Oneday raises £8.25M to launch new MBA to disrupt higher education system

• Oneday- the first formal education system built for entrepreneurship – has raised £8.25 million in funding to launch its new MBA
• The platform allows students to create their own revenue-generating business whilst earning a fully-accredited MBA degree at the same time
• With knowledge-based jobs increasingly being taken over by AI, the platform predicts entrepreneurship will continue to rise as the technology breaks down barriers to starting a business  

Oneday, the first formal education system built for entrepreneurship, has launched its new accredited MBA following a successful second round of fundraising. The latest fundraise saw a total of £5 million in investments from Ananda Impact Ventures, Brighteye Ventures, Outward VC, Flint Capital andSparkmind.vc, generating a total investment of £8.25 million to date. 

Co-founded by Ranbir Arora and Taras Polik, Oneday’s new MBA is overseen by Stephen Kosslyn, ex-Dean of Harvard. The platform will allow students to participate in an 18-month programme, where they will receive one-on-one access to a seven-figure entrepreneur mentor, to assist them with the launch of their own revenue generating business, and earn a fully-accredited MBA degree at the same time. 

The launch comes amid the changing business landscape, notably the rapid development of AI, which many are dubbing the next industrial revolution. New research from Oneday has revealed over a quarter (26 per cent) of Brits think their jobs will be impacted by AI technology in the next five to ten years. Previous data has even estimated that AI could replace 300 million jobs.*

Oneday predicts this fundamental shift will see the already increasing levels of entrepreneurship** continue to rise as it will allow humans to focus less on admin tasks and more on providing creative solutions to the world’s issues. The advent of AI also means starting a business will become more economically viable by democratising access to resources, reducing startup costs, and streamlining critical business functions. 

In fact, more than two-thirds of respondents to Oneday’s survey of 2,000 adults think AI would make it easier to start a business by cutting admin time (42 per cent) and helping to develop their idea or product (38 per cent). 46 per cent of Brits have even started integrating AI tools, such as ChatGPT, into their current job roles already.

The research also demonstrates the number of Brits who have already considered starting their own business, yet have so far struggled to get up and running. A third (34 per cent) cited lack of confidence and not knowing where to start (34 per cent) as the main hindrances, as well as funding (54%). Oneday’s  focus on providing practical, real-world experience prepares budding entrepreneurs for the challenges and opportunities of the modern business landscape.

2,000 students have already built their businesses at Oneday, and with support from VC funds including Brighteye Ventures andSparkmind.vc- the largest vertical EdTech funds in Europe – the platform is well set to be the first real challenger to the higher education model in over a century. 

Ranbir Arora, founder and CEO of Oneday said:

‘Following a successful fundraise of £8.25 million, we are hugely excited to launch our new MBAprogramme, which is just the first step in creating a broader education system around entrepreneurship. 

“It’s clear to see that AI is fundamentally taking over routine knowledge work jobs, and at Oneday, we see this as an exciting opportunity to reposition our society into solving new problems for humanity through creating new businesses, instead of teaching students how to do things we already know how to do.

“Our mission is to provide what the current education system currently doesn’t – practical, real-world experience that will teach entrepreneurs the necessary skills they need to take on the modern business world.’

Benoit Wirz, Founding Partner of Brighteye Ventures said:

“Formal education is too often theoretical, detached from the real world. Oneday breaks that mould by offering the first-ever practical degree in entrepreneurship. This isn’t just about studying textbooks and passing exams. It’s about hands-on training and building as you go, fostering a mindset of innovation and resilience. We’re proud to back Oneday as they pave the way for a new era of practical, impactful learning.”

Johannes Weber, General Partner at Ananda Impact Ventures said:

“Accessible, practically-oriented entrepreneurial education holds the key to unlocking individual financial independence, driving economic growth, and fostering innovation. With Oneday, this opportunity becomes accessible to all. We are delighted to be actively involved in this transformative endeavour.”