Rubio invests in SkillLab
Technology company SkillLab raised seed investment of EUR 1.5 Million from Rubio Impact Ventures. The Amsterdam-based social startup develops an AI-driven solution empowering people to turn their skills into careers. SkillLab’s solution enables employment services and training providers on three continents to deliver skill-based career orientation remotely and at scale.
The ongoing COVID-19 crisis has highlighted and accelerated trends in labour markets, such as automation and digitalisation. As a result, millions of people will be forced to change careers and, too often, those transitions leave the vulnerable further behind. SkillLab focuses on helping people who may not be able to rely on their networks and pristine CVs in facing these challenges.
While job titles and degrees may not be transferable, recognizing a person’s skills can empower them to find new career directions and promote their value to employers.
SkillLab’s mobile solution allows people to identify their unique skill set and connects them to education and employment opportunities. Used by public and private employment agencies as well as education and training providers, the solution generates highly personalised career pathways. The solution builds on the 13,485 skills of the European Union’s European Skills, Competences, Qualifications and Occupations framework and can automatically translate interactions across 27 languages. In 2019, SkillLab’s innovative use of AI was recognised with the Google AI Impact Award.
Rubio Impact Ventures is the lead investor for SkillLab’s first investment round. The Amsterdam-based partners aim to scale the growth and impact of SkillLab and share ambitious goals over the next years. Rubio’s commitment to social impact ensures that SkillLab continues to strive towards a vision where everyone has a pathway to employment.
We were immediately inspired by SkillLab’s potential to empower millions of job seekers worldwide: there is no better way to include people in society than connecting them with jobs in the rapidly changing economy
SkillLab also announces the establishment of a supervisory board. The board is chaired by Steven Koltai, currently with MIT and Harvard. Steven will bring the experiences of a 30-year career as an executive and serial entrepreneur. He is joined by Mariam Assefa, the recently retired Executive Director of World Education Services, a post she held for 38 years, and Warner Philips, an experienced investor with over 20 years of experience in the ImpacTech field.
About SkillLab
SkillLab incorporated in 2018 as a social business in Amsterdam and is now operating in over 15 countries. The technology company started out with a focus on the integration of refugees into European labour markets and evolved to assist all job seekers that would benefit from career support.
Learn more at www.skilllab.io
About Rubio
Rubio Impact Ventures is a Netherlands-based leading impact venture fund with >€120 million AuM. Rubio invests in world-changing entrepreneurs who combine a strong positive impact with a scalable commercial business model. An inclusive economy is one of the key focus areas for Rubio, with prior investments in companies such as AI training data leader Samasource, food sharing app OLIO, fair chain supermarket Marqt, and fair chain coffee subscription Wakuli. Learn more at www.rubio.vc
Contact: For further questions and inquiries, please contact info@skilllab.io.