Ludenso, a Norwegian educational augmented reality platform, has raised $1 million in seed funding to support the creation of the world’s first augmented reality universe designed for educational publishers.

The round was hosted by FERD, who joins the likes of Kahoot! founders Johan Brand and Jamie Brooker, Atomico Angel Fund, and various angels, including Anne Lise Waal, CTO of VR-platform Attensi, as investors.

The Oslo-based company said it will use the funds to expand across Europe and the UK to further establish its position as the leading AR platform for educational publishers.

Ludenso, launched in 2021 by Eirik Wahlstrøm, Harald Manheim and Ingrid Skrede, enables publishers to easily enrich their textbooks with AR to provide seamless connections between book content and digital content. It bridges the gap between physical books and the digital content that is necessary for learning in today’s world. The Ludenso app allows students to scan the pages of their textbooks and see their learning resources come to life.

Speaking about the platform and how the new funding will help the company, Ludenso’s co-founder and CEO Eirik Wahlstrøm said,

“One of the things that motivates me the most is seeing an “a-ha” moment from students accompanied by a big smile. 3D and AR is an amazing tool for exploring and learning about concepts that are difficult to visualize, such as how the heart works or how the earth’s geomagnetic fields work. This funding will allow us to impact millions of students with more engaging and active learning experiences for years to come!”

Ludenso has partnered with major publishers such as SAGE and Aschehoug to revolutionize the student experience with textbooks. It also works with various leading academic researchers to develop its platform, which is now used by every 6 to 16-year-old studying the science curriculum in Norway through the company’s partnership with leading academic publisher Aschehoug.

FERD Executive Director Morten Borge said,

“We are excited to challenge the status quo of how students learn with the impact-driven team at Ludens and follow their journey to level the playing field by meeting diverse learning needs with the help of augmented reality.”

Johan Brand, founder of Kahoot! and the investor, he added,

“For too long, educational content has been stale and lacked excitement. Despite incredible innovations elsewhere, the world of academia has often seemed like an afterthought. When I was introduced to Ludens, I knew I had to be involved. The team is on to something very special, creating real pedagogical value for teachers and students.”

The fundamental focus of Ludens is to enable people with subject knowledge – such as editors and authors – to use the full potential of their textbooks and digital resources, without the need for technological experience. Through Ludenso Studio, publishers can easily and quickly enrich their existing or new textbook titles and create more engaging, inclusive and interactive learning experiences with 3D models, embedded videos, audio clips and links.

about the author

Author: Stjepan Soulunii

I’m not a student anymore, but I like to learn. He is not a teacher, but he cares about how students are taught. I’m not an educator, but I want everyone to be educated. I’m not a social worker, but I want to see change. I’m not a reformer, but I always want to see a better world. The author believes that only healthy education can bring a better future, a better world, and technology can help achieve a lot in this field.

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