AI edtech Build Club prompts $1.75m pre-Seed

AI-focused e-learning platform Build Club has raised $1.75 million in a pre-Seed round led by Airtree and Blackbird.

Also hitting the PayTo button for the round were Archangel Ventures, Co Ventures and Treble VC, and angel investors including Startmate’s Small Bets Fund, Curious Thing founder Sam Zheng, Superpower’s Max Marchione, Eric Chan from Aura Ventures and Allen Zhu, from EVP, who’s had a busy week after also backing Mutinex’s $17.5m raise.

The startup partnered with AI companies such as NVIDIA, Leonardo AI and Groq, offering project-based learning through its “bounty” system— real-life business problems submitted by startups and businesses. 

Their online learning platform is tailored to both technical and non-technical people to meet industry demands for an evolving AI workforce. Build Club’s bounty system, currently in beta phase, offers hands-on experience with paid projects for small and medium enterprises (SMEs).

Build Club began last year as a side hustle for founder Annie Liao, with friends working on AI projects over weekends, before evolving into APAC’s largest AI community with over 4,500 members. Liao wanted to create a collaborative, community-driven approach to giving people new skills. 

“The demand for AI solutions is outpacing the speed at which employees have been able to reskill, making it mission critical for companies to find a practical solution to stay competitive,” she said.

“Through running Build Club, we’re giving domain experts, not just coders, the tools to build AI solutions today. Our real-world projects enable learners to create AI tools that businesses need right now, like customer service chatbots and automated press releases.”

After a 100-person bootcamp, the startup’s Buildathon program hopes to certify 2,000 new AI developers.

Airtree partner Elicia McDonald claimed it was “adapt or die” for AI adoption for business.

“This is particularly true for SMEs, who are currently underserved by existing platforms and desperate for a solution that enables them to keep pace with the transformation their industries are undergoing,” she said.

“Annie and the Build Club team have already proven their ability to execute and build a thriving community, putting them in pole position to own the education and credentialing of the next generation of AI builders.”