres.

He recognised a massive problem in the industry, which earlier this month won much-needed 15% payrise from the federal government – with more than a quarter (26%) of staff leaving the sector annually, with many saying “workload intensity” was the reason.

Randeniya is hoping to turn around that trend, with nearly two-thirds of educators saying AI tools are more likely to keep them in the industry, and 83% of LoveHeart’s users already reporting improvements to their centres’ educational programs.

As any parent who’s flicked through the child’s daybook knows, educators put a lot of effort into tracking the growth and learning of their young charges, but that administrative burden is also a struggle amid caring for the kids. Enter LoveHeart, which uses AI to can turn a 30-60 minute summative assessment into a 3-5 minute job by translating text observations and voice notes into letters and reports. In addition, the platform’s AI-based “Coach Sue” helps with activities suggestions as well as reflection on learning outcomes.

The result saves an average 4.2 hours a week for an educator, giving them more time to focus on nurturing young minds.

Himal believes LoveHeart AI is not only transforming administrative tasks, but also reinvigorating the early childhood education sector at a time when demand for early learning care has never been greater.

LoveHeart also was recently named co-winner of a State of our Sector award for the most significant contribution toward early childhood education, which Randeniya dedicated to the teachers changing the lives of young children.

“LoveHeart wasn’t built by a Google engineer who’s trying to figure out early education. It was created by, with, and for educators,” he said.

“Even the developing tech behind LoveHeart’s AI is all built by pedagogical and sector experts.”

Andrew Yeo, who led the investment at OIF Ventures, said the startup has the protential to dramatically improve early learning for both children and their educators.

“LoveHeart has shown impressive growth in the 12 months since launch, signing up over 40,000 educators and centres at scale with both educators and centres paying for the product,” he said.

“The advocacy we’re seeing from educators demonstrates how AI can be used for good to uplift learning at the earliest and highest leverage stage of life.”