​​​Aitchison alumni-founded Kollegio announces total pre-Series A funding above USD 5.3 million

US-based education technology startup Kollegio, founded by former Aitchison College students Senan Khawaja and Saeed Naeem, has raised a new round of capital, taking its total pre-Series A funding to more than USD 5.3 million.

The New York-based startup uses artificial intelligence to help students navigate college applications, including building college lists, finding financial aid and reviewing essays. Kollegio says more than 300,000 students are now using its platform, with the company targeting 1 million users.

But the company says its ambitions now extend beyond college admissions.

“We’re expanding that vision to become the navigation layer for all education and career decisions,” CEO and co-founder Senan Khawaja said in a LinkedIn post announcing the funding.

From college applications to education decisions

Kollegio initially positioned itself around helping students navigate the college admissions process. Its platform now connects students with colleges while providing AI-powered tools for applications, scholarships, essay feedback and college discovery.

On the institutional side, Kollegio says its platform is being used by more than 30 college partners. The company says it connects colleges with students who are actively researching institutions and can transfer engaged student profiles into partner institutions’ existing CRM systems.

Khawaja said the company is also working with Learning Collider on research into the effectiveness of its platform, with the aim of turning thousands of user testimonials into quantitative research.

Who is backing Kollegio?

The latest round includes new investors Workshop Venture Partners, Alumni Ventures, Dent Capital and AiSprouts VC, while existing backers include Reach Capital, JFFVentures and ECMC Group.

Kollegio had previously raised $3.6 million, including a $2.8 million seed round backed by Reach Capital, JFFVentures, ECMC Group and Tuesday Capital.

The company is now preparing for its next phase of growth and is hiring for two senior roles in New York: a founding designer and a head of growth, according to Khawaja.

Building beyond admissions

The new funding comes as Kollegio attempts to expand its role from an AI-powered college counselling platform into a broader education and career decision-making tool.

The company says its platform currently serves students across 50 US states and more than 190 countries, while its college-facing product is designed to help institutions identify and engage prospective students.

For Kollegio, the next milestone is therefore not just raising more capital.

It is scaling from hundreds of thousands of students using AI to navigate college decisions to a much larger platform covering education and career choices.