Valenture Institute was founded by South African-born entrepreneur Robert Paddock, who was also co-founder of Getsmarter, a transformative digital education company successfully acquired by Nasdaq-listed 2U in 2017.
To become the biggest online high school in the world by 2028, this
The investment will certainly add fuel to Valenture Institute’s already raging fire.
The school was established as a fully-fledged online offering pre-COVID, and the forced shift to online during lockdown accelerated the school’s growth almost Exponentially.
More specifically, resources will be allocated to the roll-out of the school’s hybrid, tech-enabled, boutique campuses, which combine online learning, in-person guidance by Learning Coaches and socializing with peers and additional features of physical spaces.
It opened its doors in January 2021 in Joburg’s Dunkeld, and Cape Town’s southern suburbs of Newlands and Constantia. However, global destinations like London, Boston, and New York will soon be home to a Valenture Campus.
Valenture Institute was founded with a mission to create aspirational learning opportunities for high school students.
They empower their school and university partners with the tools to set their students up for success as they navigate the arc of school, university and life.
Informed by the science of online learning, Valenture Institute brings a depth of expertise in learning design, robust learning technology, sophisticated learning analytics, and excellent support services to enable our partner schools to make an impact and attain student outcomes at scale.
How it Works
Recruitment
Valenture Institute uses cutting-edge recruitment technology to provide an excellent candidate journey. Once you complete an online application, successful candidates will be invited to complete a pre-recorded video application which gives us a chance to get to know you.
The video application should take you 20 minutes to complete. If you are moved to the next stage, the last step before you meet our incredible team is a role-specific assessment.
The final step in the recruitment journey is a live online interview where you will get the chance to learn more about us.
At each phase of this process, our team will provide you with information on any next steps or feedback on the status of your application. Due to the high volume of applications we receive, feedback may not be instant.
You will receive feedback from our talent team on the status of your application or information on any next steps within 2- 3 weeks of your application being submitted.
Valenture Institute requires their teachers to possess a PGCE or BEd, or HDE qualification. All teachers must also have a valid SACE registration and a valid police clearance certificate before they submit their applications.
Remote Working
Remote working is defined as working anywhere within the borders of South Africa only. There is potential for a maximum of 2 months per year working outside of South Africa, which will require approval from Valenture.
Valenture Institute is a remote-first company which means team members have the flexibility to work from either our shared office spaces or from their homes. If you choose to work from home, you are expected to have sufficient internet access to meet the needs of your role.
This also means that unless your role requires you to be based at one of our co-working spaces or a Boutique Campus, you will not be required to go into an office.
However, if you get lonely at home and want to hang out with your great colleagues you will have access to their co-working spaces in both Cape Town and Johannesburg.
Benefits
As a growing start-up, Valenture Institute currently offers the following benefits: birthday leave, family member tuition discounts at our partner schools, study leave programs aligned to your role, Voluntary Savings Programme, Training and Development opportunities, leadership training, and wellness focussed sessions.
They are also continuously working on expanding the benefits they offer to their amazing team.
Valenture team members are eligible for tuition discounts at any of their partner schools (St Stithians Online School or UCT Online High School). However, this tuition benefit does not apply to institutions that are not partnered with Valenture Institute.
Founders
Robert Paddock
Rob Paddock is a Co-founder at GetSmarter, Executive Director at Hubble Studios, Board Member at Injini, and CEO at Venture Institute.
He attended The University of Oxford.
Investors & Funding Rounds
GSV Ventures
Valenture Institute has secured a $7-million investment from Coursera investor, GSV Ventures.
GSV is a global venture capital fund focused on early-stage entrepreneurial partnerships with exceptional global education technology companies like, most notably: Coursera, Photomath, ClassDojo, and Masterclass.
It has, undoubtedly, shown its passion for investing in the rapidly growing $ 7 trillion digital learning technology space, the evolution of education, and a future-forward approach to learning.
The investment will be used for further global expansion, enhancing the learning experience, and building out additional offerings such as new subjects and exclusive bootcamps like Coding, Design Thinking, Data Science, and more.
In addition, the funding will be used for resources dedicated to the roll-out of the school’s hybrid, tech-enabled, boutique campuses, which combine online learning, in-person guidance by Learning Coaches, socializing with peers, and additional features of physical spaces.
Main Competitors
GetSmarter: This is a digital education company that delivers premium online short courses.
Atom Learning: It is a fully adaptive, online teaching platform for Key Stage 2, early Key Stage 3, and senior school entry preparation.
51Talk: This is an online English school providing one-to-one foreign language teaching services.
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