Today, UK tech company Multiverse acquired AI talent software company Searchlight to help businesses close skills gaps.

Multiverse combines work and learning to deliver equitable access to economic opportunity. It closes the critical skill gaps through a new kind of apprenticeship, harnessing the best of human-centred coaching, AI and tech to deliver an approach to learning that’s measured, applied, guided and equitable.

Multiverse partners with more than 1,000 organisations to deliver data analytics and software engineering training. 

In June 2022, they announced a $220 million Series D funding round co-led by StepStone Group, Lightspeed Venture Partners and General Catalyst. With a post-money valuation of $1.7 billion, the round makes the company the UK’s first edtech unicorn.

California-based Searchlight, founded in 2018, is a talent intelligence platform that develops ethical AI to build high-performing teams. It offers bias-free AI that finds top applicants, assesses candidates, and validates the quality of hire. Its unique learning loop utilises employee outcome data to make each successive hire a better match for the organisation. 

The combination of Searchlight’s technology and talent will accelerate the use of generative AI and machine learning at Multiverse.

Searchlight’s CEO, Kerry Wang, will become Director of Products. Searchlight’s CTO, Anna Wang, will become the Head of AI.
The Searchlight team will join Multiverse to spearhead the integration of its talent intelligence technology into Multiverse’s platform and lead Multiverse’s AI initiatives. 

Co-Founder and CEO of Searchlight, Kerry Wang, said: 

“We founded Searchlight to help companies build winning teams equitably and help individuals land meaningful work. From the moment I met the Multiverse team, it was clear that we share complementary goals and have been solving similar problems.

By joining forces we can apply Searchlight’s tech and expertise at scale with some of the world’s largest companies, effectively becoming the workforce development platform of the future.”

Founder and CEO of Multiverse, Euan Blair, said: 

“After meeting Anna and Kerry and digging into the Searchlight product, I was really excited at how they were using AI to spot patterns and identify skilling solutions both within and outside of the workforce.

Most companies are on a journey of tech transformation, and they want to do it in a way that is both equitable and effective. What often holds them back is the gap between the transformation they want to see and the skills that will unlock it.

“Searchlight’s AI, platform and exceptional talent will allow us to diagnose better the skills needed within companies and deliver impactful solutions. Combining our scale and world-class learning with Searchlight’s technology and team will ensure even more companies and individuals benefit.”

The financials of the acquistion has not been disclosed. Searchlight is the second acquisition for the company, following the purchase of Eduflow, another Y Combinator company, in May 2023.