Luca Raises US$ 8M in Series A led by to 6 Degrees Capital Scale AI-Powered Education in Latin America
Luca, an AI-powered EdTech platform, raises US$8M in Series A funding led by 6 Degrees Capital to expand K-12 education in Mexico and across Latin America.
Luca, an AI-driven learning platform for K-12 education, has closed a $8 million Series A funding round, reinforcing its position as one of the most promising EdTech startups in Latin America. The round was led by 6 Degrees Capital, a Tier 1 venture capital fund based in the United Kingdom and Belgium, with participation from Explorer (Portugal), Heartcore Capital (Denmark), and Shilling VC (Portugal).
A strategic Series A backed by global education and tech leaders
As part of the transaction, Luca announced the addition of two high-profile operators to its board:
- Juan Romero, former CEO of Pearson Latin America and current CEO of ISP LatAm (International Schools Partnership),
- and Vasco Pedro, founder of Unbabel and Spinnable AI.
The round also includes several angel investors who are founders and senior operators from the global education and technology sectors.
This latest raise brings Luca’s total funding to more than $13 million since its seed round in 2022, consolidating its growth trajectory with strong institutional validation and a value proposition designed specifically for the Mexican education system.
Growth strategy: dominance in Mexico and regional expansion
With the new capital, Luca will execute a three-pronged strategy. First, it aims to consolidate its leadership in Mexico and become the dominant K-12 player, covering preschool through high school, within the next five years.
Second, the company plans to expand into other Latin American markets. Third, it will continue developing new AI-powered products for personalized education, deepening its technological moat.
Currently, Luca reaches more than 30,000 active students in Mexican schools, delivering measurable results. Schools using the platform report a 28% reduction in academic management time for teachers and a 20% improvement in learning outcomes, driven by digital content that quickly identifies knowledge gaps.
A regional opportunity with global scale
Luca was founded by Frederico Bello, whose background includes roles at Morgan Stanley, Uber, and The Power MBA. He chose to pivot his career toward education, convinced that it represents one of the highest-impact sectors for social and economic development in Latin America.
Mexico alone represents the third-largest K-12 student population in Latin America, with more than 30 million students. Across Spanish-speaking Latin America, the addressable market exceeds 120 million students, making it the third-largest globally, after India and China.
“We are building the largest education company in Latin America, designed to lead the global transformation of education over the next 100 years,” said Frederico Bello, founder and CEO of Luca.
“Artificial intelligence creates an unprecedented opportunity to deliver truly personalized learning at scale. For the first time, this can reach millions of students with real academic impact.”
How Luca applies AI inside the classroom
Luca operates as a hybrid education system, combining digital and printed content for primary and secondary schools. At the primary level, it covers:
- Mathematics
- Spanish
- Science
- English
- Reading
- and Grammar.
In secondary education, it includes:
- Mathematics
- Spanish
- Biology
- Physics
- Chemistry
- English
- Geography
- History
- and Civic and Ethics Education.
The platform is fully aligned with Mexico’s Nueva Escuela Mexicana (NEM) framework and adapts content to each student’s pace. It also automates time-consuming tasks for teachers, such as lesson planning, projects, and exams, while generating real-time performance reports.
Through advanced AI tools, Luca corrects written assignments, creates personalized projects, generates exams with a single click, and delivers predictive academic performance analytics. School administrators gain access to data-driven dashboards for strategic decision-making, while parents receive continuous and transparent updates on their children’s progress.
AI with pedagogical intent, not substitution
According to Thibault D’hondt, General Partner at 6 Degrees Capital, AI is entering education at a moment of systemic stress.
“Six out of ten teachers in the U.S. are already using AI tools because they are naturally drawn to them. Education systems are under pressure from teacher shortages, oversized classrooms, and increasing bureaucracy. AI arrives at exactly the right time,” he explained.
Despite its strong technological foundation, Luca emphasizes that its core remains human. The platform has been designed alongside pedagogical experts and draws inspiration from education models in Finland and Singapore, balancing innovation with holistic student development. Its methodology integrates microlearning, gamification, hybrid education, and AI-augmented instruction.
Addressing Latin America’s learning gap with measurable results
The urgency of innovation in education is reflected in recent data. According to OECD PISA 2022 results:
- 66% of Mexican students do not meet minimum proficiency levels in mathematics.
- And 47% fall below basic reading comprehension standards.
Across Latin America, learning gaps exceed two full school years compared to advanced education systems.
An independent study conducted by Tecnológico de Monterrey found that schools using Luca achieved academic improvements of up to 20% in Mathematics, Science, Languages, and English within six months of implementation. The study positions Luca as the only solution in Mexico with independent scientific validation of its academic impact.
A fast-growing, profitable EdTech SaaS
In just three years, Luca has become one of the fastest-growing SaaS companies in Mexico and globally. In 2025 alone, the company quintupled its revenue, and the current school cycle continues at the same growth pace in both income and number of schools served. Today, Luca operates with profitability and a scalable business model.
According to 6 Degrees Capital, Luca ranks among the top global deals in its portfolio, based on performance, long-term potential, and strategic vision.
Building a scalable education model for the region
In a region where structural education challenges demand sustainable and context-aware solutions, Luca positions itself as a strategic player combining advanced technology with deep pedagogical understanding.
This Series A round marks not only a financial milestone, but also the reinforcement of a broader vision: to build a scalable, data-driven, and human-centered education model for students and teachers across Latin America.
