South African EdTech startup The Invigilator has raised an impressive $11 million in funding to scale its AI-powered online exam monitoring platform globally.
This capital infusion, which is being managed by Kaltroco Partners and includes investments from professionals in Nashville, Zurich, and Cape Town, is expected to expedite the company’s development and open up new markets by utilising cutting-edge AI technology that detects cheating in digital assessments.
The Invigilator is already trusted by more than 20 educational institutions, including the most prestigious universities in South Africa, to ensure the academic integrity of their remote exams.
AI-Driven online exam monitoring revolution
The Invigilator was founded in 2020 by chartered accountant Nicholas Riemer, who identified a critical need for trustworthy and affordable online exam proctoring solutions amidst rising concerns about digital cheating.
The company’s AI platform uses facial recognition, video monitoring, GPS detection, and plagiarism tools to flag suspicious behaviour during assessments.
Riemer emphasises, “This investment gives us the ability to ramp up AI development even more, allowing greater access to education while maintaining assessment credibility.”
The platform supports low data usage and offline functionality and works on mobile and PC devices. The features are specially designed to fit the South African educational context but are adaptable worldwide.
Global growth and Impact on education
With the $11 million financing round, The Invigilator intends to broaden its operations to the Middle East, Asia, Europe, and North America.
The company plans to enhance its AI models to provide constant, real-time monitoring during exams, strengthen partnerships across educational institutions, and develop multilingual capabilities into the platform.
Cornou Rykaart from Kaltroco describes The Invigilator as having “a disruptive technology that drives positive impact in a key sector,” making quality education more accessible by reducing dependence on costly physical proctoring infrastructure.
This move positions the South African startup as a prominent player in the global education technology market, symbolising innovation from Africa to the world.