Accenture Invests in Immersive Learning Startup Talespin

Accenture has made a strategic investment, through Accenture Ventures, in Talespin, a spatial computing company focused on workforce talent development and skills mobility. Talespin’s platform delivers XR-based learning and training applications, mixed reality job aides to support employee job performance and a new skills-based approach to work and productivity.

The World Economic Forum projects that by 2030, over one billion workers will have needed to reskill, as the core capabilities required for work across industries change. This makes it vital that companies implement engaging training programs to equip their workforces with these new skills. Immersive learning, built on Extended Reality (XR) technologies, offers opportunities for employees to participate in “hands-on” learning, and has been shown to lead to greater learning retention. Talespin’s platform powers the creation and distribution of immersive learning experiences, and supports an ecosystem of learning content creators, leading learning platforms, XR hardware partners and enterprise customers. It uses 3D virtual humans and environments to help people practice conversational skills and simulate jobs with real-time feedback and skills analytics.

“As the workforce evolves, so do the skills needed to excel and succeed. At the same time, device, computing and connectivity advances are enabling companies to explore new, innovative approaches to learning,” said Kyle Jackson, co-founder and chief executive officer, Talespin.

Tom Lounibos, managing director of Accenture Ventures, said, “Over 90% of executives who responded to a recent Accenture survey believe that their existing training methods need to be more effective and efficient. Yet conventional approaches to training, such as instructor-led classes or online video series, are not always effective; in fact, research shows that learners forget 70 percent of this type of content within 24 hours and nearly 90 percent in a month. The need for engaging, immersive learning is clear, and we believe that Talespin is well-positioned to address this challenge.”

Talespin is part of Accenture Ventures’ Project Spotlight, an engagement and investment program that connects emerging technology software startups with the Global 2000 to fill strategic innovation gaps. Project Spotlight offers extensive access to Accenture’s domain expertise and its enterprise clients, helping startups harness human creativity and deliver on the promise of their technology. Talespin is also the latest addition to the investment portfolio of Accenture Ventures, which is focused on investing in companies that create or apply disruptive enterprise technologies.