Sirius Game closes €1.46M seed round to expand game-based learning
What's the deal? Italian edtech startup Sirius Game has closed a €1.3M seed round to expand its game-based learning platform across schools and corporate training. Cassa Depositi e Prestiti led the round, with Trentino InvestDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, Ultra VC, 28DigitalDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, and Add ValueDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → participating.
The capital will fund three priorities: further tech development, expansion within Italian and international education systems, and growth in corporate training.
Founded by Laura Cesaro, Sirius Game uses scientifically grounded game mechanics — challenges, missions, and interactive activities — to make learning more engaging and effective. The model targets transversal skills like critical thinking, collaboration, and digital awareness.
Why now? Alongside the funding, Sirius Game has launched JOY, an educational product for primary schools developed with publisher Il Gruppo Editoriale La Scuola and the Free University of Bozen-Bolzano. The product launch signals the company is ready to move beyond proof of concept.
"We want to show that learning can be engaging and rigorous at the same time, helping people develop skills that are truly useful to face change," said Cesaro.
What could go wrong? Game-based learning still faces scepticism from traditional educators and corporate buyers who question whether gamification delivers lasting outcomes. Sirius Game will need strong evidence of efficacy to win over schools and enterprises, especially as it expands internationally from a small Italian base.
The €1.3M raise is modest, which could limit the speed of international expansion against better-funded competitors in the broader edtech space.
The signal: Sirius Game's investor mix — spanning a state-backed institution, regional investment funds, and corporate backers — reflects a broad coalition betting on skills-focused edtech at a time when the sector's pandemic-era hype has given way to more selective dealmaking. As an early-stage company targeting both schools and corporate training, its dual-market approach could help de-risk growth; the simultaneous JOY product launch with an established publisher suggests it is prioritising commercial traction alongside fundraising.
Read more: Tech.eu
