LegalVision advises Ako Stoic on $1.85M SAFE Round

Firm: LegalVision

Value: AUD$1.85 million

Deal: LegalVision has successfully advised Ako Stoic Pty Ltd on its recent AUD$1.85 million SAFE round for education technology startup, Teacher's Buddy. The round was led by Giant Leap, with participation from Flying Fox Ventures, Co Ventures, Exhort Ventures, Saniel Ventures and Soul Capital. 

The investment will support the expansion of Teacher's Buddy's engineering and product teams, so it can build out its product roadmap, and scale its go-to-market efforts in Australia, New Zealand, and the UK. The company aims to grow its user base to more than 30,000 teachers and 200 school partners within the next 12 months, building on its early success of attracting over 12,000 teachers across 130 countries.

 Founded in 2024 by Matt Abraham and Ben Sze, Teacher's Buddy helps teachers manage their workload through an AI-enhanced platform that reduces administrative tasks, supports professional development, and provides insights to improve student outcomes. Ben Sze previously co-founded Edrolo, one of Australia's leading EdTech companies. Matt Abraham brings over 20 years of digital product experience and has served on school boards for a decade, giving him firsthand knowledge of the challenges teachers face.

Area: Corporate

Key players: The LegalVision team was led by Sian McLachlan (Practice Leader) with support from Shakoor Abdullah (Senior Lawyer).

Deal significance:

Sian McLachlan, LegalVision Corporate Transactions Practice Leader, notes: "It has been a real pleasure working with Ben and the team at Teacher's Buddy to complete this raise. We love collaborating with innovative Australian companies that tackle real-world issues, and Teacher's Buddy is an excellent example. We are excited to continue supporting the team as they expand and move into their next chapter."

Ben Sze, Co-Founder of Teacher's Buddy, comments: "LegalVision's team provided invaluable support throughout this funding round. Their practical advice and expertise in working with early-stage technology companies helped us navigate the process efficiently and set a strong foundation for Teacher's Buddy's growth. We're grateful for their partnership as we work to address the teacher burnout crisis."