MobieTrain, an Antwerp-based startup developing mobile and microlearning software, has raised €1.8 million from Limburg investment company and the Concentra Media Group, along with existing investors. BNP Paribas Fortis and one other major bank are providing a loan on top of the capital.
The MobieTrain app allows employers to create learning and (re-)training programs, which employees can then access and follow from their own mobile phones. Each course is designed to be just five or ten minutes long — the Belgian startup claims this “microlearning” approach is the most effective form of training.
Some major retail brands believe them. Current customers include Diesel, Proximus, Timberland and Vans, which use the app to inform their teams about new collections or sales techniques.
MobieTrain aims to break into the hospitality and care sectors as well, focusing on markets where its digital technology can help improve in-person customer interactions.
“Physical shops are already disappearing from the high street under pressure from e-commerce. But successful brands are managing to combine offline and online sales, and increasingly using physical stores as an ‘advice point’,” explained co-founder Mireille van Hemert-Schelling. “Good customer service is crucial in this model, and we’re making sure that MobieTrain can fulfill this need and give our clients a competitive advantage.”
As for how the financing will be used, CEO Guy Van Neck said: “We’re planning to expand our home market initially, but we’ve also built a commercial partner network abroad and are aiming to continue our growth there. We have around 20 paying customers in 13 countries already, and are focusing our attention on Northwestern Europe for our next step.”
“We’re planning to use artificial intelligence more and more in our app in the future, so we can personalise our learning trajectories even further,” Hemert-Shelling added.
The Belgian company will soon open a small office in Lisbon, where some of the technical development already takes place.
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