EvidenceB raises 4 million euros to fight against school dropout

The good news keeps coming for EvidenceB. The French start-up edtech won with Docaposte a remedial contract in mathematics and French with the National Education for high school students in second class.

“We are going to start at the start of the next school year, and this will concern 800,000 students”, rejoices Thierry de Vulpillières, the boss of the start-up, who has spent a large part of his career at the crossroads of the worlds of school publishing and tech. Obtaining this contract follows a call for tenders launched in 2021 by the Ministry of National Education and Youth as part of the future investment program (PIA).

A 2 million contract

According to our information, it will bring 2 million euros to EvidenceB. Enough to help the young shoot to develop new technologies and to pursue its commercial offensive.

Its projects will also be facilitated by its recent funding round of 4 million euros with Educapital, the first European fund dedicated to the education sector, with the support of Finorpa and IRD Gestion, its historical investors.

EvidenceB was founded in 2017 and has set itself the mission of fighting against school dropout. The nugget specializing in adaptive learning operates at the intersection of cognitive science, a discipline that helps to better understand the process of learning knowledge, and artificial intelligence. “Our innovation is the articulation of the two”insists Thierry de Vulpillières.

The start-up relies on the latest work of researchers in order to develop exercise modules which concern very specific points of the school programs in three subjects (mathematics, first language, second language).

Modules that adapt to students

These modules identify the level of the students, then offer them tailor-made exercises to help them progress. At the same time, teachers have access to a dashboard that allows them to monitor student progress in real time. EvidenceB’s solution is intended ” additoinal “ and is not intended to replace textbooks or teachers.

EvidenceB is attacking the school market (the “K12” in edtech jargon). This segment is reputed to be difficult because the customers are the public authorities and the users of the tools (teachers and students) are not those who buy them.

Historically, investments in K12 have always been more modest than those in vocational training or higher education. Once signed, contracts in the school sector have the advantage of guaranteeing recurring income.

“We like the K12 and we think it’s not that complicated”relativizes Thierry de Vulpillières, who recalls that there are 1.8 billion students in the world, and that education is often one of the main items of state expenditure.

In France, National Education will, for example, have a budget of more than 59 billion euros in 2023. And, everywhere in the world, public authorities are ready to invest in new tools to see their students shine in international rankings.“We slip easily into all programs”boasts the entrepreneur.

Diversified income

In France, EvidenceB had already won over the public authorities – as part of an innovation partnership on artificial intelligence – to deploy its Adaptiv’Math solution in primary schools.

In addition to National Education, the nugget of edtech also works with major publishers (Marshall Cavendish, Pearson, Bordas, Hatier, etc.) and school networks, which allows it to diversify its income. EvidenceB thus ensures that nearly 20% of its turnover, about which it does not communicate, is made abroad.