Build Club, an AI e-learning platform aimed at democratizing AI education through real-world projects, has secured $1.75 million in an oversubscribed pre-seed funding round. The round was led by Airtree and Blackbird, with additional participation from Archangel Ventures, Co Ventures, and Treble VC.
With automation expected to displace 85 million jobs globally by 2025, AI-related roles such as data science and engineering are projected to grow, creating 97 million new jobs. Build Club, which has grown into APAC’s largest AI community with over 4,500 members, is positioned to help individuals and companies adapt to this shift.
The platform offers project-based learning via its “bounty” system, where businesses and startups submit real-world problems for participants to solve. Build Club has partnered with AI leaders like NVIDIA, Cohere, Leonardo.AI, and Groq to support its mission.
Founder and CEO Annie Liao stressed the growing need for AI solutions, stating: “The demand for AI solutions is outpacing the speed at which employees have been able to reskill, making it mission critical for companies to find a practical solution to stay competitive. Through running Build Club, we’re giving domain experts, not just coders, the tools to build AI solutions today.”
While Airtree partner Elicia McDonald added: “It’s adapt or die when it comes to AI adoption, and this is particularly true for SMEs, who are currently underserved by existing platforms and desperate for a solution that enables them to keep pace with the transformation their industries are undergoing. Annie and the Build Club team have already proven their ability to execute and build a thriving community, putting them in pole position to own the education and credentialing of the next generation of AI builders.”
