Learning and development specialist, Thrive, has announced its first strategic acquisition as it aims to bridge the skills gap.

Founded in 2019, AI-powered mentoring and coaching provider Guider will be integrated into the Thrive learning tool to form an integrated offering encompassing skills, mentoring, communications, and knowledge management.

Also established in 2019, Thrive has built a user base of more than three million workers at companies including ASOS, Volvo, Vodafone, Avon, Burger King, and the Scottish Government.

Speaking exclusively to UNLEASH about the acquisition, Thrive CEO and Founder, Sean Reddington, says the company is “not just building a platform – we’re building a movement”.

“In a world going all-in on AI, that means we’re doing things differently — and going human-first,” he explains.

A significant part of this is bringing the mentoring capacity of Guider to Thrive’s existing offering, with “smart matching, built-in guides and data-driven nudges baked in,” Reddington says, opening a “whole new market” and expanding “the impact we can have inside organizations.”

“It makes us the only platform where companies can build skills, support performance and drive personal development, all through one connected experience. It also gives us a faster route to growth and a much broader value proposition,” he adds.

This isn’t just L&D catching up with how people actually learn — it’s L&D getting ahead. And we’re only just getting started.”

Putting support and people at the heart of L&D

As AI becomes a more integrated part of the workplace – and in some cases, a mandatory one – job roles are also changing. This means the way in which people learn needs to change along with it.

In this environment, mentoring and coaching have transformed into “the missing piece of workforce transformation,” Reddington explains.

“Technical upskilling is everywhere, but what’s missing is the support people need to navigate change, lead others, and stay human in the face of disruption.”

This, he adds, is where the combined offering of Thrive and Guider comes to the fore by bridging the gap “between learning and doing” through technology and human connection.

“Truth is, L&D might just be every company’s secret weapon in the AI era – and with coaching and mentoring built in, they’re not just helping people adapt, they’re making businesses thrive.”

He adds that HR and L&D leaders have “heard it all before” but that “this time it’s real” as the workforce is rapidly changed by AI and “every pound” spent under heavy scrutiny.

While exec teams scramble to build AI taskforces, the real answer is already in the room. L&D teams know the people, they know how to upskill them – and now, they’ve got the tools to do it,” Reddington concludes.