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Taecanet
1/05/05
Taecanet is a dynamic young elearning business recently set up
in Liverpool by IT experts John Davison and Ian Nairn to develop
easy to use curriculum based learning materials to make time for
teachers to teach and to stimulate children to learn as much as
their enquiring minds demand.
The business is based in ICDC Liverpool is DFes accredited. Taecanet
Springboard includes: Science, History and Geography curricula
for English schools with additional topics being developed in
conjunction with teachers.
As Ruth Kelly, Minister in charge of DfES said in March, ‘With
more flexible elearning resources available on-line, teachers
can adapt the curriculum to their learners’ needs and interests.
Technology is the key to personalised learning and imaginative
use of IT should help engage more learners in the excitement of
learning’
Taecanet meets this challenge. They spent a lot of time talking
to teachers who wanted to use 21st century learning materials
but were short of time. Teachers wanted great resources to engage
kids? Kids don’t have great attention spans. Taecanet learning
journeys are little tasks so that the kids have a sense of achievement
followed by a formal assessment so teachers know what the child
has learnt. Because the learning journey is fun and engaging in
a number of ways it is a hit with children at KS2 and KS3
The DFes booklet ‘Harnessing Technology’ published in
2005 states ‘We want every child to achieve their full potential
by ensuring that every school in England makes full use of ICT
to improve learning and teaching standards across the board. Teachers
need to know how to introduce an e element into practice.’
Taecanet used the teacher’s plans and relates units to the
curriculum topic by mapping into the minds of teachers. The underlying
theme of Taecanet is linked to the national curriculum and the
qualification agencies. Their offering is an exciting web based
elearning service for primary and secondary schools as part of
the solution to help schools address personalised learning, inclusion
and assessment.
John Davison and Ian Nairn had been Directors of PLC’s, started
up new companies and had worked together at ICL. In January 2003
they created Taecanet to improve the life of teachers at school,
increase learning enjoyment for children and help schools meet
government elearning targets. The first pilot test was at Woodchurch
Road School in Birkenhead which went down very well followed by
a pilot at a secondary school in Bath.
As a result of the success they decided to ask for investment
and Taecanet was formed as a limited company in October 2003.
John and Ian were very confident of getting funding through business
angel groups.
They talked to VC’s but found that there was an issue because
this was a pre revenue business looking for a significant sum
of money.
The VC’s suggested that they returned when they had revenue.
In order be a supplier to the e learning market place worth over
£100 million p.a., they needed DFes approval which was not
possible until they could demonstrate a solid financial position.
It was a typical catch 22 business situation.
They raised some business angel funds but the breakthrough came
from Business Link South West who said they needed to move to
an objective one zone. Ian had been at university in Liverpool
and they were happy to consider it. Consequently in July 2004
Taecanet moved the operational base from Wiltshire to Merseyside
where they found unique combination of support provided through:
Business Link, JMU and Digital Inc and Liverpool Ventures, providing
access to funding streams for pre –revenue business.
The right combination of the three made Liverpool an ideal environment.
If one of these elements had been taken away then it would not
have been so attractive. They were also able to recruit people
from The People Pool operated by Liverpool City Council. Business
Link Merseyside’s Alastair McCallum put them in touch with
Peter Leather from JMU and JMU’s Digital Incubator ICDC were
willing to help develop prototype from V1 to V2 and incorporate
feedback from teachers and schools making the service much more
valuable to teachers. Further school tests were carried out in
Slough, Manchester, and Wigan in 2004. Through working with ICDC
Taecanet had a better demonstration capability. Ian Nairn from
Taecanet explained,
‘Steve Nesbitt from Liverpool Ventures. worked with Taecanet
to develop an application for Liverpool Seed Fund (managed by
Alliance Fund Managers*), we successfully gained approval for
a commercialisation funding of £250,000 on 29th December
2004 from Liverpool Seed Fund’ John Davison added, ‘
Steve Nesbitt of Liverpool Ventures was a guy who had empathy
with people who are building businesses. He understands them and
is on the same wavelength. Steve successfully acted as a broker
for our funding application to Liverpool Seed Fund.’
Once the £250,000 was raised through the Seed Fund, Angel
investors showed much more confidence and a further £150,000
was raised within 10 days.’Commercialisation funding will
enable Taecanet to take the prototype they have developed into
production and to take business from pre – revenue to revenue
generating. The Market place for Taecanet is e-learning in its
widest sense. In three years time the business would like to be
in a quarter of all English schools delivering more than £2
million in subscription revenue. They have plans to service schools
in other countries followed by development into further sectors.
Taecanet should soon grow from two to twenty staff. This business
promises to be a hugely successful knowledge based businesses
employing highly skilled people on Merseyside. www.taecanet.com
For more information
contact:
Gillian Hunt
Liverpool Ventures
*Alliance Fund Managers (AFM) is regulated by the FSA in the course
of investment business
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