Robin Cowie made his mark on the entertainment/media world, producing the indie classic film The Blair Witch Project in 1999 and later bringing major video games like Madden NFL to life. But now as the CEO of the EdTech (education technology) startup Skillmaker AI, he is focused on shaping the future. Specifically, the future of work.
“I’ve been very blessed and very fortunate to have a great career in entertainment, but this is probably the most important thing that I’ve ever done in my life,” he told Hypepotamus.
Skillmaker AI is a workforce training platform using AI-powered XR (extended reality) technology for vocational training and skill development. The startup delivers “just-in-time” lessons for workers looking to break into or level up in automation, industrial, or construction sectors, which are all facing critical labor shortages.
It is all about “helping skilled workers at scale,” Cowie told Hypepotamus. The platform helps with the full lifecycle of an employee…from assessing new employees, to accelerating new learning paths, and assisting with on-the-job training.
Building Skillmaker
Skillmaker AI works directly with learning and development divisions of companies, which are responsible for creating educational content for employees. Skillmaker’s multi-modal LLM enables teams to bring in data from various sources, build out a curated, searchable database, and then turn that database into curated educational content and specific video curriculum.
“Think of it like a movie script,” Cowie explained. Skillmaker gives learning and development teams that “script,” which they can then use to create company-specific XR video content, quizzes, or interactive simulations.
Team control over the ultimate training output ensures that Skillmaker content is vetted and compliant with company standards.
“We’re trying to use AI to serve humans, and not the other way around,” Cowie added.
Skillmaker is looking to fill critical learning gaps that are continuing to grow in our AI-driven world. In its early days, Skillmaker is looking to train workers who work in “critical infrastructure” jobs like energy, telecommunications, and transportation.
“There is going to be a great reskilling of America,” given how quickly AI is changing many job descriptions and overall industries. “I think that putting agency into the hands of individuals is really important.”
Building The Future Of Work On The North Carolina Beach
Originally from South Africa, Cowie’s father introduced him the intersection of filmmaking and “point of view learning.” After going to film school in the United States, he continued to work on immersive media experiences, including the 1999 film The Blair Witch Project, the “found footage” horror film that lives on in the cultural and cinematic zeitgeist. He went on to work at Electronic Arts and HELO, which worked at the intersection of physical experiences with digital experiences for international brands like McDonald’s, Santander, Universal Studios, Amazon, Netflix, and Burger King.
Cowie ultimately became interested in “helping skilled workers at scale,” which brought him to launch Skillmaker early last year.
After stints in Los Angeles, Orlando, and London, Cowie and his family used the COVID pandemic to explore potential new homebase cities, spending months criss-crossing the United States in Airbnbs. At the end of their travels, Santa Cruz, California and Wilmington, North Carolina were the finalists.
Coastal North Carolina won out.
Those who have followed Hypepotamus for several years now know that Wilmington’s tech scene has attracted or grown several impressive startups over the years. The city is home to a growing number FinTech and BioTech startups. Cowie sees it as a place that can support startups focused on the future of work like Skillmaker.
North Carolina has quickly embraced Cowie. He was on stage last month at Venture Connect, taking home the audience vote in the AI & Machine Learning category at the popular VC conference in Raleigh.
EdTech For Enterprises
Cowie is now taking Skillmaker on the road, literally.
He took the stage in Las Vegas this week at NAPA NOW, an event for NAPA Auto Care centers. While there, he showcased Skillmaker’s technician educational work with the automotive industry giant.
Skillmaker recently announced a partnership with NAPA Auto Parts. The startup designed the NAPA Autotech XcceleratoR program as an immersive training platform for auto technicians.
Traditional training methods for auto technicians can take anywhere from 9 to 24 months. Skillmaker says it cuts that training time down drastically.
“With our combination of virtual reality, mixed reality and smart glasses, [we] ultimately reduce the amount of time that it takes to go from zero to an entry level auto repair technician from two years to 25 days,” Cowie added.
More enterprise-level partnerships are in the works. While the core Skillmaker team is currently less than 10 people, Cowie said that they are starting to raise capital to build out the internal team.
