Proof of Learn Raises $15M in Round Led by New Enterprise Associates

The "learn-to-earn" platform will launch its first educational program by the middle of the year.

AccessTimeIconJan 13, 2022 at 1:01 p.m. UTC
Updated May 11, 2023 at 5:47 p.m. UTC

Proof of Learn (POL), a Web 3 ”learn-to-earn” platform, has raised $15 million in a funding round that was led by venture capital firm New Enterprise Associates.

  • Proof of Learn will use the funding to spread awareness among users, and it will give users access to Web 3 employers through a careers marketplace, while letting them earn cryptocurrency and non-fungible token (NFT) rewards as they learn.
  • Other investors in the funding round included Animoca Brands, GoldenTree Asset Management, gumi Cryptos Capital and Infinity Ventures Crypto.
  • POL was co-founded by Filipino-American entrepreneur Sheila Lirio Marcelo, the former CEO and founder of Care.com. POL will launch its first project in mid-2022.
  • ”The global demand for accessible and affordable education has created a massive opportunity for Proof of Learn to make learning scalable with a new decentralized model for people around the world,” said Tony Florence, a managing general partner at New Enterprise Associates.
  • New Enterprise Associates said it has been making numerous investments in the education and crypto sectors, including investing in online learning platforms Coursera, MasterClass, Everfi and DesireToLearn as well as in crypto exchange FTX, fintech MoonPay, NFT marketplace OpenSea and Royal.
  • There has been growing interest in Web 3, which is the third generation of internet services that has been made possible by decentralized networks.
  • Most recently, former Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey publicly sparred with venture capitalists over Web 3. Dorsey stated in a tweet on Dec. 20 ”that VCs, not users" control Web 3, thus making it a “centralized entity with a different label.”

DISCLOSURE

Please note that our privacy policy, terms of use, cookies, and do not sell my personal information has been updated.

The leader in news and information on cryptocurrency, digital assets and the future of money, CoinDesk is a media outlet that strives for the highest journalistic standards and abides by a strict set of editorial policies. CoinDesk is an independent operating subsidiary of Digital Currency Group, which invests in cryptocurrencies and blockchain startups. As part of their compensation, certain CoinDesk employees, including editorial employees, may receive exposure to DCG equity in the form of stock appreciation rights, which vest over a multi-year period. CoinDesk journalists are not allowed to purchase stock outright in DCG.

CoinDesk - Unknown

Tanzeel Akhtar is a reporter based in London,UK.


Learn more about Consensus 2024, CoinDesk’s longest-running and most influential event that brings together all sides of crypto, blockchain and Web3. Head to consensus.coindesk.com to register and buy your pass now.