Multiverse, a UK education technology 'unicorn', has purchased Californian AI-based talent screening platform Searchlight.

A unicorn is an independently owned technology company with a valuation of over $1 billion.

In June 2022, Multiverse became the UK’s first EdTech unicorn with a funding round that gave it a valuation of $1.7 billion.

Multiverse will now integrate Searchlight's technology, which uses "ethical AI" to screen candidates and seeks to avoid bias, into its platform. The company says it uses employee outcome data to try and make successive hires a better match for the organisation.

Searchlight, which was founded in 2018, has received backing from Y Combinator, one of Silicon Valley's best-known venture capital companies, which was an early investor in Airbnb, Coinbase, Cruise, DoorDash, Dropbox, Instacart, Reddit, Stripe, and Twitch.

Multiverse, founded in 2016 by Euan Blair, son of former Prime Minister Tony Blair, provides data analytics training to 1000s of companies across the UK and aims to build an alternative to university and corporate training.

It provides apprenticeship training and a jobs board, which is used to connect tech apprentices and employers.

The start-up also offers opportunities in a wide variety of sectors including software engineering, digital marketing, and data analytics.

Multiverse will see Searchlight’s chief executive, Kerry Wang, become Multiverse's director of products. Searchlight’s chief technology officer, Anna Wang, will become the Multiverse's new Head of AI.

The financial details of the acquisition were not disclosed.

Founder and chief executive of Multiverse, Euan Blair, said: “Searchlight’s AI, platform and exceptional talent will allow us to diagnose better the skills needed within companies and deliver impactful solutions.

He added: "Combining our scale and world-class learning with Searchlight’s technology and team will ensure even more companies and individuals benefit.”

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