Litzie Maarek

Q1: What firms do you invest in?

Edtech firms – the future of education and work.

Q2: How can we reduce the digital divide in schooling?

I think the divide is social rather than digital. There’s huge inequality in education. Digital technology is a fabulous tool in reducing the social divide. It reduces gaps in skills by personalising learning and training. When technology is used in schools as a tool for teachers, education is enhanced, pupils are more closely involved and precious time is saved among teachers so they can focus on their biggest task: supporting and teaching their pupils.

Q3: What are the impact criteria for your investments?

We try to study the real impact of firms in our portfolio by measuring customised criteria in three fields: 

• Accessibility: digital technology adapted to education, giving the greatest number of people access to the best education.
• Inclusion: openness to underprivileged people, gender equality and diversity.
• Outcome: the capacity of a technological tool to truly enhance education, whether based on a rate of return to work among adults or on effectiveness in learning among children. 

Q4: In concrete terms, what have your impacts been this year?

We’ve combined certain impact metrics in our portfolio: There are 13 million users of our solutions, there are 16 million pupils who enjoy free access to the educational resources of firms in our portfolio, and 35% of our firms were founded or co-founded by women.

However, the KPIs should be appreciated from firm to firm. We’ve financed a firm whose purpose is to fight illiteracy, another that reconciles pupils to science and gets them involved through virtual laboratories, a school entirely online that trains IT developers, a coaching platform for improving well-being at work, and others.

Q5: What’s the definition of a responsible firm?

For me, a responsible firm is different to impact. 

A responsible firm should incorporate pledges regarding the environment, diversity and society into all its processes and business activities. Educapital SAS, our investment firm that manages our funds, is a responsible company. Gender equality and societal responsibility, which includes our donations, are part of our DNA.

A responsible firm’s aim and business model aren’t necessarily orientated towards making a social impact. Rather, an impact firm (those we target with our funds) has a business model directly correlated with societal impact. Their purpose is to generate a positive impact on society.