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Two Australian education tech startups that have seen more than 280,000 students sign up and enrol in their experiences are joining forces following the acquisition of EntryLevel by Hex for an undisclosed sum.
Through the merger of the two businesses, Melbourne-headquartered Hex will combine its expertise in running innovation, entrepreneurship, and employability-focused education programs with Sydney-based EntryLevel's reskilling platform.
In a statement, Hex said that as a team the combined companies would aim to "deliver unparalleled learning experiences that transform lives and close the global employability gap".
Covering a wide range of courses from cybersecurity to UX design to digital marketing, EntryLevel has attracted more than 235,000 sign-ups since it was founded in 2020, tailoring to professionals wanting to equip themselves as they enter the workforce or look for new jobs.
"At EntryLevel, we’ve thought about how education scales from day one. It’s not enough to just have great content," says EntryLevel CEO and co-founder Ajay Prakash.
"We’ve also been focused on building affordable courses that people actually finish. Joining forces with HEX felt like a natural fit to blend two very complementary models."
Hex caters to future generations and its specialty is fun, academically-aligned program design and delivery with content that covers employability, innovation, entrepreneurship, futurist mindsets, soft skills and global leadership.
To date, Hex claims to have "helped over 9,000 young professionals enter the future workplace of their dreams, creating a global impact they want to see in the world".
"HEX is known for its seriously fun online courses and life-changing global study programs, and now, with EntryLevel’s AI-driven platform and aligned team, we can deliver impactful education on a much larger scale," says HEX co-founder and CEO Jeanette Cheah.
"Together, we can prepare the workforce for an exponentially-changing world – by deploying HEX’s 'Exponential Intelligence' capabilities framework and keeping learners’ career dreams at the centre of everything we do."
The new partnership will allow Hex to empower a broader range of individuals from high school students discovering their impact potential to seasoned professionals seeking to upskill and advance their careers.
The company will incorporate EntryLevel's course library that also includes such disciplines as data analysis, venture capital, Python, artificial intelligence and much more.
"By equipping learners with the skills to navigate emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), along with fostering innovation and global leadership abilities, we strive to make the future of work more accessible," the companies state.
Both companies operate globally, and plan to scale their international impact by "empowering learners and delivering to partners in Vietnam, China, India, New Zealand, Nigeria, and beyond".
"This acquisition signifies the continuity commitment to investing in the future leaders across the world," the companies state.
"By empowering individuals with the knowledge, skills, and mindset to lead effectively in a complex and rapidly changing world, EntryLevel and HEX are not only shaping the future of our organisations but also contributing to a more positive and sustainable future for all."
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