Gizmo bags $22 million in Series A funding as it focuses on making learning addictive
Gizmo, an AI powered learning platform, has raised $22 million in Series A funding. The round was led by Shine Capital, with participation from Ada Ventures, Seek Investments, GSV, and NFX, who previously led a $3.5 million seed round, and others.
The cash will be used to expand Gizmo's engineering and AI team to support growth in the US college market and accelerate product expansion.
"We're not fighting for less screen time - we're fighting for better screen time," says Petros Christodoulou, Co-founder and CEO, Gizmo. "People aren't addicted to their phones; they're addicted to progress, novelty, social connection, and reward. Gizmo redirects that energy toward something that builds their future. With this funding, we're doubling down on making learning the most engaging and rewarding thing on your phone."
Students upload their notes, documents, or web links, and Gizmo's AI instantly generates customised study materials: interactive flashcards, adaptive quizzes, and gamified challenges tailored to each learner. Built-in social features let friends study together, compete on leaderboards, and hold each other accountable.
"Gizmo has cracked something that's eluded consumer learning for years: organic, student-driven engagement at massive scale," says Ethan Daly, General Partner at Shine Capital. "Thirteen million users have chosen Gizmo to transform dense subjects into interactive, personalized, and high-reward experiences, driving real outcomes in a way students love. We see Gizmo as the defining learning platform for the next generation of students and lifelong learners, and we're thrilled to be backing Petros, Robin, and Paul as they scale it globally."
"We believed in Gizmo's potential early, because it was built on a combination of deep technical expertise, sharp product instinct, and commitment to innovation," says Pete Flint, General Partner at NFX. "The team has built an AI native product that removes friction from learning while creating network effects as more students contribute to and learn from the platform. Petros, Robin, and Paul are focused on making sure people benefit from AI and achieve their potential, and we're excited to continue supporting them as they expand."
Christodoulou co-founded Gizmo with two friends and fellow University of Cambridge graduates, Robin Jack (CTO), and Paul Evangelou (CPO). The venture’s long-term vision is to help one billion people learn by making education accessible and just as engaging as the best consumer entertainment apps.
2026 RTIH Innovation Awards
AI will be a key focus area at our sister title RTIH’s 2026 Innovation Awards.
The awards are now open for entries and celebrate global retail technology innovation in a fast moving omnichannel world.
Our winners will be revealed at the 2026 RTIH Innovation Awards Ceremony, taking place at The HAC in Central London on Wednesday, 4th November.
Check out the 2025 winners here.
Our 2025 hall of fame entrants were revealed during a sold out event which took place at The HAC on 16th October and consisted of a drinks reception, three course meal, and awards ceremony presided over by award winning comedian, actress and writer Tiff Stevenson.
In his welcome speech, Scott Thompson, Founder and Editor, RTIH, said: “This is the awards’ fifth year as a physical event. We started off with just 30 people at the South Place Hotel not far from here, then moved to London Bridge Hotel, then The Barbican, and last year RIBA’s HQ in the West End.”
“But I’m conscious of the fact that, to quote the legend that is Taylor Swift, You’re only as hot as your last hit, baby. So, this year we’ve moved to our biggest venue yet, and also pulled in our largest number of entries to date and broken attendance records.”
He added: “This year’s submissions have without doubt been our best yet. To quote one of the judges: The examples of innovative developments across both traditional and digital retail spaces were truly remarkable.”
