Skillmaker Closes $2.5M Pre‑Seed SAFE Round
Skillmaker Closes $2.5M Pre‑Seed SAFE Round
Honoring Labor Day by Building AI solutions for Auto‑Technicians
Detroit, Michigan – August 26, 2025 – As Labor Day approaches, Skillmaker has announced the closing of its $2.5M pre-seed funding round. Filmed at the historic Henry Ford Museum, the announcement links Ford’s 1913 assembly line revolution—cutting Model T production to 90 minutes and doubling wages—to Skillmaker’s mission to revolutionize how quickly skilled technicians are trained.
Skillmaker’s AI‑driven immersive training powers the NAPA Autotech XcceleratoR, a collaboration with Genuine Parts Company and NAPA Auto Parts.
“This is more than just a training upgrade—it's a game-changer for the entire automotive service ecosystem. Skillmaker’s proven XR and AI approach has already accelerated learning in other sectors, and we’re thrilled to bring that power to NAPA’s extensive network of shops and technicians.”
The program uses first‑person simulations and AI feedback to reduce technician training from years to weeks, and it is recognized by the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) with its Blue Seal of Excellence. The partnership between ASE and Skillmaker could set a new standard in time-to-competency certification.
“We believe this program has the potential to substantially shorten time-to-certification without compromising the quality of hands-on skills that have always been our core focus,”
“Henry Ford proved that bringing the work to the worker unlocks productivity and prosperity,” said Robin Cowie, founder of Skillmaker. “We’re applying that principle to auto‑tech training—delivering immersive, real‑time simulations on site so technicians learn in weeks instead of years. Closing our pre‑seed round allows us to scale this for all skilled workers.”
Idea Fund Partners – One of the most active and oldest early‑stage venture firms in the Southeast.
Strada Education Foundation – Invests in mission‑aligned companies that remove barriers to education and workforce pathways.
Cape Fear Ventures – Wilmington‑based VC firm led by Richard Stroupe. The firm invests in enterprise software, data science and AI.
StartEd Advisors – Widely recognized as the leading EdTech advisory network, empowers companies with fractional executive leadership, AI-enabled playbooks, and strategic investment to accelerate growth. Its senior partners include Jonathan D. Harber (founder of Schoolnet), Alan Todd (founder of CorpU) and Ash Kaluarachchi (co‑founder of EDTECH WEEK – the #1 EdTech conference in the USA)
Greenwave Ventures – Invests in early-stage enterprise software, gaming, sports innovation, and med tech.
First Talent Ventures – Founded by F. Scott Moody, co-founder of AuthenTec (the pioneering fingerprint sensor technology company acquired by Apple for $356 million) and a longtime mentor in North Carolina’s startup ecosystem.
WALE Angel Network– An angel network led by Jim Roberts, founder of the Network for Entrepreneurs in Wilmington (NEW), which has helped establish Wilmington as the nation’s #1 startup ecosystem among cities under 300,000. NEW hosts the largest monthly startup events in North Carolina, connecting entrepreneurs with investors.
Camden James Ventures — Founded by Camden J. Weis, a member of Skillmaker’s founding team, CJV participated in the round to reinforce conviction in Skillmaker’s role as core infrastructure for America’s workforce.
Several Angel investors, for example, Lelon Winstead and Allan Cantle, Winstead, a former managing partner of The Structure Group and utility industry veteran, acquired by Accenture, will steer Skillmaker’s energy and electrification initiatives; Cantle, an AI engineer with expertise in compute and AI data science, will advise on technology alignment.
“Skillmaker’s immersive training delivers the double-bottom-line impact we value,” said Mike Hanagan of Strada Education Foundation. Richard Stroupe of Cape Fear Ventures added, “Skillmaker is solving America’s worker shortage and training bottleneck in a novel way.”
Skillmaker will use the funds to expand its XR‑enabled training through NAPA stores and to broaden its curriculum to other trades. “At its core, Skillmaker is about expanding opportunity. By compressing years of training into weeks, we’re opening faster on-ramps to good jobs, strengthening local economies, and giving employers the skilled talent they urgently need.” — Camden Weis, Founding Partner of Skillmaker.
For more information about the company, visit https://skillmaker.ai
About Skillmaker
Skillmaker builds AI‑driven extended‑reality training programs that bring the work to the worker. Founded by media and technology veterans, the platform delivers first‑person simulations with real‑time feedback, shortening the time needed to train automotive technicians from years to weeks. Skillmaker is headquartered in Wilmington, North Carolina—one of the world’s leading startup ecosystems and a rapidly rising tech hub.