In a corporate learning transformation, technology consultancy AND Digital has slashed onboarding time by 80% and now sees three-quarters of its workforce using an AI-driven skills platform daily, following a strategic partnership with learning provider HowNow. The collaboration, initiated in early 2023, is delivering significant efficiency gains and high engagement by centralising knowledge and empowering employees as content creators.
Driving Efficiency and Engagement
AND Digital, which creates digital experiences for mid-market organisations and employs 800 people across the UK, Netherlands, and USA, sought to accelerate upskilling and speed to competence for new hires. By integrating LinkedIn Learning with the HowNow platform, the company has reduced the time learning and development teams and subject matter experts spend curating content by approximately 50%, streamlining the creation of practice-specific learning pathways.
The onboarding process has been revolutionised, condensed from a week-long induction to a single, high-impact learning event. This represents an 80% saving in L&D administrative time and enables faster integration for new joiners. Tara Ryan-Tedford, Learning and Development Lead at AND Digital, stated: “HowNow has been the linchpin of this transition. By housing structured onboarding pathways and post-induction support in one accessible place, we’ve been able to move toward a self-serve, on-demand resource model. As an L&D team, this has also reduced our induction admin by 80%.”
Employee engagement with the platform has surged, with 75% of the workforce now using HowNow every working day following the launch of a high-profile AI Enablement pathway. Ryan-Tedford described this daily usage as a “huge testament to the value it’s delivering.”
The Technology Behind the Transformation
HowNow is an AI-powered Learning Experience Platform (LXP) designed to connect learning directly to the skills employees need in their workflow. Founded in London in 2015 by Nelson Sivalingam, Kuvera Sivalingam, and Ashish Kumar, the platform uses a suite of AI agents for skills mapping, gap identification, and creating personalised learning pathways. It facilitates “learning in the flow of work” through integrations with tools like Slack, Microsoft Teams, and a Chrome Extension, and curates content from diverse sources.
The platform also integrates with major HR technology providers, including HiBob, Lattice, Workday, and Personio, as well as Credly for digital credentialing. Nelson Sivalingam, Co-founder and CEO of HowNow, said: “The AND Digital team is committed to building consultant capability and future-ready skills, and we’re delighted to be supporting such a fantastic organisation. Our skills-first partnership is driving faster expansion and diversification of AND Digital’s consulting services.”
For AND Digital, where 80% of employees are client-facing consultants, the platform supports a future-proofing strategy by enabling technical experts to share knowledge internally. Ryan-Tedford noted: “We wanted an agile partner and HowNow definitely ticks that box. The platform is purpose-built to support skills-driven learning and we really like that it enables people to create and contribute their own content.”
HowNow’s Rapid Growth and Market Position
HowNow has secured substantial funding, extending its Series A round to £7.5 million (approximately $9.42 million) in February 2025, bringing total investment to nearly £11 million from backers including Mercia Ventures, Pearson, and Fuel Ventures. The company has reported revenue growth of over 350% in the past two years and has doubled its workforce to 75 employees across London and Mumbai, with an ambition to upskill 10 million people by 2030.
The platform serves clients in over 30 countries and is used by more than 10,000 teams, with customer brands including TomTom, Trainline, HotelPlan, Investec, and the UK Government. It is recognised as one of Europe’s fastest-growing LXPs, having won ‘Best Technology-Based Onboarding’ at the 2024 Learning Technologies Awards and being named a Fall 2024 ‘Leader’ by G2.
This expansion occurs within a broader EdTech context; the UK’s EdTech market was valued at approximately $6.73 billion in 2023 and is projected for significant growth. Sivalingam has highlighted a growing emphasis on skills and evidence-based approaches in L&D, while noting a perceived decline in focus on DEI and ESG initiatives in 2025. HowNow operates in a competitive landscape that includes rivals such as Go1, Classplus, and CoachHub.
The partnership with AND Digital exemplifies how AI-driven, skills-first learning platforms are being leveraged to achieve tangible business impacts, from slashing administrative overhead to fostering a culture of continuous, internal knowledge sharing.
