Esme Learning Solutions
The business, the turning points, and the decisions behind them.
01 / WHAT IT BUILT
What the company did
Esme Learning Solutions was a Boston-area edtech company founded on Valentines Day 2019 by David Shrier and Beth Porter, edtech veterans from MIT, Oxford and edX. Its AI-enabled platform delivered immersive online executive education in partnership with top universities, including Oxford, MIT, Cambridge and Imperial College, with courses in AI, fintech, cybersecurity and blockchain. It raised about $37.5 million in total.
02 / Esme Learning Solutions FAILURE REASONS
Failure factors supported by the current evidence
No detailed public post-mortem explains Esmes end. After raising a $7.5 million Series A in January 2021, a further $15 million in December 2021 and up to $15 million in venture financing from Hercules Capital in February 2022, the company cut staff in June 2022 and is now listed as shut down, with a bankruptcy or write-off recorded. The specific reasons were never disclosed.
03 / EVENT HISTORY
Events in the structured record
- Company founded
David Shrier and Beth Porter found Esme Learning on February 14, 2019 to build AI-powered online executive education with top universities.
- Peak funding round
Esme raises up to $15 million from Hercules Capital in February 2022, bringing total funding to about $37.5 million.
- Workforce reduced
Esme Learning discloses a workforce reduction in Boston in June 2022.
04 / CONTEMPORARY REBUILD ASSESSMENT
Difficulty of rebuilding this project today
Material for this section is being gathered and checked. It will appear here once ready.
Overall assessment: Not completed
05 / CAUSAL CHAIN
How the factors connect
- 01
AI executive education with Oxford, MIT, Cambridge
- 02
Founded Feb 2019 in Newton, MA
- 03
Raised ~$37.5M total
- 04
Layoffs Jun 2022; shut down; bankruptcy/write-off recorded