Neurodiverse-focused learning and training platform Neve seeks major seven-figure investment

This is Milk seeks £1m of investment for its “neurodiversity first” online learning platform, Neve, which will meet the needs of all people better and acknowledges differences, including dyslexia, dyspraxia, autism spectrum disorders or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

Based in Glasgow and with a network of global clients, the company, founded eight years ago by the award-winning entrepreneur Angela Prentner-Smith, has gained a gold-standard reputation for its human-centred approach to its training and consultancy services.

Neve Learning is a cloud-based Ed-Tech platform developed by This is Milk, designed to help training providers and organisations manage and deliver learning in a more inclusive way; that includes neurodiversity, and is aligned with a future-focused education framework. Neve was developed in response to a Civtech Challenge sponsored by the Scottish Digital Academy.

Being neurodivergent means having a brain that works differently from a “norm”. There may be differences in social preferences, ways of learning or ways of communicating. This is the motivating factor for an accessibility-first approach and the platform has been designed from the ground up to be inclusive and to consider the needs of all users.

Investors will receive a share in This is Milk, which has doubled its annual turnover for each of the last three years. This unique opportunity to share in the company’s success and to back a project with a purpose will help maintain its reputation for changing the dynamics of the modern workplace. Founder and MD Angela Prentner-Smith said: “In today’s e-learning market, learners and educators encounter drawbacks with many products. These range from limited face-to-face communication during training sessions and learning activities that can feel socially disconnected or lonely for some students. This can lead to less focus on skills practice and an over-reliance on theory. People with disabilities or those like myself who identify with a neurodivergence can encounter added stumbling blocks and lack of confidence due to past learning experiences. With Neve, we will strive to resolve these challenges and others by providing ways to improve where, when, what, and how people learn.”

Neve has constructed a suite of features designed to make it easy for trainers to deliver content in ways that make teaching and learning more successful for everyone. It provides Learning Pathways, which allow learners to interact with course content organised into digestible chunks. These act as a “roadmap”, guiding learners on how they progress.

Prentner-Smith said: “Neve will also help professional learners gain an education that goes beyond just knowledge sharing. With Neve they will acquire the means to demonstrate explicitly how to apply what they learn in specific contexts. Neve will become the ideal alternative to traditional training and learning. The effectiveness of these ‘tried and trusted’ methods has simply been outstripped by the pace of a changing global economy and the technology landscape. Our methods and ideas will help workplaces adapt to this fast-changing environment by making them more nimble and flexible. It’s not magic, and it’s possible to build an educational journey that works well for everyone. With Neve, we’re just getting started. Not only are we building the learning platform for the future, we’re doing so by shaping it around the nuances of our shared humanity. Inclusion and diversity will be embedded at the heart of our core values and these will be enhanced by the wonder of cutting-edge technology and neuroscience.”

For more information visit https://www.nevelearning.co.uk/ or email nevecrowdfunder@thisismilk.co.uk.