BBC Maestro – the online education platform providing access to expert masterclasses with the likes of David Walliams, Marco Pierre White and Mark Ronson – has completed a multi-million-pound funding round to facilitate market growth.
The substantial investment was led by growth capital investor BGF which has invested £3 billion in over 450 fast-growth businesses in the UK and Ireland since 2011. Existing investor Downing Ventures also contributed.
The funding raised will be used to further enhance the platform and deliver additional content production, as well as increase the team in key areas and expand into new territories.
BBC Maestro offers a variety of celebrity-taught online courses from some of the greatest experts in their field. The platform was launched in 2020 with courses ranging from 3-star cooking at home with Marco Pierre White, to writing children’s books with David Walliams and Julia Donaldson, to learning the Toolkit for Business Success with Peter Jones. There’s a course in music production from 7-time Grammy and Oscar-winning Producer, Mark Ronson, song writing lessons from Gary Barlow who breaks down the tips, tricks and techniques behind his 14 number ones and 50 million albums sold. The list goes on.
Online education is a highly profitable growth area, both pre-COVID and increasingly so since, with the overall market expected to grow to over $60 billion by 2027. This, alongside significant growth in a variety of subscription-based entertainment services.
Dennis Atkinson, investor at BGF, commented: “BBC Maestro represents a hugely exciting opportunity for BGF to invest in a next generation EdTech platform that is supported by world class talent, the highest quality content, and an experienced & impressive management team. Against the backdrop of a fast-growing, global edutainment sector, we are sure BBC Maestro has the content, partnerships and reputation to really forge ahead and take ownership of this exciting new form of online learning.”
Michael Levine, Managing Director of BBC Maestro, added: “We are thrilled to have the support of BGF for this next phase of BBC Maestro’s growth. This is a pivotal moment for online learning and BGF’s investment will allow us to become a true game changer in the world of high-engagement online learning. Consistent high demand for our courses has been so rewarding, and a testament to our incredible Maestri who are so proud and active in supporting their courses, seeing first-hand the impact, and enrichment, their courses have brought to people’s lives since launch. With BGF’s fantastic support, we look forward to announcing our next series of world leading online courses soon.”
