CompTIA, has acquired Metacog, an artificial intelligence startup focused on real-world assessment, certification, evaluation and training products. Armed with the acquisition, CompTIA plans to launch an online testing platform that "will create a best-in-class option for Internet-based and remotely proctored high stakes exams and tests," the technology association asserts.
As part of the deal, Metacog Co-founder and CTO Douglas Stein has joined CompTIA as senior director of operations, according to his LinkedIn profile. Metacog veterans Owen Lawlor and Marcus DeGruttola have also joined CompTIA, their LinkedIn bios indicate.
The acquisition details arrive one week before the CompTIA ChannelCon 2019 conference in Las Vegas. Technology training and closing the talent gap are expected to be major themes at the event.
Metacog aligns well with those focus areas. A Metacog blog describes the company this way:
"Metacog is a cloud-based SDK toolkit and data storage and analytics platform for adaptive and competency-based learning. The toolkit enables the capture and analysis of data generated by learner interaction with digital learning objects so that their Metacognitive processes become measurable: That is, the system sees not only how the students score, but also how they are thinking about the assessment."
Metacog raised $2 million in seed funding in September 2014, and $1.6 million in angel funding in 2015, according to Crunchbase. However, the company has been mostly silent in recent years. For example, Metacog's blog hasn't been updated since February 2015, and one or more executive team members left the business in 2016, according to various LinkedIn profiles.
CompTIA's Remote Testing Platform: Details
Still, CompTIA certainly sees promise in the technology as part of the association's overall online education push. In a prepared statement about the acquisition and platform buildout, CompTIA CIO Randy Gross said:
“CompTIA recognizes the need to support all those wanting to pursue a career in technology, regardless of where they live or when they make their career decisions. By making remote testing widely available we’ll provide equal access to a tech career on-ramp for those individuals who may not have easy access to a brick-and-mortar testing center.”
ChannelE2E will pursue more details about the platform at ChannelCon 2019.
