Lernova

What Lernova does

Lernova (Educatieve uitgeverij Lernova NV) is a Belgian educational publisher headquartered in Lokeren and operating as a subsidiary of the Signpost Group. It develops interactive digital learning methods ("Lernova Lesmethodes") covering 14 or more subjects for Flemish secondary schools, delivering more than 10 million exercises per month to over 80,000 students across 300+ schools. The company layers a consumer subscription product (Lernova Thuisleren, priced at €265/year), a teacher professional-development platform (Lernova Academy, €49–75 per teacher per year), and a bundled school offering (Lernova MIX) on top of its core methods.

Name

Lernova

Legal name

Educatieve uitgeverij Lernova NV

Website

https://lernova.be

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Lernova is a Belgian educational publisher, part of the Signpost Group, providing interactive digital learning methods across 14+ subjects for Flemish secondary schools, reaching 300+ schools and 80,000+ students, and extending into teacher PD, home-learning subscriptions, and bundled school solutions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Digital Educational Publishing / EdTech Learning Platform

NAICS

Educational Services (611), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Prepackaged Software (7372), Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731)

akta.pro primary industry

Core Digital Curriculum & Courseware (Full Programs & Units) (EDAFACAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Curriculum, Lesson Planning & Instructional Content Platforms (EDAJAMAD), Teacher-Led Digital Lesson Packages & Instructional Resources (EDAFACAL)

Keywords

• Digital learning methods
• Educational publishing
• Teacher professional development
• Blended learning platform
• E-learning content

Headquarters

HQ city

Lokeren

HQ country

Belgium

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Supply Chain, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. School Licenses for Digital Learning Methods: Schools purchase licenses for Lernova's digital educational methods. When a teacher assigns a method to a class, each student in that class receives a paid license, which is invoiced to the school and included in the school's book invoice. The school directly orders from Lernova via a unique link sent to the book administrator, director, or secretariat. No intermediary/distributor is used in the standard B2B school channel.
2. Home Learning Subscriptions (Lernova Thuisleren): Direct-to-consumer annual subscription at a flat rate of €265 for 365 days of full access to all learning materials. Facilitated through partner VHoV for ordering. Targets home-schooling families and exam commission students in Flanders.
3. Lernova Academy Professional Development: Annual per-teacher subscription for the professional development platform. Tiered pricing: €75/teacher/year for 50% school coverage, €59/teacher/year for full school coverage (with 10% discount for 3-year commitment), and €49/teacher/year for school groups. Schools can also combine with Fourcast Academy for bundled live sessions.
4. Lernova MIX Bundled Package: Comprehensive bundled offering combining Academic Hardware (laptop with service), Academic Software (software programs), Lernova learning methods, Fourcast training for teachers, and Academic Connect internet connectivity. Offered as a monthly price per student with the stated goal of halving school bills. 100% continuity guarantee with replacement devices.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Lernova develops and sells interactive digital learning methods (digital textbooks) for secondary education in Flanders across 14+ subjects (Geography, Biology, Chemistry, English, French, Physics, History, ICT, Classical Languages, Society, Natural Sciences, Dutch, Mathematics), delivered via a cloud-based platform with animations, knowledge clips, interactive exercises and progress tracking. The portfolio is extended with Lernova Thuisleren (€265/year home-learning subscription), Lernova Academy (teacher professional development microlearnings, €49–€75/teacher/year) and the Lernova MIX bundle combining learning content with hardware, software, training and connectivity from sister Signpost entities.

Product overview

Lernova is an educational publisher offering a portfolio of interconnected digital learning and professional development products. Its core offering is the Lernova Lesmethodes platform — interactive digital textbooks for secondary education across 14+ subjects, balancing digital content with printed workbooks. Adjacent products include Lernova Thuisleren (a €265/year home learning subscription) and Lernova Academy (a teacher microlearning and professional development platform at €49–75/teacher/year). The flagship bundle is Lernova MIX, which packages Lernova Lesmethodes together with hardware, software, training, and connectivity from other Signpost group companies. An AI chatbot named MILA is also embedded in the platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Lernova Academy: Professional development platform offering microlearnings and masterclasses for teachers in primary and secondary education, with over 200 training modules and 60 hours of content.
• Lernova Thuisleren
• Lernova MIX

Products and services

• Lernova Lesmethodes (Core Digital Learning Methods) Interactive digital educational methods for secondary education covering 14+ subjects, combining digital content with printed workbooks, supporting adaptive exercises, animations, knowledge clips and real-time progress tracking for students and teachers. Sold as per-student school licenses ordered directly by Flemish secondary schools.
• Lernova Thuisleren (Home Learning) A standalone home-learning subscription offering 365-day full access to Lernova's learning methods for home-schooling and exam commission preparation, priced at €265 per year with all subjects, clear learning trajectories and progress tracking. Sold directly to consumers via partner VHoV.
• Lernova Academy A professional-development platform for primary and secondary teachers offering 200+ microlearnings, 60+ training hours, masterclasses with university experts, and a dashboard for teachers and administrators. Tiered per-teacher pricing: €75/teacher/year (50% school), €59/teacher/year (full school) and €49/teacher/year (school group).
• Lernova MIX A bundled all-in-one school solution combining Signpost Group offerings — Academic Hardware laptops with maintenance service, Academic Software programs, full Lernova learning methods, Fourcast teacher training and Academic Connect internet connectivity — at a fixed monthly price per student, with a stated goal of halving school textbook bills and a 100% device continuity guarantee.

Quantifiable outcome

• 80% of teachers report being able to work more individually tailored to students
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

AI capability2 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• VHoV (Vlaamse Homeschool Organisatie)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 May 2024VHoV acts as the ordering and facilitation partner for Lernova Thuisleren, the home schooling and exam commission product. Families use VHoV to place orders and receive access to Lernova within three working days of completing the enrollment form. VHoV handles the practical ordering logistics while Lernova provides the learning platform and content.
• DOKOcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 May 2024DOKO is the procurement platform for Catholic education in Flanders. Lernova entered a framework agreement (raamovereenkomst) with DOKO in May 2024. The goal is to provide Catholic schools with structured access to Lernova's learning methods as part of an initiative to halve school book costs (boekenfactuur).
• Fourcast AcademycoreGTM or Marketing PartnerFourcast Academy offers live interactive sessions on classroom practice, ICT management, and digital tools. Lernova Academy can be combined with Fourcast Academy as a bundled offering, giving schools a complete professionalization solution combining asynchronous microlearnings with synchronous live sessions. A 10% discount applies to both platforms when bundled.
• Signpost Group (Parent Company)coreOthersLernova is a subsidiary of the Signpost Group, a Belgian educational technology and services group headquartered in Lokeren. Signpost Group encompasses multiple entities including Academic Software, Academic Hardware, Academic Connect, Fourcast, CampusPDI, and others serving the educational market across Belgium, the Netherlands, France, Spain, Finland, Poland, Germany, and the UK.
• KU Leuven (itec Research Institute)minorOthersThe itec research institute at KU Leuven (KU Leuven Kulak) conducted user research among 200 teachers using Lernova. The study measured five dimensions of teaching practice outcomes, finding 71-80% positive results across all dimensions. This research provides third-party validation of Lernova's effectiveness claims.
• University Experts (Lernova Academy Masterclass)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLernova Academy Masterclass features expert speakers from universities and educational institutions including Griet Bogaert, Marijke Wilssens, and Thomas Vliebergh. Partner institutions include Universiteit Gent, Universiteit Antwerpen, Artevelde Hogeschool, and Howest. These experts contribute video sessions of 60-90 minutes providing deepening content on didactics, pedagogy, and classroom management.
• SmartschoolcoreTechnology or IntegrationSmartschool is the most widely used school information system in Flemish schools. Lernova integrates via OneRoster to automatically synchronize student, class, and teacher data from Smartschool. School IT admins configure the integration by creating a OneRoster client in Smartschool and providing Client ID and Client Secret to Lernova. The synchronization starts automatically when the new Smartschool school year begins (mid-August).
• Microsoft, Google (SSO Identity Providers)coreTechnology or IntegrationLernova supports Single Sign-On (SSO) authentication via Microsoft Entra (Azure AD), Google Workspace for Education, and Smartschool. This allows teachers and students to log in using their existing school accounts, reducing friction and enabling automatic account provisioning. For non-Smartschool schools, Microsoft/Google accounts are used for both SSO and account creation.
• Academic Hardware (Signpost Group)coreTechnology or IntegrationPart of the Signpost Group, Academic Hardware provides laptops and hardware services bundled in the Lernova MIX package. Offers device selection, 100% continuity guarantee with replacement devices, service centers throughout Flanders, extra-strong protection, and Microsoft O365 for teachers and students.
• Academic Software (Signpost Group)coreTechnology or IntegrationPart of the Signpost Group, Academic Software provides educational software bundled in the Lernova MIX package. Includes digital examination with Assessment Q, classroom monitoring with Classroom.Cloud, and plagiarism checking.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Direct peers

• Die Keure: Belgian educational publisher with a strong catalog in languages, social sciences, and law for secondary education. Direct competitor to Lernova in core secondary subjects with digital and blended offerings.
• Noordhoff Uitgevers: Dutch educational publisher offering digital learning methods, practice platforms, and teacher support for secondary education. Comparable product portfolio and recurring license revenue model.
• Plantijn Uitgevers: Belgian/Dutch educational publisher offering digital learning methods for secondary education across multiple subjects. Competes directly with Lernova for school adoption in Flanders and the Netherlands.
• ThiemeMeulenhoff: Dutch educational publisher with digital curricula and adaptive learning platforms for secondary education. Comparable recurring-license model and similar subject coverage to Lernova.
• Pelckmans Uitgeverij: Belgian educational publisher producing textbooks and digital learning materials for secondary education. Targets overlapping Flemish secondary school customers with comparable blended curriculum approach.
• Malmberg: Major Dutch educational publisher (part of Sanoma) producing digital curricula and learning platforms for primary and secondary education. Closely comparable business model, with regional overlap at the Belgium/Netherlands border.
• Van In Uitgeverij: Belgian educational publisher (subsidiary of Sanoma) producing digital and printed curricula for Flemish primary and secondary education across the same subject domains as Lernova. Direct head-to-head competitor in Flemish secondary schools.

Emerging players

• BookWidgets: Belgian EdTech platform for creating interactive learning activities, integrated into Lernova via 'own content' embedding. Comparable customer base (Flemish teachers) with overlapping interactive-exercise functionality.

Others

• Smartschool: Leading school information system/LMS used by Flemish schools, integrated with Lernova via OneRoster for student/class data sync. Ecosystem enabler rather than direct competitor, but a potential adjacent platform that could expand into curriculum.

Broad incumbents

• Sanoma Corporation: Finnish media and education group that owns Van In, Malmberg, and other K-12 curriculum publishers across Northern Europe. Largest incumbent competitor with broader portfolio, geographic reach, and cross-border distribution.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@uitgeverijlernova
• Facebookfacebook.com/UitgeverijLernova
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/educatieve-uitgeverij-lernova
• Instagraminstagram.com/lernova.be

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Lernova