Harbottle & Lewis has advised Atom Learning, the fast-growth adaptive learning edtech platform, on its $25m Series A round led by SoftBank Vision Fund 2.

SoftBank will become the only private investor in Atom Learning, which since launching in 2018, has grown without external funding and is already profitable.

According to industry experts, this funding round is the largest Series A round ever secured by a British edtech start-up.

The company is increasing standards across the education ecosystem by improving teachers’ workloads, enhancing children’s experience at school and equipping parents with a high-quality home learning platform. By engaging both in school and the home, Atom Learning is reducing inequality in education experience for families across the country.

The investment will be used by Atom Learning to try and realise its ambition to be in every single primary school in the UK. The company plans to double headcount over the next 12 months, bringing on board more teachers and technology professionals to its London office, which operates as a fully remote and flexible team. Atom Learning will also expand into the US in 2022.

Tony Littner, Head of Start-ups and Venture Capital at Harbottle & Lewis, commented: “Atom’s mission is to provide all children wherever they are and whatever their background with an affordable, high-quality education.  I am therefore immensely proud and pleased that we were able to support Atom on this milestone investment.”

On working with Harbottle, Jake O’Keeffe, Atom co-founder said: “Tony Littner and his team were brilliant throughout the process: quick in their communication and obvious experts in their field. Their focus on what mattered, combined with their deep knowledge of market terms, ensured we got a deal that was right for us. We look forward to working with Harbottle & Lewis going forward.”

Tony Littner advised Atom on the transaction with support primarily from Iona Jones (Corporate associate) and Sarah Verrecchia (Employment associate).